Avery Dennison RFID, the world's largest producer of UHF RFID inlays, today introduced its N-Zone line of near field communications (NFC) RFID inlays. The extensive portfolio promises to support the proliferation of innovative, high-performance NFC applications across the globe.

Near field communications uses short-range wireless technology for a wide variety of new mobile commerce, information exchange and social networking applications that will make many kinds of transactions simpler and more convenient. Market research projects that about 100 million NFC-enabled phones will be shipped in 2011, with shipments exceeding 500 million by 2015.

"NFC is reaching the tipping point," said Maggie Bidlingmaier, global director of sales and marketing at Avery Dennison RFID. "NFC-enabled smart phones are rapidly proliferating, and consumers will quickly demand applications that the technology makes possible. Our N-Zone NFC tags were designed specifically to power these rapidly emerging solutions."

The first products in the N-Zone line of NFC inlays utilize NXP's ICODE semiconductors. Jeff Fonseca, NXP's NFC global business development director, said, "Combining Avery Dennison's inlay design expertise and our ICODE, Mifare Ultralight, and DESFire line of products to create best-in-class NFC inlays is a natural progression of our strategic relationship." NXP and Avery Dennison are both members of the NFC Forum, the industry's standards group.

Bidlingmaier said that among the many uses of Avery Dennison N-Zone tags will be the transformation of ordinary product labels and store environments into powerful media for branding and new customer experiences, as well as in "smart" posters and NFC-enabled mobile devices.

Avery Dennison RFID recently announced the shipment of its one billionth UHF inlay -- an industry first – and is a leading provider to the aviation, supply chain, grocery, healthcare and retail industries. Avery Dennison's work with retailers includes the development of the first commercialized RFID-based electronic article surveillance solution, which was launched by German apparel retailer Gerry Weber in 2010.

"With the worldwide reputation of the Avery Dennison brand in the RFID industry and our strong relationships with provider partners and end users, we intend to play a key role in the success of NFC technology," Bidlingmaier said.