WAKEFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The NFC Forum today announced that Infineon Technologies has upgraded its NFC Forum membership from Principal to Sponsor. The NFC Forum Board of Directors voted on and approved Infineon’s Sponsor-level membership. Three other companies have recently joined the world's leading standards and advocacy association for Near Field Communication (NFC) technology as well.

Infineon has been a Principal member of the NFC Forum since 2005 and will join Apple, Dai Nippon Printing, Google, Intel, MasterCard Worldwide, NXP, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony, STMicroelectronics and Visa on the NFC Forum Board of Directors. Infineon's new position at the NFC Forum will allow it to take a greater leadership role in the organization, NFC technology development and deliverables.

Sponsor level is the top tier of NFC Forum membership. It entitles an organization to a seat on the NFC Forum Board of Directors, the consortium’s governing body, and to run for officer positions. Sponsor members, like Principal members, may designate individuals to run for Forum leadership positions and may appoint one voting representative to each of the NFC Forum Committees and Working Groups.

Sponsor members, like Principal members, may designate individuals to run for Forum leadership positions and may appoint one voting representative to each of the NFC Forum Committees and Working Groups.

"Infineon is a longstanding, valued member that has contributed considerable expertise to the NFC Forum over the years. Deepening its relationship with a board seat will only benefit the NFC Forum, its members, and the continued NFC technology standards development and advocacy efforts," said Paula Hunter, executive director, NFC Forum. "When existing members like Infineon increase their level of participation and new members join the NFC Forum, their combined energies act as a catalyst to spark innovation and create solutions to real-world challenges using NFC technology."

“NFC is a key technology in today’s mobile, connected life. The NFC Forum plays an active and important role by supporting the standardization and deployment of the NFC technology,” said Thomas Rosteck, division president, Chip Card & Security, Infineon Technologies AG. “As a board member of the NFC Forum, we are committed to enhancing our contribution to the NFC technology with our contactless and security competence.”

Three New Implementer Members Join NFC Forum
Identiv, Inc., PPC ID Card Solutions and Rice Microelectronics, Inc., joined the NFC Forum at the Implementer Level of membership, increasing the number of NFC Forum member organizations to 150 worldwide. The NFC Forum draws innovative member organizations from all regions of the globe reflecting the increasing worldwide interest in adoption and implementation of NFC technology.

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Through the work of its Committees and Working Groups, the NFC Forum empowers organizations to deliver secure, tap-based interactions with an intuitive, reliable experience to users around the globe.

Any organization using NFC or interested in learning more about NFC technology to improve their product, service or customer experience is encouraged to apply for NFC Forum membership. In addition to ongoing work via conference calls and online meetings, the NFC Forum holds face-to-face, member meetings three times a year to advance NFC initiatives and to address specifications, market requirements and other projects under development.

About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG is a world leader in semiconductor solutions that make life easier, safer and greener. Microelectronics from Infineon is the key to a better future. In the 2017 fiscal year (ending September 30), the company reported sales of about 7.1 billion euros with some 37,500 employees worldwide. Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USA on the over-the-counter market OTCQX International Premier (ticker symbol: IFNNY).

About the NFC Forum

The NFC Forum (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 global member companies are currently developing specifications for a modular NFC device architecture, and protocols for interoperable data exchange and device-independent service delivery, device discovery, and device capability. Only member companies can participate in the Forum's certification program of NFC devices, readers and tags. 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: Apple Inc., Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd., Google, Inc., Intel, MasterCard Worldwide, NXP Semiconductors, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics, and Visa Inc.