ABI ranks contactless transaction and NFC chip suppliers

NXP Semiconductor has been ranked at the top of the latest edition of ABI Research’s Contactless Transaction IC Vendor Matrix. Inside Contactless and Infineon Technologies claimed the second and third spots in the matrix, which examines the contactless semiconductor market for payment, ticketing and near field communication (NFC) applications and ranks each of the vendors according to their ability to innovate and implement the technology.

“This year, NXP retained its top position after 12 months in which it not only strengthened its already strong core offerings such as increased security options on Mifare products, but also expanded its product reach into new contactless transaction applications and markets,” says Jonathan Collins, principal analyst at ABI Research.

The Vendor Matrix is an analytical tool developed by ABI to provide an understanding of vendors’ positions in specific markets. Suppliers are assessed on their innovation and implementation across several criteria which are unique to each vendor matrix.

For this matrix, under innovation, ABI Research examined the vendors’ product portfolios (including specifications supported), their products’ physical specifications and applicability to a range of applications or devices; the companies’ experience, leadership and knowledge transfer, their relevance to the global market, and their focus on and capabilities in new application development.

Under implementation, ABI scrutinized each vendors’ overall market position, leadership, strength and experience; their marketing capabilities and strategies; their installed base and customer deployments; the breadth of the verticals and applications targeted or served and their strength within those; their partnering strategies, and their global reach.

STMicroelectronics came fourth, followed by Sony, Texas Instruments, Renesas and Samsung.