[November 27, 2012]

Qualcomm Joins NFC Forum Board of Directors

The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, today announced that Qualcomm Incorporated, a world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation mobile technologies, has upgraded its NFC Forum (News - Alert) membership for itself and its affiliates from Principal to Sponsor level. Sponsor membership is the highest category, and its privileges include a seat on the NFC Forum Board of Directors, which manages the organization.

"We at the NFC Forum are honored to welcome Qualcomm (News - Alert), a mobile pioneer and innovation leader, to our Board of Directors. We will all reap the benefit of the company's wireless technology expertise and visionary perspective as we work to facilitate the development of the growing NFC market," said Koichi Tagawa, NFC Forum Chairman.

"Qualcomm has actively contributed to the advancement of Near Field Communication through its leadership roles in the Technical and Ecosystem Committees of the NFC Forum," said David Favreau, vice president of product management, Qualcomm Atheros (News - Alert). "We firmly believe that NFC technology drives seamless user experiences in the mobile, computing and consumer electronics markets and look forward to advancing that goal with this expanded role."

In addition, Kovio, Inc. has advanced its membership from Associate to Principal level. Twenty-two organizations from a variety of sectors have also recently joined the Forum.

Principal membership is the second-highest level of membership. Both Sponsor and Principal members may designate individuals to run for Forum leadership positions, and they may appoint one voting representative to each NFC Forum Committee and Working Group. Other privileges include proposing Forum initiatives and participating in the NFC Forum testing and certification program using their own in-house test labs.

"I look forward to working together with all our new members, who represent such a diverse range of markets and industries," added Mr. Tagawa.

The NFC Forum continues to draw innovative organizations from all regions of the globe to its membership roster, reflecting the growing momentum for the adoption and implementation of NFC technology. An influx of members from hardware companies in particular demonstrates the high interest in building new NFC-enabled devices.

Any organization with an interest in furthering the development and adoption of NFC technology is encouraged to apply for NFC Forum membership. In addition to its ongoing work via conference calls and online meetings, the NFC Forum holds face-to-face, all-members meetings three times a year to advance NFC initiatives, and to address specifications and other projects under development. The next all-members meeting will take place in Seoul, Korea, March 18-22, 2013.

About Near Field Communication Technology

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.

A standards-based connectivity technology, NFC harmonizes today's diverse contactless technologies, enabling current and future solutions in areas such as access control, consumer electronics, healthcare, information collection and exchange, loyalty and coupons, payments, and transport.

NFC technology is supported by the world's leading communication device manufacturers, semiconductor producers, network operators, IT and services companies, and financial services organizations. NFC is compatible with hundreds of millions of contactless cards and readers already deployed worldwide.

About the NFC Forum

The NFC Forum (http://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 170+ global member companies currently are developing specifications for a modular NFC device architecture, and protocols for interoperable data exchange and device-independent service delivery, device discovery, and device capability.

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: Broadcom Corporation, INSIDE Secure, Intel (News - Alert), MasterCard Worldwide, NEC, Nokia, NXP Semiconductors, Qualcomm, Renesas Electronics Corporation, Samsung, Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics, and Visa Inc.

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