Dai Nippon Printing, Identive Team to Deliver NFC Reader for ID Authentication

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) and Identive Group, Inc. announced they have jointly developed a new ID card reader that allows Japanese merchants, banks and others to read any of the diverse types of electronic identity credentials in use in Japan. The NDI711 reader supports the rapidly growing market for near field communications (NFC) phones and cards, and also includes a traditional contact smart card interface. The ability to read both contact and contactless ID credentials, together with a compact form factor, make the NDI711 reader ideal for use in the space conscious retail environment in Japan.

The first customer for the new reader is a leading mobile phone retailer that has purchased more than 20,000 of the devices for installation in its stores across Japan. In addition to verifying customers’ IDs when they sign up for their mobile phones, the readers are also being used at the customer service counter to validate customers for after-sales services such as phone repairs. The reader makes it easier for the retailers’ employees to collect required customer data and is faster and more convenient for their customers.

“Japan has taken a leading role globally in the implementation of electronic identification credentials, but the use of disparate electronic technologies has made it difficult for many sectors to move away from paper-based systems. Our cooperation with DNP targets a significant opportunity to provide electronic identity authentication to the retail, banking and public sectors in Japan,” said Dr. Manfred Mueller, executive vice president and managing director of Identive’s ID Infrastructure division.

“The ability of the NDI711 to read both the contactless NFC chip and the contact IC chip is particularly exciting, as this broadens the device’s usefulness and security capabilities. The NDI711 has the opportunity to form the centerpiece of authentication for many types of applications in the Japanese market,” stated Sakae Hikita, managing director of Dai Nippon Printing.