HID Global and Sony have come together to collaborate on a NFC-enabled contactless smart card reader platform which might soon be the de facto standard when it comes to wireless payments the next time you head out to the grocery store. This effort is said to embed secure access control capabilities and Near Field Communication (NFC) functionality into laptops as well as numerous other mobile devices, where a secure element within the platform will store cryptographic keys that will ensure the authenticity and integrity of user credentials. It will also be able to support widely used contactless technologies for applications which range from physical access control as well as identity assurance at the desktop to transit-fare, point-of-sale collection and loyalty programs.
Apparently, this joint developed platform will also support Sony’s FeliCa technology, HID Global’s iCLASS and iCLASS SE credentials, MIFARE DESFire EV1 credentials, and other broadly adopted technologies that support the ISO/IEC 14443 Type A/B contactless smart card standard using the T=CL contactless transmission protocol. I just wonder how soon will we be able to see their efforts hit the market. [Press Release]