The SD Association (SDA), the organisation responsible for setting memory card standards, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the NFC Forum "to jointly educate the market and help build the ecosystem for NFC among users of smartSD memory cards".

SmartSD cards act as a removable secure element and were first introduced in June 2013. They work in conjunction with the existing NFC antenna in an NFC-enabled device and make use of the single wire protocol (SWP), originally introduced as a way to connect SIM cards directly to NFC controllers.

Now, the association will be working with NFC Forum special interest groups to educate and promote adoption of NFC-enabled smartSD cards in a number of vertical markets, including consumer electronics, mobile payment, retail, transport and health care.

"The NFC Forum has created a powerful and intuitive communication method, and when we leverage the high consumer awareness, value and use of SD memory cards, more businesses and consumers will reap the benefits," says Brian Kumagai, president of the SD Association. "Together NFC and SD will add ease and convenience to the daily lives of people everywhere and provide new business opportunities to content and service providers."