Munich and Stuttgart, Germany – 25 June 2019 –NFC* tags are undergoing a renaissance: users are increasingly tapping smartphones on tags to access digital information and services. Yet reliable data exchange remains one of the major challenges for a positive user experience. Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) enables seamless connectivity by providing handset manufacturers with reference tags for interoperability testing with all types of internationally standardized NFC protocols. Infineon’s latest NFC reference tags, which are based on the SECORA™ Pay security solution, have been successfully approved under the NFC Forum Certification Program. This confirms their compliance with the Type 4A Tag and the Type 4B Tag.

Furthermore, the Type 4B Tag is the first product worldwide certified by the NFC Forum that supports the contactless Type B protocol. It will be introduced during the NFC Forum Member Meeting to be held in Stuttgart, Germany, between 25 and 28 June 2019. Infineon has been a principal member of the international industry association since 2005.

So far, NFC tags have been generally limited to use cases where security is not deemed to be critical – such as sharing URLs or exchanging business cards. However, they offer a host of benefits beyond general information sharing, and can also be combined with security critical payment applications. Their appeal is further increased by native support among a growing number of smartphone operating systems. Users can activate services via NFC connectivity without having to open an app, and thus instantly connect their mobile handset to e.g. smart devices like wearables or access shared services such as street scooters. This intuitive connectivity makes everyday digital transactions easier for consumers – without compromising on security. More information is available at www.infineon.com/nfc

*Near Field Communication (NFC) allows wireless communication between two electronic devices within a distance of approximately 4 cm. NFC tags use this technology to exchange data and to enable contactless payments using smart cards or mobile handsets.

Availability

The NFC reference tags are based on Infineon’s SPA1.1 module, a new innovative packaging solution. They come preloaded with NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) files so developers can test a wide variety of smartphones for compliance with ISO/IEC 14443 Type A and Type B.

The Type A and Type B NFC tags are available in pairs and can be sourced online via Infineon’s security partner Universal Smart Card.