Thinfilm Strengthens NFC Label Conversion Services in Europe Through Key Partnership With Beneli
OSLO, Norway, January 20, 2017 --Thin Film Electronics ASA (“Thinfilm”), a global leader in NFC (near field communication) smart-packaging solutions using printed electronics, today announced a partnership with Sweden-based Beneli AB (“Beneli”), a leading provider of world class self-adhesive labels and related solutions. The partnership significantly strengthens Thinfilm’s converter program by providing strategic coverage in Scandinavia and the broader European region. In addition, the relationship extends Beneli’s wireless product offering beyond RFID asset tracking to now include NFC solutions for consumer engagement and authentication applications.
Thinfilm and Beneli will collaborate to deliver Thinfilm’s NFC solutions – featuring both SpeedTap™ and OpenSense™ tags supported by a cloud-based software platform – to existing Beneli clients and other leading consumer brands across a range of markets. Beneli maintains a strong presence in the spirits, medical, cosmetics, and tobacco verticals, and also serves the food, pharmaceuticals, and logistics industries. Initial market trials are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2017.
Each SpeedTap and OpenSense tag is uniquely identifiable and virtually impossible to clone, and can be read with the simple tap of an NFC-enabled smartphone or device. Once tapped, tags wirelessly communicate with the cloud, creating a powerful one-to-one mobile marketing platform from which brands can connect directly with consumers. As a result, marketers are able to instantly deliver authentication messages, promotional offers, product news, and other relevant content. OpenSense technology also offers additional protection against package tampering and refill fraud.
“I’m very excited about our partnership with Thinfilm and the ability it gives us to deliver more value to our customers,” said Jimmy Sterner, CEO of Beneli. “With Thinfilm’s NFC technology, we can now offer a powerful solutions platform that significantly enhances the ability of brand owners to connect and communicate with consumers.”
Thinfilm views label and packaging integration services as a critical component of its NFC solutions offering. These “conversion” capabilities delivered through qualified partners – in addition to the hardware and software provided by Thinfilm – create a “one-stop-shop” path for brands in search of smart packaging solutions. Thinfilm continues to build out its converter program globally, and expects to have approximately 30 vertically specialized partners in place by the end of 2017.
“Our partnership with a European leader such as Beneli fills a key geographic need for us and, as a result, significantly extends our conversion services in Scandinavia and throughout Europe,” said Davor Sutija, CEO of Thinfilm. “The enhanced capabilities Thinfilm gains through this partnership will be critical as we look to meet the growing demands of leading consumer brands, mobile marketers and digital agencies.”
About Thin Film Electronics ASA
Thinfilm is a leader in NFC smart packaging solutions using printed electronics technology. The first to commercialize printed, rewritable memory, the Company today creates printed tags, labels and systems that include memory, sensing, display, and wireless communication – all at a cost-per-function unmatched by conventional electronic technologies. Thinfilm’s roadmap integrates technology from a strong and growing ecosystem of partners to bring intelligence to everyday items and effectively extend the traditional boundaries of the Internet of Things.
Thin Film Electronics ASA (“Thinfilm”) is a publicly listed Norwegian company with headquarters in Oslo, Norway; product development and production in Linköping, Sweden; product development, production, and business development in San Jose, California, USA; and sales offices in the United States, Hong Kong, and Singapore. For more information, visit www.thinfilm.no.
About Beneli AB
Beneli is a Swedish privately owned company located in Helsingborg, and has 26 years of experience in providing world class self-adhesive solutions, high-end printing, and high tech converting.
Beneli is a global company, and 50 percent of its turnover outside of Scandinavia is exported to Europe, Asia and North America. For more information, visit www.beneli.se.
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