NFC-enabled handsets

Gothenburg, Sweden – According to a new report by Berg Insight, global sales of handsets featuring near field communication (NFC) grew 300% in 2012 to reach 140 million units. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 48.2%, annual shipments are forecast to reach one billion units by 2017.

Palaiseau, France – FIME, a global consulting and market integration tester for smart devices and secure chip-based applications, has certified Qatar National Bank’s contactless mobile payments system for compliance with MasterCard® PayPass™ specifications. The pilot project, which began roll-out in March this year, is Qatar’s first near field communication (NFC) payments initiative.