Google has joined the NFC Forum as a principal member. Formerly associate members, CSR and Intel, have raised their membership status to the Principal level, announced the Forum.
The NFC Forum was founded in 2004 by mobile communications, semiconductor, and consumer electronics companies. It is a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which makes it possible for mobile owners to make contactless payments.
On its website, the Forum says that "NFC technology makes life easier and more convenient for consumers around the world by making it simpler to make transactions, exchange digital content, and connect electronic devices with a touch."
With principal membership, which is the second-highest level of membership in the NFC Forum, Google is now entitled to appoint a voting representative to each of the Technical, Marketing, and Compliance Committees and Working Groups. Google may also participate in the NFC Forum testing and certification program using its own in-house test labs.
Other principal members of the forum include Sony Ericsson, Motorola, LG, RIM, Qualcomm and AT&T.
NFC Forum chairman Koichi Tagawa said the NFC Forum thrives on the active participation of global industry leaders and innovators such as CSR, Google, and Intel.
Tagawa said, "Their [the companies’] energy, ideas, and influence will greatly enhance the work of the Forum, as will the support of our new Associate, Implementer, and Non-Profit members from around the world."
