Simalliance, an organization that represents suppliers responsible for approximately 88% of the global SIM market has announced that it estimates that the number of NFC (Near Field Communication) shipments increased by 69% and reach 132 million in 2014. The 2014 figure represents steady growth in global shipments of NFC sim cards will the overall number of cards shipped in the past four years reaching 256 million.
According to Simalliance with the sharp increase in shipments, North America outperformed leading markets like Japan and South Korea for the first time and became the strongest NFC SIM market in 2014 with shipments jumping 92% to 46 million. Outside of Japan and Korea, Europe represents the next strongest market but China is rapidly closing the gap.
Commenting on the results, SIMalliance chairman Hervé Pierre said,
“Last year’s growth in NFC-enabled SIM shipments shows that demand is strong in this market. With the launch of Apple Pay, 2014 was a progressive year for the entire NFC ecosystem and all signs indicate that the NFC market will enjoy continued growth throughout 2015 and beyond.”
With mobile payments and contactless enabled payment cards among the leading target areas of the industry in 2015 and in the years ahead, Hervé Pierre’s comments ring true and we can expect strong growth to be reported by the members of Simalliance in the future.
Overview by Tristan Hugo-Webb, Associate Director, Global Payments Advisory Service at
Mercator Advisory Group
Read the full story
