BenQ plans to launch its first NFC (near field communication)-enabled phone, the T80, in the fourth quarter of this year, which would make the company the first Taiwan-based vendor to market a NFC-compliant phone, according to Hank Hung, general manager of BenQ Taiwan.

By 2010, over 50% of handsets available in the market will come with NFC function, indicating the growth potential of NFC handsets, said Hung, citing data from ABI Research.

Taiwan-based Far Glory Group, a construction consortium, has decided to purchase nearly 6,000 units of the T80, to use in the access control and service systems of the group's four residential projects, Hung indicated.

In addition, BenQ has been cooperating with the Chunghwa Telecom Research Institute and Taipei Smart Card to undertake an 'Easy-Mo' project, aiming to promote the use of NFC-enabled devices with credit card or debit card functions, according to company sources. The 'Easy-Mo' project was launched by Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs, with the project likely to enter commercial operations in the fourth quarter, the sources noted.