The NFC Forum, a group that promotes near-field communication technology, wants to attract more organizations that are actually deploying or marketing the contactless technology, which supports two-way communication between NFC chips.
The Wakefield, Mass., trade group introduced an "implementer" membership level last week for companies deploying the technology, which has seen dozens of tests around the world and continues to move toward wider rollouts, though the pace of adoption has been slower than experts expected a few years ago.
The new membership level potentially will appeal to transit agencies and retailers, a representative of the forum said.
Annual membership costs $5,000, less than other membership levels that can cost up to $50,000 annually, though nonprofit firms pay less.
"Implementers are not involved in writing technical specifications or driving the technical work of the NFC Forum," the representative said. "However, they may review prerelease drafts of the specifications, which keeps them informed regarding the forum's technical work."
The forum has 140 member companies.
