NFC Forum Announces Two New Specifications to Foster Device Interoperability and Peer-to-Peer Device Communication

NFC Digital Protocol and Logical Link Control Protocol Candidate Specifications
Build on Industry Standards to Accelerate Development and Deployment
WAKEFIELD, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
The NFC Forum (http://www.nfc-forum.org), a non-profit industry association that
advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, today announced
the release of two candidate specifications that further the integration,
implementation and standards interpretation of NFC technology. The new NFC
Digital Protocol and the NFC Logical Link Control Protocol (LLCP) candidate
specifications are available to the public for download at no charge at:
http://www.nfc-forum.org/specs/.

The NFC Digital Protocol specification addresses the digital protocol for
NFC-enabled device communication, providing an implementation specification on
top of the ISO/IEC 18092 and ISO/IEC 14443 standards. It harmonizes the
integrated technologies, specifies implementation options and limits the
interpretation of the standards; in essence, showing developers how to use NFC,
ISO/IEC 14443 and JIS X6319-4 standards together to ensure global
interoperability between different NFC devices, and between NFC devices and
existing contactless infrastructure.

The NFC Digital Protocol specification defines the common feature set that can
be used consistently and without further modification for major NFC applications
in areas such as financial services and public transport. More specifically, the
specification covers the digital interface and the half-duplex transmission
protocol of the NFC-enabled device in its four roles as Initiator, Target,
Reader/Writer and Card Emulator. The specification includes bit level coding,
bit rates, frame formats, protocols, and command sets, which are used by
NFC-enabled devices to exchange data and bind to the LLCP protocol.

The NFC Logical Link Control Protocol (LLCP) specification defines an OSI
layer-2 protocol to support peer-to-peer communication between two NFC-enabled
devices. This is essential for any NFC applications that involve bi-directional
communications. The specification defines two service types, connectionless and
connection-oriented, organized into three link service classes: connectionless
service only; connection-oriented service only; and both connectionless and
connection-oriented service. The connectionless service offers minimal setup
with no reliability or flow-control guarantees (deferring these issues to
applications and to the reliability guarantees offered by ISO/IEC 18092 and
ISO/IEC 14443 MAC layers). The connection-oriented service adds in-order,
reliable delivery, flow-control, and session-based service layer multiplexing.

LLCP is a compact protocol, based on the industry standard IEEE 802.2, designed
to support either small applications with limited data transport requirements,
such as minor file transfers, or network protocols, such as OBEX and TCP/IP,
which in turn provide a more robust service environment for applications. The
NFC LLCP thus delivers a solid foundation for peer-to-peer applications,
enhancing the basic functionality offered by ISO/IEC 18092, but without
impacting the interoperability of legacy NFC applications or chipsets.

"As more NFC devices and applications come to market, it is essential that we
ensure their smooth interoperability with earlier NFC implementations and
existing contactless infrastructure such as ISO/IEC 14443 and FeliCa," said
Koichi Tagawa, chairman of the NFC Forum. "These two specifications are
significant because they establish clear and well-defined parameters for the
implementation behavior of NFC devices and applications, thereby providing this
needed assurance."

Both the Digital Protocol and LLCP specifications are candidates for final
release pending feedback from NFC Forum members and other standards
organizations. By releasing these specifications in advance, the NFC Forum is
enabling organizations in the NFC ecosystem to begin integrating them into their
own work. This gives both NFC Forum members and other standards organizations an
opportunity to both accelerate their development and provide valuable feedback
that can be incorporated into the final specifications. Once the feedback has
been evaluated and integrated, both specifications will be officially approved
and released by the NFC Forum.

Additional information on NFC Forum specifications can be found at
http://www.nfc-forum.org/specs/.

About Near Field Communication Technology

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a standards-based, short-range wireless
connectivity technology that enables simple and safe two-way interactions
between electronic devices. NFC technology allows consumers to perform
contactless transactions, access digital content and connect devices with the
simplicity of a single touch.

Near Field Communication (NFC) technology provides global interoperability of
contactless identification and interconnection technologies. NFC operates in the
13.56 MHz frequency range, over a typical distance of a few centimeters. The
underlying layers of NFC technology are based on ISO, ECMA, and ETSI standards.
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 150 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: HP, Innovision Research & Technology plc, INSIDE Contactless, MasterCard
Worldwide, Microsoft Corp., NEC, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Inc., NXP Semiconductors,
Panasonic, Renesas Technology, Samsung, Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics and
Visa Inc.

Virtual, Inc.
Ruth Cassidy, +1 781-876-6239
rcassidy@virtualmgmt.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009