T-Mobile in the Czech Republic has launched an internal trial using NFC-enabled handsets to test the possibility of using SIM cards as an appropriate tool for NFC communication. The company said that a group of selected employees would use the NFC handsets/SIM cards to access the T-Mobile building and their offices, print documents on networked printers and make payments in the canteen.
The company said that the trial would focus on improving the user interface in handsets (an NFC variant of the Samsung S5230 Star), testing the remote secured NFC data management on SIM cards and connecting the system to the operator's other IT systems. The evaluation of the pilot operation, which is due later this year, is designed to serve as a basis for the deployment of NFC technology in other projects implemented with external partners of T-Mobile.
T-Mobile said it had worked with Gemalto on the development of the NFC SIM cards and planned to test the joint solution making NFC technology available also on handsets that were not NFC-enabled. Other companies involved with the trial include Xerox, Alimex - provider of the access system and Eurest, which operates cash-register systems in T-Mobile's canteen.
For more on this story:
Cellular News
Related stories:
Nokia makes play for NFC leadership
Orange/Barclaycard launch NFC credit card for Euro 10 purchases
NFC open to hackers, as TIM plans ticketing service
Forecast: One in six users to own NFC-enabled phones by 2014