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Contactless Data Announces Android NFC API Project

Tucson, Arizona - January 26, 2009 - Contactless Data, Inc., pioneer of NFC-based mobile couponing solutions, has announced today that it has been working on a project code-named ANA for Android NFC API. This software library will allow an Android application to interface with an NFC-enabled smart card through the microSD slot.

"We were initially disappointed as there was no smart card access library in Google's Android SDK in order to port our MIDP-based Wallet application to the G1 phone.", said Ismaila Wane, President and CTO of Contactless Data, Inc. "But after a 70-hour coding marathon to build a prototype leveraging the openness of Android's operating system, it was natural that something like this had to be done," he added.

By mounting an NFC-enabled microSD card into an Android-powered phone, the user could make all types of contactless transactions such as payment, ticketing and couponing. For the latter, it makes even more sense since consumers would be able to redeem their digital promotions with a single tap at the point of sale, solving hence the current redemption issue in the emerging mobile coupon space.

With about one million Android phones reportedly deployed in the market to date and the availability of commercial NFC-enabled microSD cards, it is indeed legitimate to explore the possibility to quickly launch scalable cross-carrier NFC services without awaiting wireless operators to subsidize NFC phones. Android users could just buy NFC-enabled microSD cards from their favorite electronics retailers and start enjoying NFC at over 130,000 merchant locations nationwide. It has been also suggested that banks may provide these NFC-enabled microSD cards to their customers with secure preloaded payment information.

The source code, binaries and specifications of the ANA project has not been released yet, but it is expected to happen very rapidly. Contactless Data is also looking to closely involve several microSD card manufacturers in the project to ensure interoperability. A demo showcasing its MobiFetch services on the G1 phone will be available in the weeks to come, and should also be exhibited at the upcoming CTIA Wireless 2009 trade show in Las Vegas before the launch of a pilot program scheduled later this year.