With the Certification Release (CR) 11 scheduled for September 2017, and the corresponding Test Release (TR) 11.0, the NFC Forum sets the stage for tag certification. In the past, an NFC Forum-certified device had to support all three modes: reader/writer mode, peer-to-peer mode, and card emulation mode. The new certification and test release changes this rule. Now, it is also possible to certify so-called NFC tag devices.
It’s All About a Great Customer Experience
NFC tags are increasingly important and used in different NFC use cases such as event access control, activation of services and apps, like alarm clock or turn-by-turn navigation, or switching the smartphone to flight mode. These tags need to work together reliably with other NFC devices. If the communication fails, the user will lose trust in the technology and might not use the service again. This could create a bad image of service providers, device manufacturers, or integrators and might even reflect on their brands.
Tag Certification – Your Ticket to Get in
Leading smartphone manufacturers and service providers are requesting tag certification heavily to build up confidence in NFC technology. They expect that NFC tags are tested and certified according to the NFC Forum specifications. Thus, certification increases the chances for tag manufacturers that their implementations will be selected for trials, projects, and high scale rollouts.
