Global industry support expedites MIFARE4Mobile adoption

SINGAPORE: The MIFARE4Mobile Industry Group, which consists of leading players in the Near Field Communication (NFC) ecosystem including Ericsson, Gemalto, Giesecke & Devrient, NXP Semiconductors, Oberthur Technologies, STMicroelectronics and ViVOtech, today announced a significant milestone in the adoption of MIFARE contactless technology on mobile devices.

More than 500 public transport operators, system integrators, consultants and service providers have now downloaded the MIFARE4Mobile specifications since its release, paving the way for upcoming launches of mobile ticketing solutions.

Near Field Communication (NFC) gained widespread global acceptance in 2011 as it adds convenience and additional uses to mobile devices. NFC-enabled handsets increasingly become mainstream products for consumers while contactless applications – including payment, transit ticketing and access management – continue to grow in popularity.

The MIFARE4Mobile specifications act as glue between NFC and the MIFARE technology platform: they enable the realization and secure implementation of MIFARE-based contactless applications on mobile devices, meeting the expectations of end-users to leverage their smart phones for ticketing. The high level of interest and huge number of downloads is clearly indicating that the global industry is shifting gears in embracing this trend.

MIFARE4Mobile is a software solution for secure elements (such as embedded secure elements, SIM and micro SD) used to manage MIFARE-based services in NFC-enabled mobile phones. It covers the whole lifecycle of mobile applications from over-the-air installation to end-user interaction via the user interface. The MIFARE4Mobile Industry Group serves as the forum to anticipate the evolution of MIFARE on mobile and specifies and implements the according MIFARE4Mobile solutions.

The aim of the group is to harmonize and advance the management of MIFARE based applications built on established and proven global standards such as Global Platform. This applies to secure elements in different form factors and different mobile phone models.