Thin Film Electronics (Thinfilm) has announced that it has received a six-figure order for NFC OpenSense tags from a leading Asian packaging firm. The firm specialises in providing a broad range of packaging solutions to the tobacco market.
Discussions for related pilots and field trials, which are expected to take place in the first half of 2017, are in progress.
Thinfilm said, that OpenSense tags are thin, flexible devices that integrate with a product's packaging or label and can be read with the tap of an NFC-enabled smartphone. Each tag is uniquely identifiable, virtually impossible to clone, and can detect a product's "factory-sealed" and "opened" states. Once tapped, the tag wirelessly communicates with the cloud, enabling brands to connect directly with their customers and instantly deliver personalised content and product information verifying authenticity.
In September Thinfilm announced it had taken steps to expand its sales and business development operations globally. The expansion is in direct response to growing interest in Thinfilm's NFC offering, particularly SpeedTap and OpenSense tags.
Davor Sutija, Thinfilm's CEO, said, "Thinfilm sees tremendous opportunity in Asia and the greater China markets, and our establishment of a China subsidiary is in direct response to the growing interest we see in our NFC solutions from Asia-based businesses." Davor added, "This order from the tobacco segment signifies the growing importance of Near Field Communication technology in this vertical and the key role it will play in helping brands to connect directly with consumers through omni-channel mobile marketing."