FIME Opens NFC Mobile Test Laboratory in Seoul to Serve Growing South Korean Market
2 July 2012 – FIME, a global leader in consulting and market integration testing services for near field communication (NFC) solutions, today announced its expansion in Asia with the opening of its NFC mobile test laboratory in Seoul, South Korea. A local presence will allow the company to accommodate the growing demand for EMV testing of NFC mobile phones, as well as be in close proximity to some of the world’s advanced mobile technology pioneers.
The rapid growth of the NFC mobile market in South Korea and an increase in FIME’s Korean customer-base are the key driving factors behind FIME’s decision to open its Seoul laboratory. FIME will work with mobile device manufacturers and network operators to provide integration testing and certification services, ensuring that NFC-enabled handsets are fully interoperable and compliant with industry standards and EMV payment specifications prior to market release.
The new facility will complement FIME’s existing network which includes ISO 17025 accredited laboratories, and research and development centres in France, Taiwan, Canada, India and Dubai which serve the company’s global customer base.
Pascal Le Ray, General Manager at FIME, comments: “FIME has been active in South Korea for the past six years. The region continues to become one of the most important and fast-growing mobile contactless markets in the world, making it integral to FIME’s strategic vision for growth. With 20 million Koreans predicted to own an NFC-enabled handset by the end of this year*, it is evident that South Korea is quickly becoming a global leader in the development and deployment of NFC mobile technology.”
Regarding FIME’s activity in South Korea, Pascal concludes: “Over the coming months, we look forward to expanding FIME’s local offering from EMV testing of NFC mobile phones to include EMV payment application testing and certification for contact and contactless smart cards and terminals. This will enable FIME to secure its position as a major player in the Korean contactless mobile ecosystem.”
*Korea Telecoms 2012 – http://www.nfcworld.com/2012/01/03/312205/20m-koreans-to-have-nfc-phones-this-year/.
About FIME
FIME is an independent global leader in consulting and integration testing services for smart devices and secure chip-based applications within the telecom, e-payment, transport, e-identity and logistic sectors. Its international team works with manufacturers, banks and authorities within these markets throughout the research and development lifecycle to provide expertise on sector requirements, functional and security features and industry regulation.
Since 1995, FIME has established global ISO 17025 accredited laboratories which provide official testing and certification services to validate a solution’s compliance and security before launch. FIME’s technical ability ensures a customer’s solution is secure, interoperable and achieves the highest level of industry standardisation.
With over 200 employees and operating across America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India and Asia, FIME has worked with leading international schemes such as American Express, First Data, JCB, MasterCard and Visa to bring pioneering and convenient chip-based services to end users.
