Sony and Philips Demonstrate NFC on Samsung SGH-X700

3GSM will be the setting of the latest large-scale demonstration of Near Field Communication Technology (NFC) the easy-to-use short range wireless technology.Philips Electronics and Telefonica Móviles España, the largest Spanish mobile operator, will demonstrate the simplicity of NFC technology by providing 200 selected attendees of the 3GSM World Congress with NFC-enabled Samsung SGH-X700 mobile phones to be used in a variety of applications throughout the conference and exhibition area. With the NFC-enabled Samsung SGH-X700 mobile phones, the 200 participants can conduct various transactions throughout the Congress, including secure payment and exhibition and conference access, simply with the swipe of their mobile phones.

One of the most important new mobile communications technologies to be showcased at 3GSM, NFC is the most promising new wireless technology to hit the market in recent years. NFC is seeing significant market traction with major commercial trials currently running in France, Germany, Taiwan and the United States. The large demonstration at 3GSM by Philips, co-inventor of the NFC technology, Samsung and Telefonica Móviles España, gives the mobile industry’s most influential players the chance to experience the convenience themselves.

According to Gartner research vice president Stan Bruederle: "In addition to being well suited for contactless payments using your mobile phone, NFC can be used for simply establishing secure wireless connectivity connections with your mobile phone and other devices using wireless universal serial bus (USB), Bluetooth, and other connectivity technologies."

“We see NFC as an important new option that consumers will be requesting as part of their new services," stated Juan Luis Mirabet, Consumer General Manager of Telefonica Móviles España. “It extends the ways in which mobile phones can be used, and we’re pleased to have the opportunity to meet existing and emerging consumer demands by providing new applications and services, as well as enabling a truly mobile lifestyle where they can connected anytime, anywhere."

“Samsung is very proud to introduce the specially designed NFC mobile phone, SGH-X700, for industry professionals at the 3GSM World Congress. As one of the board members of the NFC Forum, Samsung has invested a lot for R&D and looked carefully for business opportunities with NFC" stated YH Han, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Samsung Electronics.

Samsung’s SGH-X700 is a premium bar-type handset, which combines elegant design with comprehensive features. The popular X700 models are specially equipped with NFC technology to demonstrate the simplicity and ease-of-use of NFC at 3GSM. The applications that the 200 attendees can enjoy with their NFC-enabled Samsung phones include:

Secure contactless payment: Paying for items has never been easier. Each phone comes equipped with e-money that can be spent at a specially equipped kiosk at the Philips booth. By using the touch-screen kiosk, users can easily select and pay for their choice of CDs, DVDs and books using the NFC-enabled phone. After the transaction, the money is deducted from the purse and a message pops up on the phone screen indicating the balance account.

Exhibition and conference access: When users wish to access the conference or exhibit area, they simply pass their NFC-enabled phone in front of the entrance booth just by holding their NFC phone close to the PDAs being used at all entrances for access. The PDA reads the phone, confirms the validity of the badge, and in an instant, the transaction occurs and the authorized attendee can enter the conference.

Other applications and services that are part of the demonstration include on-site registration, information exchange with the lead retrieval system, an electronic business card with the user’s personal registration dated stored on the phone and the opportunity to win prizes.

Jointly developed by Philips and Sony, NFC is a combination of contactless identification and interconnection technologies that enables wireless short-range communication between mobile devices, consumer electronics, PCs and smart objects. www.semiconductors.philips.com