GENTAG, Inc., a technology development company focusing on the creation of innovative, low-cost, wireless sensor technologies based on cell phones, recently announced the availability of its low-cost near field communication (NFC) cell phone for RFID sensor applications, including consumer diagnostics.
GENTAG developed the technology in collaboration with NXP and other partners. While developing the phone, NXP's PN544 NFC IC technology was integrated with full open ISO NFC spectrum, making it compatible with the disposable NFC sensors and devices produced by GENTAG. The phone can also be "bundled" with specific diagnostic kits or sensor markets and is also directly compatible with NFC – Facebook (News - Alert) type social network applications (direct phone-to-phone data exchanges).
GENTAG’ new cell phone is a lot cheaper than the current "smart" NFC cell phone. This segment of phone is specifically targeted to the needs of people who are concerned only with basic voice communication, mobile payments, social networks, and diagnostics using a low-cost mobile wireless device.
"We believe this combination of wireless technologies creates immediate global market opportunities for us in Asia, Europe, South and North America and India," announced Dr. John P. Peeters the founder of GENTAG, in a press release. "We plan to rapidly follow the release of this first phone with an NFC tablet and new types of Android (News - Alert)-based cell phones, and we look forward to an expanded collaboration with NXP."
"NFC is a unique technology beneficial for consumers," said Charles Dachs, director marketing and product management, mobile transactions, NXP Semiconductors (News - Alert), in a statement. "GENTAG's work to bring the technology to low-cost cell phone markets, offers great potential to the telemedicine applications. NFC will allow healthcare professionals to monitor their patients' health remotely, introducing over-the-counter technologies directly to consumer cell phones."
The cell phone is available for distribution worldwide via selected wireless or distribution partners under a licensing agreement with GENTAG. Volume production is anticipated for March 2011.
The NFC cell phone is yet another achievement for GENTAG which recently signed an agreement with CORE Institute to develop and commercialize a self-monitoring disposable wireless skin patch. With the patch, post-orthopedic surgery patients can monitor themselves through the use of cell phones from the comfort of their homes.
Rahul Arora is a TMCnet contributor. He has worked as an editor and freelance writer for several reputed organizations in India. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Tammy Wolf