Innovision Research & Technology plc and STMicroelectronics Join NFC Forum Board of Directors

Forum Welcomes New Members and Executive Director Paula Berger

The NFC Forum (http://www.nfc-forum.org), a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, today announced that Innovision Research & Technology, plc, and STMicroelectronics have become Sponsor Members and have joined its Board of Directors.

In other member news, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB has upgraded its membership level from Associate to Principal, and nine organizations have joined as Associate and Non-Profit members. The Forum also announced that Paula Berger has been appointed Executive Director.

Formerly Principal and Associate members, respectively, Innovision and STMicroelectronics now join fellow Sponsor members HP, INSIDE Contactless, MasterCard Worldwide, Microsoft Corp., NEC, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Inc., NXP Semiconductors, Panasonic, Renesas Technology, Samsung, Sony Corporation and Visa Inc.

Since its founding in 2004, the NFC Forum has drawn market-leading organizations from around the world to its membership roster as momentum builds for the adoption and implementation of Near Field Communication technology. Sponsor membership is the highest level of membership in the NFC Forum, with each Sponsor member occupying a seat on the organization’s Board of Directors and gaining the right to designate individuals to run for office.

The NFC Forum’s nine new members, from across the NFC ecosystem, represent mobile handset manufacturers, mobile service providers, payment services providers, chip makers, solution developers, municipalities and academic institutions. New Associate members include ASMedia Technology, Inc., Bundesdruckerei GmbH, PayPal, SAXA, Inc., 7Layers AG, USC Corporation and VeriFone, Inc. Also joining recently are Non-Profit members Forum des Services Mobiles Sans Contact and Oulu Innovation, Ltd.

In a related announcement, the NFC Forum Board appointed Paula Berger as Executive Director. Previously Director of the NFC Forum, Ms. Berger has managed the organization since February 2005 and works with the Board of Directors, members, group chairs, staff and other association leaders to advance the mission of the NFC Forum. Before joining the Forum, she was Director of Corporate Communications at Virtual, Inc. and earlier was a Principal at SOLUTIONS, Inc. Ms. Berger studied Planetary Physics at MIT and is a Fellow and International Past President of the Society for Technical Communication.

“Leadership and diversity constitute the lifeblood of our organization, ensuring that the work of the NFC Forum benefits from both strong direction and a breadth of perspectives,” said Koichi Tagawa, chairman of the NFC Forum. “Innovision and STMicroelectronics bring unique insight and innovative thinking to our Board of Directors, and we are grateful for their support, as well as that of our new Principal, Associate and Non-Profit members. The NFC Forum’s growing global membership is just one way to measure the successful management tenure of Paula Berger, whom we are pleased to name as Executive Director.”

About Innovision Research & Technology plc

Innovision Research & Technology plc, is leading the next generation of NFC/RFID solutions. As the leading fabless developer of Short-Range Data Communication semiconductor and system solutions, with particular focus on NFC/RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and ultra low-cost Integrated Circuit (IC) and RF electronic design, IRT is pushing cost performance to enable clients to get maximum utility for minimum cost. The company develops innovative semiconductor technologies, ICs, RF systems (HF/UHF) and complete end product applications for mass volume commercialisation and then licenses customers for its incorporation into their own products.

At the heart of the emerging Near Field Communication (NFC) market, Innovision R&T designs and develops NFC/RFID IC solutions for the global mobile handset and consumer device sectors.

Products include Topaz, mandated by the NFC Forum as the NFC number one tag type format, Jewel for mass transit ticketing applications, and io, the world’s smallest standards compatible Near-Field RFID reader.

Headquartered in the UK, Innovision R&T was listed in 2001 on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange (ticker symbol:INN).

About STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics is a global leader in developing and delivering semiconductor solutions across the spectrum of microelectronics applications. An unrivalled combination of silicon and system expertise, manufacturing strength, Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio and strategic partners positions the Company at the forefront of System-on-Chip (SoC) technology and its products play a key role in enabling today’s convergence markets. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. In 2008, the Company’s net revenues were $9.84 billion. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.

About Near Field Communication Technology

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a standards-based, short-range wireless connectivity technology that enables simple and safe two-way interactions between electronic devices. NFC technology allows consumers to perform contactless transactions, access digital content and connect devices with the simplicity of a single touch.

Near Field Communication (NFC) technology provides global interoperability of contactless identification and interconnection technologies. NFC operates in the 13.56 MHz frequency range, over a typical distance of a few centimeters. The underlying layers of NFC technology are based on ISO, ECMA and ETSI standards. NFC technology is supported by the world’s leading communication device manufacturers, semiconductor producers, network operators, IT and services companies, and financial services organizations. NFC is compatible with hundreds of millions of contactless cards and readers already deployed worldwide.

About the NFC Forum

The NFC Forum, (http://www.nfc-forum.org), was launched as a non-profit industry association in 2004 by leading mobile communications, semiconductor, and consumer electronics companies. The Forum’s mission is to advance the use of Near Field Communication technology by developing specifications, ensuring interoperability among devices and services, and educating the market about NFC technology. The Forum’s 150 global member companies currently are developing specifications for a modular NFC device architecture, and protocols for interoperable data exchange and device-independent service delivery, device discovery and device capability.

The NFC Forum’s Sponsor members, which hold seats on the Board of Directors, include leading players in key industries around the world. The Sponsor members are: HP, Innovision Research & Technology plc, INSIDE Contactless, MasterCard Worldwide, Microsoft Corp., NEC, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Inc., NXP Semiconductors, Panasonic, Renesas Technology, Samsung, Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics and Visa Inc.
Contacts

Virtual, Inc.
Ruth Cassidy, +1 781-876-6239
rcassidy {at} virtualmgmt(.)com