NFC Forum enhances Certification Program with Kitchen Appliances for WPC Ki Standard

Las Vegas, USA, 7 January 2025 – NFC Forum, the global standards body for Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, today announced the latest version of its Certification Release (CR14), adding certification for the Kitchen Appliances use case as specified by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) Ki™ Standard. The Ki Cordless Kitchen, containing NFC Forum-certified products, will be showcased by WPC at CES this week in Las Vegas, USA.

WPC will use CR14 to certify NFC capabilities used within Ki Cordless Kitchens. Ki is a global wireless power transfer standard for kitchens that aims to eliminate power cords and add a communication channel between the appliance and the Ki power transmitter to improve the user experience through wireless power. NFC Forum will test and certify NFC products used within Ki-certified appliances, ensuring all NFC components in a Ki Cordless Kitchen work safely and with one another.

“The release of CR14 highlights the continued value of NFC Forum technologies and our Certification Program across an ever-growing number of sectors and emerging use cases, including Payment, Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Access Control, and now, Kitchen Appliances,” said Mike McCamon, Executive Director of NFC Forum.

“Our new Ki Standard is expected to reinvent the modern kitchen and our collaboration with the NFC Forum will help bring this use case to life,” said Paul Struhsaker, Executive Director of the WPC. “Working on an aggressive timeline, the NFC Forum and our shared members, were able to deliver above expectations and on schedule.”

“NFC Forum is committed to working alongside industry and standards bodies to evolve and extend our standards and certification program, as new use cases and market needs emerge,” McCamon continued. “The most recent version of our Certification Release (CR13), added capabilities to enable digital key features in the Automotive industry as specified by the Car Connectivity Consortium through its CCC Digital Key™ ecosystem. The release of CR14 in support of the WPC Ki standard will help maximize the capabilities of NFC technology and Wireless Charging in smart kitchens by delivering trusted interoperability for the entire connected device ecosystem.”­

The NFC Forum Certification Program confirms that devices are Certified Compliant with NFC Forum Specifications. This enables associations and standards bodies that are using NFC technology to ensure consistency in the behavior of their devices, set the foundations for interoperability and deliver enhanced user experiences.

Visit our website to view certified products, get more information on how to get a product certified and see how we can support organizations in delivering the interoperability across their NFC implementation.