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Near Field Communication and all contactless technology

Sony Ericsson is the latest smartphone maker to commit to NFC, with NXP Semiconductors announcing today that the Japanese-Swedish phone vendor has chosen NXP’s NFC chips for its Android-based Xperia phones.

Google Inc.'s mobile payment system will help to double sales of NXP Semiconductors NV's near-field communication chips in the next couple of years, but other technological developments promise higher growth rates, according to the Dutch firm's chief executive. (Dow Jones)

Germany-based chip maker Infineon Technologies has no plans to join its rivals in producing NFC chips–instead focusing on secure elements that can store payment and other applications in NFC phones.

France-based NFC chip supplier Inside Secure has reportedly hired two investment banks to help it prepare for an initial public offering.

NFC phone shipments could approach 100 million units this year if Google’s rosy projections for Android NFC smartphone shipments come to pass, NXP Semiconductors CEO Richard Clemmer said during a conference call following release of the chip maker’s first quarter results.

The majority of NFC phones will come with embedded secure chips that can store applications, say research analysts–projections that will not come as welcome news to many mobile operators.

CPI Card Group, the largest supplier of contactless payment cards in the U.S. market, has announced it would begin buying contactless chips from NXP Semiconductors, which would represent a new second source of supply.

Reuters is reporting that Dutch chip maker NXP is not in talks , its chief executive said on Friday, although he would consider an offer like the one Texas Instruments Inc made for National Semiconductor Corp.

Mobile trade group the GSMA today announced that major mobile operators "have voiced their commitment" to launch NFC and called for more standards to ensure interoperability of NFC services.

Major NFC chip makers predict 40 million to 50 million NFC phones or more will be on the market by the end of 2011, along with a smaller number of NFC bridge devices.