NFC chip supplier Inside Secure has introduced its first embedded secure element, a key product that it hopes will help it stay competitive with much larger rivals.
Inside produced the chip using smart card technology it acquired with its purchase of the secure microcontroller solutions unit of U.S.-based Atmel Corp. in 2010. Inside will be using an Atmel designed RISC processor.
The chip supplier plans to pair the new smart card chip, which it calls VaultSEcure IC, with its established NFC controller, MicroRead. It might also be able to sell the chip to other producers of NFC chips without their own smart card technology or to device makers in need of an embedded secure element.