For release: 20 Jun 2012
NFC Forum and GS1 Team Up on Mobile Retail
Organisations Will Collaborate to Share Standards and Build Awareness
The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, and GS1, a not-for-profit organisation that develops global standards and solutions for supply chain efficiency and visibility, including the EPCglobal standards for RFID, today announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore synergies between NFC technology and the use of GS1 standards to better serve the developing needs of mobile commerce.
The MOU is a reflection of the growth of mobile devices in retail. NFC is driving the proliferation of new B2C applications, such as NFC-enabled mobile payments, promotions, loyalty programs, and promotional tags that provide detailed product information. For the millions of global manufacturers and retailers that employ GS1 standards in their supply chains, these applications and devices provide opportunities to interact more directly and personally with consumers to share information and deliver greater value.
Under the MOU, the NFC Forum and GS1 will collaborate to:
analyze the various data formats currently supported by the two organizations and develop mutually-beneficial use cases based on related standards;
investigate the feasibility of mutually adopting common technical standards in areas such as RFID air interfaces and data communication protocols;
increase awareness of NFC and GS1 within each of the respective organisations through information sharing, boot camps, white papers, case studies, webcasts, and other non-technical activities;
develop commonly agreed-upon communication plans to inform the market about GS1 and NFC standards; and
explore opportunities to combine use of Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) and Global Location Numbers (GLNs) together with NFC promotional functionalities.
"NFC technology can provide a wealth of information to support the supply chain," said Koichi Tagawa, chairman of the NFC Forum. "Because GS1 provides the most widely used supply chain standards system in the world, they will play a major role in advancing the global adoption and interoperability of NFC. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership."
"This opens up a realm of opportunities for mobile B2C applications based on NFC Technology and GS1's unique product identification system," said Miguel Angel Lopera, President and CEO of GS1. "The collaboration between GS1 and the NFC Forum will be critical to the interoperability of future services developed around these technologies, and is of vital importance to our members in their mobile retail developments."
About GS1
GS1 is a neutral, not-for-profit, international organisation that develops global standards and solutions to improve the efficiency and visibility of supply chains across industries. It engages a global community of trading partners, industry organisations and technology providers to understand their business needs and develops global standards in response to those needs. GS1 is driven by close to two million user companies, which execute more than six billion transactions daily in 150 countries using GS1 standards. GS1 has local Member Organisations in over 110 countries. Its head office is in Brussels. For more information: www.gs1.org
About Near Field Communication Technology
NFC technology makes life easier and more convenient for consumers around the world by making it simpler to make transactions, exchange digital content, and connect electronic devices with a touch.
A standards-based connectivity technology, NFC harmonizes today's diverse contactless technologies, enabling current and future solutions in areas such as access control, consumer electronics, healthcare, information collection and exchange, loyalty and coupons, payments, and transport.
NFC technology is supported by the world's leading communication device manufacturers, semiconductor producers, network operators, IT and services companies, and financial services organizations. NFC is compatible with hundreds of millions of contactless cards and readers already deployed worldwide.
About the NFC Forum
The NFC Forum (http://www.nfc-forum.org) was launched as a non-profit industry association in 2004 by leading mobile communications, semiconductor, and consumer electronics companies. The Forum's mission is to advance the use of Near Field Communication technology by developing specifications, ensuring interoperability among devices and services, and educating the market about NFC technology. The Forum's 160+ global member companies currently are developing specifications for a modular NFC device architecture, and protocols for interoperable data exchange and device-independent service delivery, device discovery, and device capability.
The NFC Forum's Sponsor members, which hold seats on the Board of Directors, include leading players in key industries around the world. The Sponsor members are: Barclaycard, Broadcom Corporation, INSIDE Secure, Intel, MasterCard Worldwide, NEC, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Inc., NXP Semiconductors, Renesas Electronics Corporation, Samsung, Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics, and Visa Inc.
