Sony and HID Global announced the companies to have entered into a Memorandum of Intent for a strategic partnership to jointly develop an embedded contactless smart card reader platform for the global PC marketplace. The jointly developed platform will be designed specifically for laptop manufacturers and will encompass Sony and HID Global contactless solutions and a broad range of other widely deployed technologies while supporting specific regional and application needs.
The new embedded reader platform will support Sony's FeliCa contactless card technology, HID Global's iCLASS credentials, as well as other broadly adopted technologies. Furthermore, the reader solution will support applications based on Near Field Communication (NFC). Goals for the joint development, including a complete reference design and comprehensive developer support, are focused on minimizing product development requirements and speeding time-to-market schedules for PC manufacturers. Plans are in place to provide details and availability later this year.
"We are pleased to be working with Sony to develop a major new laptop-based reader platform for the contactless smart card market," said Dr. Tam Hulusi, Senior Vice President with HID Global. "This partnership leverages Sony's industry-leading contactless smart card reader IC experience with HID Global's widely deployed RFID technology for access control systems, extending the value proposition for contactless smart card credentials to the PC."
"HID Global is an ideal partner in Sony's drive to expand the use of contactless smart card reader technology, worldwide," said Izumi Kawanishi, Senior General Manager with Sony's FeliCa Business Division. "This partnership is an important element in our program to extend FeliCa and NFC technology into new markets in the U.S. and around the world, across a broad range of platforms ranging from cards to mobile phones and, now, laptop computers."
Deployed in Asia for more than ten years, Sony's FeliCa technology is used in approximately 67 million mobile phones in Japan, and more than 315 million FeliCa card chips have been shipped for transportation, electronic money and other applications, worldwide. FeliCa has been the basis for transportation access and merchant communities where customers can easily and rapidly purchase goods and services. This year, FeliCa's PC reader, which is also embedded in the remote-control unit of a TV, has exceeded 10 million units shipped. FeliCa microchips combine processing, storage and communications functions and comply with NFC standards. They provide a fast, convenient and secure all-in-one solution platform for multiple applications, including electronic pre-paid transactions, access, interactive signage and membership or loyalty rewards systems.
HID and Sony are now discussing details of the partnership and finalizing a definitive agreement. With this partnership, HID Global and Sony will further expand their product solutions to increase the benefits and convenience of contactless applications globally.
