NXP helps create a smart, secure China

Dreams of smart homes are becoming a reality after NXP Semiconductors launched its new Smart Home Kit over the weekend.

The world-leading provider of secure semiconductor solutions said the kit enables access to the Tencent Open Platform for Smart Hardware.

With a quick touch of a smartphone screen people can connect with a router, mobile payment platform, power plug, wireless switch, lighting, sensors or wireless network IP-camera.

Rick Clemmer, president and CEO of NXP, said the company was devoted to creating more secure connections with a smarter world in homes, infrastructure, factories and cars, through its chips and solutions.

"The Internet of Things will drastically change how we interact with objects, devices and the world around us," said Clemmer in an interview with China Daily. "It is creating significant excitement with predictions of opportunities for extra convenience, comfort and efficiency for the end-user."

Clemmer said securing the Internet of Things was complex and required a complete, multilayered approach. By incorporating NXP's secure hardware components - secure hardened microcontrollers, secure root key storage, and Near Field Communication (NFC) chips - the solution offers the best protection against threats that target key extraction from embedded systems, he said.

"In the future, we will further cooperate with internet service platforms. We believe that excellent online service provided by the cloud platform will enable stronger capability not only in smart home systems but soon in industrial IoT," Clemmer said.

The Eindhoven-based company, formerly a division of Philips, earned about half of its annual $4.82 billion revenue from Greater China markets in 2013.

"We have doubled our revenue over the past three years and we think there is opportunity to grow at the same rate as we move forward for the next three years," Clemmer said.

He said his optimism was due to NXP's leading technological strength in security, which is a major concern around the world as IoT systems grow.

Clemmer said that the company would apply the same technology and systems expertise as the banking sector to provide total security with in the IoT connectivity domain.

NXP offers a broad portfolio of secure IC solutions for the smart card market and with digital identify theft concerns at an all-time high, it is essential that personal information on payment cards is protected.

Clemmer said NXP would support China's future innovation in terms of cyber security reforms, Internet finance promotions, the development and use of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies as well as new energy vehicle development.

Leading smartphone brand HTC adopted NXP NFC technology. In cooperation with China Merchants Bank, the company developed a "mobile wallet" function, which enables rapid NFC payment on card machines with "Quick Pass" logos in supermarkets, convenience stores, drugstores and coffee shops in China.

The function is available on some of the most popular HTC models and is set to be included in more smartphone models in the future.

OPPO, one of the top 10 smart phone manufacturers, has also incorporated NXP's NFC technology into its flagship products.

With NFC capability embedded into its leading handsets, OPPO has entered into a well-publicized Smart Transportation cooperation between OPPO and Alipay, the world leading independent third party transaction platform under the Alibaba Group.

As a result, users can take various modes of public transport including the bus and subway in 35 Chinese cities by simply using their handsets. By the end of this year, most NFC-supported phones will carry the service and the number of supporting cities is expected to increase to 60.

In September, NXP announced a significant breakthrough for vehicle-to vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to infrastructure (V2I) communications.

The company will supply Delphi Automotive PLC, a global leading auto components supplier, with its chipset for V2V and V2I communications.

The wireless technology improves road safety by alerting drivers of critical traffic information.

"NXP is committed to helping China to connect cars securely, improve road safety, reduce traffic congestion and ultimately create a smarter transport infrastructure," said Clemmer.

NXP set up a joint venture with Datang Telecom in April, which is focused on improving energy efficiency for e-vehicles.

"We are focusing on providing solutions for security and connectivity for our customers in China in order to surpass their worldwide competitors," said Clemmer. "I believe the strength of our collaboration will turn into a win-win success. "He advised Chinese industrial enterprises to promote the use of the IoT and service Internet in manufacturing to take a proactive position in the coming fourth Industrial Revolution.

He said business could reduce costs by integrating NXP NFC technology into the manufacturing process as the need for touch displays and expensive Bluetooth or WiFi interfaces are eliminated. Zero power configuration and power harvesting options also reduce the need for batteries, said Clemmer.

"The future of manufacturing is likely to be much more about communication, networking and interaction than today, with a wide application of IoT," he said.