INSIDE Contactless, Sagem Wireless extend NFC technology partnership
05 February, 2009
category: Contactless, Financial, NFC
INSIDE Contactless’ MicroRead NFC chip and software will power Sagem Wireless’ new handset platforms as part of the two French companies’ participation in GSMA’s Pay-Buy-Mobile initiative.
Expected to be available to major wireless operators and customers in the fourth quarter of this year, the Sagem Wireless NFC platforms will also incorporate the associated MicroRead Software Foundation NFC protocol stack, which Sagem Wireless has licensed, and which will be integrated and validated with Sagem Wireless’ handset platform software.
According to INSIDE’s CEO Remy de Tonnac, the MicroRead chip’s self-powered battery-off mode and low-power RFID tag detection features will improve the user experience of the Sagem Wireless handset by enabling payment or other transactions to take place successfully even when the handset is turned off or the battery is completely drained.
Along with this partnership, INSIDE has strengthened its NFC commitment by establishing a new support facility in Cergy, France, staffed with a team of former Sagem Mobiles engineers with expertise in phone system integration and validation. The new laboratory allows INSIDE to conduct mobile phone RF performance testing and validation to further qualify NFC integration for its customers and accelerate global interoperability.
GSMA’s Pay-Buy-Mobile initiative is intended to jump start the development of NFC-enabled phones.