<http://www.physorg.com/printnews.php?newsid=1812> Nokia, Philips trial NFC for Wireless Ticketing Nokia, Royal Philips Electronics together with Rhein-Main Verkehrsverbund (RMV), public transport authority for Frankfurt's greater area, today announced a joint project to trial a Near Field Communication (NFC) ticketing solution that uses mobile phones to access an existing contactless smart card ticketing infrastructure. The trial, which starts early 2005, will enable RMV's current customers to use Nokia 3220 phones equipped by tailored Nokia NFC shell covers to gain access to a local bus network in Hanau, a city near Frankfurt. As a result, travelers can enjoy a convenient and secure solution designed around their needs to buy, store and use tickets with their Nokia 3220 mobile phones. About Near Field Communication (NFC): Evolving from a combination of contactless identification and networking technologies, Near Field Communication (NFC) is a wireless connectivity technology that enables convenient short-range communication between electronic devices. NFC offers the ultimate in convenience for connecting all types of consumer devices and enables rapid and easy communications. It is the perfect solution for controlling data in our increasingly complex and connected world. NFC technology evolved from a combination of contactless identification (RFID) and interconnection technologies. NFC operates in the 13.56 MHz frequency range, over a distance of typically a few centimetres. NFC technology is standardized in ISO 18092, ECMA 340, and ETSI TS 102 190. Near Field Communication is also compatible to the broadly established contactless smart card infrastructure. The ticketing solution will be demonstrated at the CARTES IT & SECURITY trade show in Paris (2-4 November). As the first live NFC-based ticketing application of its kind, the trial will use Nokia 3220 mobile phones with a contactless NFC solution, based on the Nokia NFC shell - the mobile phone's outside cover. The RMV electronic ticketing application will be securely stored on an integrated smart card controller in the phone, and is fully compatible with today's smart card-based ticketing products. Users will simply need to touch their phones against the contactless reader as they get on and off the bus to register their journey. This trial will provide the partners with practical experience of NFC-enabled mobile ticketing on a check-in/check-out basis, paving the way for broad adoption of the technology. The mobile phone offers customers a quick and convenient way to use the public transport network, and RMV is at the forefront of understanding how customers will approach the technology. As an integrated device, the mobile phone can also be used as a resource for transport information, such as timetables, as well as being a terminal for ticketing. For RMV an important feature of the project is that the Nokia NFC shells are compatible with the contactless smart card infrastructure already installed in Hanau. "Nokia is taking a leading role in bringing easy and convenient touch-based interactions to the market. Local ticketing is a great example of how mobility can bring completely new value to consumers and companies that serve them. This ticketing trial will provide us with valuable experience to meet requirements from mobile operators, transport operators and end-users going forward." said Jarkko Sairanen, Vice President, Strategy and Planning, at Nokia Technology Platforms. "With NFC we are delivering on our promise of providing simple and easy-to-use solutions to complex problems," commented Reinhard Kalla, Vice President and General Manager of Identification at Philips Semiconductors. "Together with Nokia and RMV, we have developed the first ticketing application for NFC technology, providing an example of how an intuitive, touch-based solution can simplify the daily lives of users." About the solution Jointly developed by Philips and Sony, NFC enables touch-based interactions in consumer electronics, mobile devices, PCs, smart objects and for payment purposes. Consumers are seeking easier ways to interact with their immediate environment and want to experience easy communication between their electronic devices and gain fast access to services. An intuitive technology, NFC bridges that connectivity gap and allows the connected consumer to interact with their environment. The trial implementation is in line with the Association of German transport operators (Verein Deutscher Verkehrsbetriebe ,VDV), specification that has been developed for a country wide electronic ticketing core application (VDV Kernapplikation). NFC is compatible with Sony's FeliCa(TM) card and the broadly established contactless smart card infrastructure based on ISO 14443 A, which is used in Philips' MIFARE. technology. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'