Isis, a joint venture between AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, announced today that most of the leading mobile device manufacturers have worked with them to get near-field communication (NFC) technology onto upcoming handsets. Specifically, HTC, LG, Motorola Mobility, RIM, Samsung, and Sony Ericcson are all on board. DeviceFidelity also joining the cause by promising new products that will add NFC technology to current mobile phones on the market, presumably by way of accessories.
Scott Mulloy, chief technology officer at Isis, said:
“Isis’ technology standards provide the direction and certainty needed for the development and deployment of NFC devices and the mobile commerce ecosystem. Working together with the device makers and our founding mobile carriers, Isis can provide the consumer choice and scale necessary for widespread adoption of mobile commerce.”
Representatives from each of the companies participating also issued their own statements, but mostly for the sole purpose of making their company look smarter and more futuristic than the rest.
As you might already know, NFC is a growing technology that allows for smartphone owners to store their credentials on their device and pay for products using just the phone. As a growing numbers of phones support NFC, we’ll likely see coupons and special offers start to appear from participating merchants and since most of the leading smartphone manufacturers have worked with Isis, the popularity of NFC is about to grow faster than ever before.
The only major manufacturer not on the list is Apple, though the company might have a similar announcement of its own on October 4th.
[via Isis]