mobilkom austria offers Innovision Topaz NFC tags for Vodafone live! services

mobilkom austria, the Austrian-based mobile phone operator, is launching a new NFC mobile phone, the Nokia 6212 classic, complete with Topaz NFC tags from Innovision Research & Technology in the box. mobilkom austria is said to be the first mobile operator to commercially distribute a phone with a set of NFC service tags in 2009.
 
mobilkom austria will distribute the Nokia 6212 classic together with the four Topaz NFC tags in the box enabling quick, safe and convenient access to mobile services.
 
This is made possible by the four WAP links pre-programmed into each of the four Topaz tags.  The user touches the appropriate tag with their NFC phone and follows the link to the desired Vodafone live! WAP page.  The use of NFC tag technology is said to allow the user to more easily access ringtones, pictures and animations.  Other services include traffic information and fuel price updates provided by the Austrian automobile club (ÖAMTC) and sports news provided by Austria's sport channel Laola1.
 
The fourth tag features the link to a WAP page for purchasing ÖBB Handy-Tickets.  This ÖBB tag is currently in use in a trial launched in January 2009 by mobilkom austria, ÖBB and Nokia. Participants in the trial simply place their mobile ticket order by touching the ÖBB Handy-Ticket Topaz NFC tag with their NFC phone to receive an electronic ticket, which will be validated via NFC by the train conductor. The Handy Ticket trial is currently running on two routes around Vienna.