The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, today announced that Google is joining the organization as a Principal member.

CSR and Intel, formerly Associate Members, have also raised their membership status to the Principal level, the NFC Forum added.

Since its founding in 2004, the NFC Forum has drawn organizations from around the world to its membership roster as momentum builds for the adoption and implementation of Near Field Communication technology.

Principal membership is the second-highest level of membership in the NFC Forum, with each Principal member entitled to appoint a voting representative to each of the Technical, Marketing, and Compliance Committees and Working Groups. Principal members may designate individuals to run for positions leading Committees or Working Groups, and they may propose initiatives and contribute to the development of Forum deliverables. As Principal members, organizations may also participate in the NFC Forum testing and certification program using their own in-house test labs.

The NFC Forum has also welcomed 31 new Associate, Implementer, and Non-Profit members from across the NFC ecosystem.

"The NFC Forum thrives on the active participation of global industry leaders and innovators such as CSR, Google, and Intel," said Koichi Tagawa, chairman of the NFC Forum. "Their energy, ideas, and influence will greatly enhance the work of the Forum, as will the support of our new Associate, Implementer, and Non-Profit members from around the world."