Sony and NXP Semiconductors have reached a basic agreement on forming a joint venture to develop, manufacture and sell chips that combine Sony’s Felica and Philips’ Mifare contactless smart card platforms. NXP was spun off from Philips in September.Mifare is widely deployed around the world with about 1.2 billion chips and more than 7 million reader modules sold, while shipments of Sony Felica chips have reached 170 million, of which about 30 million are in cell phones. Many of the remainder are used in transportation passes and security cards.The two systems are incompatible, so a chip combining the two and other formats could help drive adoption of contactless smart card systems for applications and make possible terminals that would work with systems based on both formats.In particular, the two companies hope to develop a universal contactless IC platform for cell phones. That would mean that advanced features in cell phones, like electronic payment, would be able to work across borders where different platforms might be in place. Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding, the two companies will establish the joint venture by the middle of next year, they said.-Martyn Williams, IDG News Service (Tokyo Bureau) Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature 4 remedies to avoid cloud app migration headaches The compelling benefits of using proprietary cloud-native services come at a price: vendor lock-in. Here are ways CIOs can effectively plan without getting stuck. By Robert Mitchell Nov 29, 2023 9 mins CIO Managed Service Providers Managed IT Services case study Steps Gerresheimer takes to transform its IT CIO Zafer Nalbant explains what the medical packaging manufacturer does to modernize its IT through AI, automation, and hybrid cloud. By Jens Dose Nov 29, 2023 6 mins CIO SAP ServiceNow feature Per Scholas redefines IT hiring by diversifying the IT talent pipeline What started as a technology reclamation nonprofit has since transformed into a robust, tuition-free training program that seeks to redefine how companies fill tech skills gaps with rising talent. By Sarah K. White Nov 29, 2023 11 mins Diversity and Inclusion Diversity and Inclusion Hiring news Saudi Arabia will host the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh By Andrea Benito Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe