Broadcom Contributes Standards-based NFC Software Stack into Android

Broadcom Press Release:

Broadcom Contributes Standards-based NFC Software Stack into Android

Offers OEMs Alternative Solution for Explosive Market Demand

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

News Highlights:

• Broadcom's NFC technology provides high-quality, open software stack for Android-powered devices
• Vendor-agnostic software gives OEMs freedom to choose preferred silicon vendor
• NFC inspires wide range of applications including mobile payments, simplified connectivity and tap-to-share data transfer

Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced the contribution of its NFC software stack to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). The software will also be included in Android 4.2. As the new standard for OEMs looking to support NFC on Android devices, Broadcom's technology is poised to gain significant traction. For more news, visit Broadcom's Newsroom. 

Broadcom's software enables an open interface between the NFC controller and the main application processor by supporting NFC Forum specifications, including the NFC Controller Interface (NCI), eliminating proprietary ties between software and hardware. By contributing its NFC software stack to Android, Broadcom ensures applications will work across the entire range of future smartphones and tablets. The BCM20793 NFC chip, based on Broadcom's proven 40 nanometer IP, will be the first in a family of products to leverage the Android software stack.

Broadcom NFC software stack advantages:

• For OEMs: by having a vendor-agnostic and open stack, OEMs now have the freedom to choose their preferred silicon provider
• For application developers: by moving from proprietary to open software, developers have more opportunity to create new applications that will drive broader adoption of NFC
• For consumers: by opening the doors for more NFC applications, consumers will be able to use their devices in new and creative ways including retail mobile payments, instant and secure media sharing between devices and tap-to-stream capability from a smartphone or tablet to a digital TV

Market Drivers:

• With over 1 million NFC-enabled Android devices activated each week, Android represents the largest market for NFC adoption¹
• NFC-enabled smartphone shipments are anticipated to increase by 481% from 2012 to 2015²
• $116 billion of NFC-enabled mobile transactions are expected to be completed over the next three years³

Quote:

Jean-Baptiste Queru, Technical Lead, Android Open Source Project 

"We are delighted to see Broadcom's contribution to Android. By providing their NCI-based NFC stack to the Android Open Source Project, they are expanding the choice available to Android OEMs as they build devices with NFC."

Michael Hurlston, Broadcom SVP and GM, Wireless Connectivity Combo Group

"NFC represents a huge, industry-wide opportunity and Android is the ideal environment for evolving this technology and its applications. Through our proven leadership and deep-seated connectivity expertise, Broadcom has developed an open stack that supports all interfaces and replaces existing proprietary solutions. Broadcom is committed to unleashing the massive potential for NFC not only in the mobile payments sector, but much more broadly in gaming, home applications and simplified device-to-device connections that will allow us to recognize the full value of NFC."

Resources

¹ Google I/O Keynote, Hugo Barra, director of Android product management, June 2012
² ABI Research, NFC Market Data, November 2012
³ ABI Research, Mobile Payments, NFC, and Contactless Convergence Report, October 2012

About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a FORTUNE 500® company, is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom® products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments.  With the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and embedded software solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by connecting everything®.  For more information, go to www.broadcom.com.