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Near Field Communication and all contactless technology

U.S.-based HID Global, a major supplier of contactless access-control cards, plans to introduce its high-end corporate ID application on NFC phones using chips from Inside Contactless, the companies announced today.

Three major Dutch banks and three mobile operators have decided to move forward with planning for an NFC mobile-payment launch in the Netherlands, NFC Times has learned.

Visa Europe today predicted the number of Visa-branded contactless cards on issue in the United Kingdom will reach 12 million by the end of the year, about 2 million more than previously projected.

NXP Semiconductors has stepped up its push to get its popular Mifare technology broadly supported in NFC phones, forming an industry group to develop specifications for managing Mifare applications on the phones.

Visa Inc. is likely to endorse another accessory that could turn Apple’s iPhone into a contactless-payment device and may be planning to have an exclusive agreement with the technology vendor, Wireless Dynamics Inc., NFC Times has learned.

UK-based Barclays bank and its credit-card arm, Barclaycard, will have issued a total of 20 million contactless debit and credit cards by the end of 2011, predicted James McDonald, head of strategic innovation programs for Barclaycard, who said he believes there will be “many millions” of contactless transactions in the United Kingdom next year.

U.S.-based Broadcom, which reportedly supplies wireless chips for Apple’s iPhone and iPad, among other devices, announced plans to acquire UK-based NFC technology company Innovision Researc

UK merchant trade association the British Retail Consortium said it is calling on Britain’s new Tory government to “intervene” to cut merchant fees on card transactions – concerned that “banks plan to make the higher debit card charging regime the norm for emerging contactless and mobile phone payment.”

Newham College of Further Education in London today launched the first phase of a project that could eventually see 300 teachers use NFC phones to help keep track of attendance for 16,000 students.

Poland’s contactless-mobile payment market continues to warm up, with two NFC trials announced last month and a third trial expected in coming months.

Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the fourth-generation iPhone today and, as expected, there was no mention of Near Field Communication.