NFC at MWC

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The NFC Experience at the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2013

This year, Mobile World Congress offers a truly interactive experience for exhibitors, vendors, and attendees to participate in an environment where information and transactions are exchanged through mobile using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled mobile phones have a huge potential to make our lives easier by letting us, with a simple touch, enable secure access to new transaction and payment services across a range of sectors and industries. NFC technology has been in existence for a few years now and it is thought that adoption will increase noticeably in the next couple of years. Our NFC Experience will create an opportunity for you try out some of these services first-hand.

As part of the NFC Experience, the GSMA will showcase an integrated range of mobile NFC services throughout the venue and city of Barcelona. All you need is an NFC-enabled handset such as the XperiaTMT from Sony which is the official handset of the NFC Experience at the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2013. NFC touch points will be abundant throughout the exhibition, rewarding those who ‘tap’ with instant access to information and various incentives. The NFC Experience begins with the following features:

NFC Centre
NFC Experience Zones and Smart Posters
Vouchers and couponing application providing offers in 300 locations in Barcelona
Barcelona City NFC locations
NFC badge – enabling instant onsite access via your handset
NFC -enabled payment terminals
Xperia T from Sony – Payment Applications- the Telefónica Wallet and the La Caixa Visa contactless gift card.

Click the image below to watch a video with Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer of GSMA, explaining the NFC Experience at MWC.

How it Works

Mobile World Congress attendees with NFC-enabled handsets will be able to take advantage of NFC technology at locations throughout the venue and city. This will include an NFC badge information points, discount vouchers, payment capabilities and much more.

Tap and pay at NFC-enabled payment terminals in Fira Gran Via and in the City of Barcelona

If you have payment services enabled on your NFC-enabled handset, you will be able to purchase drinks and food from NFC enabled POS terminals throughout the Fira Gran Via just look for the Contactless Payment Symbol at the PoS Terminals.
Look out for the ‘Tap Here’ marks around the venue.

There are 18,000 contactless-enabled PoS terminals in retail outlets throughout Barcelona where you will be able to try out your payment capabilities. Just look for the Contactless Payment Symbol at the PoS Terminals.
Interactive Zones and Smart Posters
There are interactive zones and smart posters located around the venue, airport and key tourist sites in Barcelona.
The experience starts when you arrive at Barcelona airport; tap the NFC tags on the smart posters. There are 10 interactive zones throughout the venue providing information about the event, venue, tourist attractions and shops and restaurants.
NFC Badge

The NFC Badge app is the official NFC application for entry to MWC13. Having an NFC Badge will allow you to pass through dedicated NFC Entrance Lanes in the North and South Entrances at Fira Gran Via without having to repeatedly show Photo ID (once you have collected your printed badge, and we have validated your NFC Badge against Photo ID).

The NFC Badge app is compatible with supported NFC-capable Android 4.0+, Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 7.1 handsets. A list of compatible devices is constantly being updated here.

For more information regarding the NFC Badge, click here.

Please note, the NFC Badge does not replace your printed badge which must be worn at all times while you are at Congress.
Vouchers and Coupons Application
The Accenture Vouchers and Coupons Application on NFC enabled handsets (using the Android 4.0 and Windows 8 operating systems) provided vouchers and coupons which can be redeemed in shops and restaurants around Barcelona. You can download the app from tags located throughout the venue. If you have location based services activated, the maps tool will also help you to locate them.

Click here for a full list of participating shops and restaurant.

Hotel lock trial using NFC
During this year’s GSMA Mobile World Congress, 20 GSMA staff will be using their NFC enabled handsets to access their hotel rooms. With the SeosTM application provided by ASSA ABLOY the participants will be able to check in at Hotel Porta Fira Santos, using their NFC enabled handset. They will receive their room keys straight to their handset, sent Over The Air and held securely in the SeosTM applet stored in their G&D NFC SIM in the NFCenabled handset. All the participants can access their hotel room is simply touch their handset on the NFC hotel door lock mechanism from VingCard Elsafe to enter their hotel room.

Hotel Porta Fira Santos is considered one of the most high technology hotels as it is equipped with the latest audiovisual technology and free high speed WiFi access in the Barcelona area and is the closest hotel to Fira Gran Via 2.
Tour the city of Barcelona with NFC
Barcelona council city, in collaboration with Mobile World Capital Barcelona, is providing NFC information points to enhance your enjoyment of the City. NFC touch points will be available at the airport, selected restaurants, in taxi cabs, and central tourist locations, such as: Tàpies and Miró Foundations, Gaudi’s Pedrera and others.
The applications on the Xperia T the official handset of the NFC Experience from Sony supplied by the GSMA – the Telefónica Wallet and the La Caixa Visa contactless gift card

The Telefónica Wallet application on the XperiaT handset from Sony provides a simple and intuitive service to manage NFC secure applications and credentials stored in the Gemalto NFC SIM Card in the handset. Here’s how they work:

You can use the Telefónica Wallet application to make mobile contactless payments, using the la Caixa Visa contactless gift card that has been preloaded on the wallet (with secure credentials stored on your Gemalto NFC SIM card).
You can choose between two modes of mobile contactless payment depending on your personal preference – this can be changed at any time using the Options menu within the Telefónica Wallet application. Please refer to the NFC Experience handset brochure for detailed instructions on how to make a payment.

NFC Centre

The NFC center is a one stop shop to support the NFC experience.

This dedicated zone in the heart of Congress Square will showcase Sony NFC enabled handsets, and capabilities provided by the NFC Experience partners.

The NFC Centre will serve as a centralised location for all vendors and exhibitors participating in the NFC Experience. Demonstrations, information and technical support will be available.

You can take part in the latest NFC based related music and visual entertainment experiences in the Sony Experience area.

You will also find live NFC services demos from the following NFC Experience partners: Accenture, Assa Abloy, Connecthings, Gemalto, La Caxia, Opentrend, Telefonica, and Visa – all in their own pods at the NFC Centre.

NFC Challenge

GSMA will be holding an NFC Challenge during MWC 2013. The competition is open to exhibitors in the NFC industry with commercialised NFC-related apps, products, services and/or solutions. Submissions will be evaluated by a team of judges at the submitting exhibitor’s stand during the first two days of the Congress. The winning company and their submission will be announced Wednesday, 27 February during the App Planet Open Forum (located in Hall 8.0 Theatre District, Theatre A). There is no entry fee and the entry deadline will is 18 February 2013. Click here to learn more.

NFC Experience Sponsors and Partners