Orange launching mobile contactless services in UK, France, Spain andPoland in Q2

Orange has extended its successful and long-term relationship with Samsung to deliver handsets enabled for NFC (Near Field Communications) firstly in the UK, France, Spain and Poland. The Samsung Wave 578 will be launched by Orange in Spain, Poland and France from Q2 this year before being rolled out to the wider Orange European footprint. It will be the first in a series of NFC-enabled handsets that will include devices from LG and Nokia, amongst others. Orange expects that by the end of 2011 over half of all new smartphone models to be added to its range for Europe will be optimised for mobile contactless services.

In line with Orange's strategy to give mobile customers the best possible access to content and new services, the Orange Samsung Wave 578 is equipped with NFC connectivity in a sleek and user-friendly design. It runs on bada 1.1, Samsung's operating system. Wave 578 enables fast data rates and easy information with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, and USB 2.0. The device will also feature Orange Signature services including Orange TV Player, Orange Maps, Orange Messenger and the Orange Application Shop. The inclusion of SIM-secured contactless capabilities will lay the foundations for Orange to enable a tranche of new services from partners in the future, ranging from mobile payment to ticketing and transportation.

The press release also mentions about the NFC-enabled Orange Cityzi Pass service for Orange customers in Nice, France

The Orange Cityzi Pass in Nice, France
The Orange Cityzi Pass enables Orange customers in Nice, France to use Cityzi contactless services on their mobile handset. Services include local urban transport, payment in over 1000 shops, loyalty, couponing and tag reading. Orange Citzyi Pass is Orange's commercial service offering of a project called Citzyi (http://www.cityzi.fr), coordinated by The Association Francaise du Sans Contact Mobile (AFSCM). The project includes other operators - SFR, BYT and the MVNO NRJ Mobile - and service providers from various industries, such as BNP Paribas, Credit Mutuel/CIC, Veolia Transport, La croissanterie, Game and Franprix.

Mobile Contactless Services
Contactless mobile phones are a new generation of mobile phones, able to interact with their environment thanks to NFC (Near Field Communication), a short distance wireless connection technology. The phone is fitted with a "second antenna" that manages NFC exchanges and all you need to do is to move it near a scanner to trigger an action, such as validating a transport ticket, paying for purchases or accessing information, amongst others.