NXP and STMicroelectronics have announced a strategic licensing agreement for NXP’s MIFARE technology. The agreement enables STMicroelectronics to integrate the entire MIFARE family into its security offerings for mobile phone and banking applications. It will facilitate the convergence of the MIFARE infrastructure and Near Field Communication enabled mobile devices, accelerating contactless application deployments.
Reportedly, ST can also include MIFARE Classic and MIFARE DESFire technology into its (U)SIM card ICs and other embedded secure offerings for the mobile phone market, and into security offerings for PC readers and banking card ICs.
The companies said that the agreement provides operators and device vendors with widened availability of contactless smart card ICs incorporating MIFARE technology used in public transport networks, ticketing systems and access management.
The agreement is set to drive the emergence of NFC-based services, such as electronic ticketing and payment, as well as contactless banking cards, the company claims.
Marie-France Florentin, General Manager at STMicroelectronics, said: “The breadth of ST’s smart card IC product portfolio, ranging from dual-interface microcontrollers to NFC devices and related embedded and SIM-based secure solutions, positions the company as a unique player in the contactless ecosystem.
“Teaming up with NXP and licensing MIFARE technology, the most widespread contactless technology around the world, we now support an additional and essential application field, which will enrich our portfolio of secure processor ICs for the SIM, banking card ICs and embedded secure solutions.”
