The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association advancing the use of near-field communications (NFC) technology, has announced the publication of its first four specifications. The specifications are available to the public for download at no charge from the NFC Forum web site www.nfc-forum.org/home. NFC technology is a short-range, standards-based wireless connectivity technology. It allows consumers to perform safe, contactless transactions, access digital content and connect electronic devices with a single touch. For example, consumers with NFC-enabled mobile phones can leave their wallets at home and use their phones to make contactless financial transactions, enjoy electronic access to transportation networks or touch a Smart Poster to receive digital content.

The new specifications make it possible for any manufacturer to create NFC Forum-compliant devices that will be interoperable with other manufacturers' devices and compatible with the NFC-Forum-compliant offerings of service providers, ensuring successful communication between devices and tags.

The four specifications now available are:
• NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF)--specifies a common data format for NFC Forum-compliant devices and NFC Forum-compliant tags.
• NFC Record Type Definition (RTD)--specifies standard record types used in messages between two NFC Forum-compliant devices or between NFC Forum-compliant devices and tags.
• NFC Text RTD technical specification--for records containing plain text that can be read by NFC-enabled devices.
• NFC URI RTD specification --for elements that refer to an Internet resource that can be read by NFC-enabled devices.

“The NFC Forum is committed to advancing the use of and delivering on the promise of the NFC technology, and the need for standard specifications is one of the critical factors in achieving this,” said Christophe Duverne, chairman, NFC Forum. “Issuing the first four specifications signifies a huge step forward in creating the framework that is necessary to make NFC applications a reality and put NFC capabilities in the hands of consumers around the world.”

In June of this year, the NFC Forum unveiled its modular NFC device architecture and protocols for interoperable data exchange, device-independent service delivery, device discovery, and device capability. Additional specifications are still in development. A schematic diagram showing the basic elements of the NFC Forum technology architecture is available, along with other materials, on the NFC Forum’s web site.

The Forum also announced the initial set of tag formats that all NFC Forum-compliant devices must support. Tags are integrated circuits that store data that can be read by NFC-enabled devices. The Forum's selected tags are based on the ISO 14443 Type A and B standards and Sony’s FeliCa.