NFC TimesThe premier source for news, analysis and commentary on
Near Field Communication and all contactless technology

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Inside Secure, once a supplier of NFC controllers, is also exiting the market for NFC embedded secure elements, a product for which it never gained any traction. But the France-based vendor says it will continue to supply security for HCE payments apps.

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Inside Secure, an early NFC chip supplier, which has since focused on embedded security, has replaced its long-serving CEO Rémy de Tonnac with smart card industry veteran Amedeo D’Angelo, hoping to turn around chronic losses and a plunging share price.

France-based Inside Secure has acquired encryption and software security company Metaforic in a cash deal worth at least $11.6 million, which Inside Secure says will help equip it to offer security services for host-card emulation-based mobile payments.

France-based Inside Secure reported smaller operating losses for 2013, though mainly on an adjusted basis, and wrote off $3.6 million in NFC controller chips it had on hand as it continues to exit the market for the chips.

NFC Times Exclusive: Inside Secure has reorganized its business units, as it continues to refocus its strategy toward embedded security while pulling back from the NFC controller market.

NFC Times Exclusive: Chip supplier Inside Secure plans to support Mifare Classic on its new embedded secure element for NFC phones and contends it does not need a license from Mifare owner NXP Semiconductors because the technology is in the public domain. A representative of NXP warned against the move.

France-based chip supplier Inside Secure cut its operating losses during the first half, as it continues its transition to offering more security products and moving away from its past emphasis on contactless and NFC controllers.

France-based NFC chip supplier Inside Secure said it would cut up to 20% of its global workforce following the loss of more than $30 million in 2012.

France-based chip supplier Inside Secure announced today it has completed its acquisition of the AuthenTec Embedded Security Solutions unit for $41.6 million in cash.

France-based chip supplier Inside Secure has agreed to acquire the Embedded Security Solutions unit of U.S.-based AuthenTec, which designs software and hardware products used for digital rights management, virtual private networks and other network security.