NXP and
STMicroelectronics have announced a
global licensing agreement for NXP's MIFARE
smartcard near-field communications (NFC)
technology.
NFC implies using portable devices, often phones, to communicate
magnetically over short (~100mm) distances by mimicking smartcards
and smartcard readers.
"We are convinced that the mainstream adoption of NFC requires
industry collaboration, and so we are delighted that
STMicroelectronics will be integrating the MIFARE technology into
its next-generation contactless solutions," said Ruediger Stroh,
general manager of identification business at NXP.
ST can now integrate the entire MIFARE family into its security
solutions for mobile phone and banking applications.
On top of MIFARE Plus contactless technology, ST can also
include MIFARE Classic and MIFARE DESFire
technology into its SIM card ICs and other embedded secure
solutions for the mobile phone market, as well as into security
solutions for PC readers and banking card ICs.
The licensing agreement provides operators and device vendors
with the technology for public transport networks, ticketing
systems and access management, as well as contactless banking
cards.