NFC Demonstrations to include NFC-enabled ALFA 159 Coupe Car; New GSMA White Papers Will Examine the Use of Mobile NFC in Retail and Transport Sectors

16 Oct 2012, Milan: At the GSMA NFC & Mobile Money Summit 2012 taking place 22-25 October in Milan, the GSMA will provide a unique, interactive “NFC Experience”, showcasing a range of mobile NFC services both within the Milano Congressi and throughout Milan. Delivered in partnership with Telecom Italia, all registered attendees will receive a Samsung Galaxy Mini II, one of the latest NFC-enabled handsets on the market loaded with Telecom Italia’s mobile wallet containing €15. The mobile device will be fitted with an active NFC SIM, provided by Gemalto, which will be operational throughout the attendee’s stay in Milan, ensuring that they have the opportunity to experience all of the services on offer.

“Mobile services are changing the way that billions of people around the world live, work and socialise and we are seeing a steady evolution towards a fully digital life,” said Michael O’Hara, chief marketing officer, GSMA. “At the NFC & Mobile Money Summit 2012 we will see and uniquely this year, experience, mobile NFC providing a critical link between our digital life on our smartphone and the connected world around us, as it carries our wallet, identity, keys, music, books, photos, tickets, loyalty cards, mail, itinerary and much more.”

The GSMA has developed a variety of event activities to showcase the capabilities of NFC-enabled technology. A highlight of the exhibition is an NFC-enabled ALFA 159 Coupe, provided by Centro Ricerche FIAT, which will demonstrate NFC’s access control capabilities, allowing attendees to unlock and start the car using only NFC technology. Throughout the Milano Congressi, with a tap of their NFC handset on an NFC tag or reader, attendees will also be able to experience the following NFC activities:

• NFC-tagged Smart Posters, providing information and content from exhibitors and partners;
• Feedback posters, to allow attendees to provide their views on the NFC & Mobile Money Summit conference programme, keynote presentations and session discussions;
• An exhibition-wide NFC-enabled Treasure Hunt, with the opportunity to win a Samsung Galaxy Note II; and
• Badge reading, where attendees can use NFC to exchange business card details contained in their NFC & Mobile Money Summit badge.

In addition, the GSMA stand will feature innovative SIM-based NFC demos from Telecom Italia and Etisalat, including:

• Couponing and POS – a SIM-based NFC loyalty solution which allows users to tap an NFC reader and loyalty points, discounts, premium services and coupons are seamlessly downloaded onto the handset;
• Coffee Vending Machine – the user makes a selection, taps their SIM-based NFC handset on the reader, the payment is instantly made and the goods are released;
• Smart City Bike Sharing Station – use NFC to enroll in a bike sharing solution and also to retrieve and drop off a bicycle automatically;
• NFC Business Totem – this solution uses NFC to enable a user to tap on a totem to leave and share their business card details;
• Supermarket POS – by touching a smart poster, the user is shown supermarket products and suggestions for product usage on their handset, which they can then purchase for collection or later delivery; and
• SME-in-a-box POS – Using a SIM-based NFC handset as a POS, a merchant may take payments from customers with NFC handsets. On the NFC handset POS, inventory management information can be displayed for the merchant.

GSMA to Release White Papers on Mobile NFC in the Retail and Transport Industries

At the Milan event, the GSMA will release two new white papers that outline the benefit of mobile NFC for both the retail and transport sectors. These new reports draw on the views of the broad NFC ecosystems and are designed to help retailers, transport operators, mobile operators and their partners deploy mobile NFC solutions to improve their consumer’s shopping and travel experiences. The papers outline the potential benefits, possible obstacles and key considerations relating to the deployment of mobile NFC services in these two industries.

The Retail White Paper shows how mobile NFC could enable consumers to interact with physical stores in the same way they interact with online websites. The report considers mobile NFC solutions in the retail sector in Europe and other developed markets, such as South Korea and Japan. The findings from the white paper are applicable to all forms of retail, including restaurants, coffee shops, bars, pubs and cafes, as well as shops selling products.

The Transport White Paper demonstrates how mobile NFC solutions can be used in the public transport sector in Europe and other developed countries, for commuters, as well as occasional travellers. The findings from the white paper are applicable to all forms of land-based public transport, such as trains, buses, trams and hire bikes. Although the paper’s primary focus is Europe, much of the content is relevant to public transport systems in other countries.

The white papers are to be released at the show and will be available on the GSMA website on 23 October at www.gsma.com/mobilenfc/news-information-resources/

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

Visa is the Platinum Event Sponsor for the NFC & Mobile Money Summit 2012. Visa is also sponsoring the event’s social networking portal – My MMS – and the networking reception that is open to all attendees on 23 rd October. For more information on the NFC & Mobile Money Summit, including details on how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, please visit www.nfcmobilemoneysummit.com .

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries and territories, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contact:
Abigail Faylor (London): +44 (0)2070 670 851
[email protected]
GSMA Press Office: [email protected]