Top 3 NFC IC vendors by ABI: NXP, Inside Secure, and STMicroelectronics

ABI Research has ranked NXP Semiconductors, Inside Secure, and STMicroelectronics as top 3 vendors of NFC ICs. On eight key criterias in supplying NFC modems/controllers and secure elements NXP is ranked first position overall and topped the Implementation category. It was the most successful vendor in 2012 and scored multiple design wins with a broad cross-section of OEMs and product categories. NXP was also one of three equal scoring companies coming in joint second for Innovation because of its work highlighting new use cases for NFC across its broad portfolio, as per ABI. On Inside Secure and STMicroelectronics ABI says: Inside Secure ranked second for Innovation and third for Implementation because it was the first vendor to announce a major OEM contract (with RIM using a SE from Infineon), its input into new standards, and its efforts to develop NFC in new device categories. It continues to develop new form-factors, features and is working with partners to better embed NFC technology into new devices. STMicroelectronics found some traction in the eSE space and was the leading SWP SIM card IC vendor. This combined with its growing success in new device wins contributed to it achieving the second highest Implementation score. Other notable findings shared by ABI includes: Broadcom topped the Innovation category with its strong feature set, market positioning...