Windows 8 could get Alps and Cirque’s NFC GlidePoint trackpad

Windows 8 devices such as laptops could incorporate Cirque’s NFC GlidePoint so your trackpad is your NFC antenna.

Integrated NFC trackpad solution from Cirque to support Windows 8 “Tap to Share” and “Tap to Pair” features.

Microsoft announced Windows 8 this week and for us in the NFC industry the big news was that NXP and Microsoft have worked together to support NFC in Windows 8 Devices. Of course, we also reported that GoTotags could help developers support NFC in Windows 7 also. However, when it comes to a laptop – where, oh, where do you put the NFC antenna? Cirque think they know and are suggesting manufacturers jump straight on the phone and arrange to use their patented NFC GlidePoint track pads to do the job.

Notebooks equipped with NFC GlidePoint will be able to take advantage of the new Windows 8 “Tap to Share” and “Tap to Pair” features. “Because of its location and size, the trackpad is an ideal place to add an NFC antenna to a notebook,” says Richard Woolley, Vice President of Cirque Notebook Solutions, “Alps and Cirque are in an ideal position to offer this solution to our customers, thanks to our unique focus on combining NFC and touch.”

Why not use Cirque’s NFC GlidePoint trackpads to bring NFC laptops today?

We have reported on Cirque’s NFC trackpads before that either provide NFC antennas in NFC smartphones touch screens or in notebook / laptop touch pads. When it comes to innovation in active NFC antennas in consumer devices, Cirque has proven that it thinks about the all important industrial design aspects of NFC antennas. If an NFC antenna is placed wrong, the read/write capabilities can be seriously hampered. Then, if you constantly need to find the exact spot at which you need to place an NFC tag, the process becomes somewhat cumbersome. This is why the track pad or touch screen make perfect positioning. This will be true in Windows 8 also where the OS has been optimized for NFC tablets, NFC PCs, NFC laptops and netbooks. NFC is only as good as the reception it commands and Cirque’s solutions will no doubt be found in all manner of Windows 8 devices.

“NFC compatibility is an important feature for users of all electronic devices.  In addition to offering seamless connection with Window 8 next year, NFC GlidePoint is currently available to interested parties for Windows 7 and other operating systems as long as the software is available to accept NFC input. The addition of integrated NFC to payment terminal touch panels is another natural application for this solution that we are aggressively pursuing,” Ethan Trump, Cirque Marketing Manager, told NFC Rumors.

Why wait for Windows 8? On average, from announcement to launch a new Windows operating system can take around 13 months to come to market. NFC, however, is taking off now and application developers and hardware OEM’s have the opportunity to utilize NFC now in anticipation for Windows 8.

Products based on GlidePoint technology, such as Alps’ trackpads, have long supported industry standard protocols including PS/2, I2C, USB and SPI. Alps and Cirque’s longtime support for these protocols ensures that GlidePoint products will be ready to support Windows 8.

If you are interested in learning more about their products, Windows 8 support or NFC antenna’s, and are attending CRETEC in Japan, you can find Alps and Cirque demonstrating the NFC GlidePoint trackpad at booth number 8G6411.