„“NFC is perhaps best known for its role in enabling mobile payments, but its applications go far beyond that,““ said Franco Bernabè, Chairman, GSMA and CEO, Telecom Italia. „“NFC represents an important innovation opportunity, and will facilitate a wide range of interesting services and applications for consumers, such as mobile ticketing, mobile couponing, the exchange of information and content, control access to cars, homes, hotels, offices car parks and much more.““ The market potential for NFC is significant – according to Frost & Sullivan, the total payment value for NFC globally will reach more than EUR 110 billion in 2015 – and momentum behind the technology is growing rapidly. To address this opportunity and to provide valuable new services to mobile users worldwide, the operator community is focused on driving the standardised deployment of mobile NFC, using the SIM as the secure element to provide authentication, security and portability. To achieve this, the GSMA will develop the necessary certification and testing standards to ensure global interoperability of NFC services. This interoperability is critical to the widespread adoption of NFC, enabling users to benefit from NFC services around the world, regardless of operator network or device type. „“As we have seen, the adoption of different approaches to NFC will only serve to fragment the market,““ continued Bernabè. „“By uniting around a single standardised approach to mobile NFC and by collaborating across the entire ecosystem, our industry will continue to develop the compelling services that customers demand.““ www.gsmworld.com