NXP and Guala Closures Bring Smart-Security NFC Closure Solutions to Wine and Spirits Market

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands and ALESSANDRIA, Italy, Jan. 19, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI) and Guala Closures Grouptoday announced a collaboration to develop next generation closure solutions for the wine and spirits industry. These smart-security closure solutions will integrate near field communication (NFC) technology, providing anti-counterfeit and tamper-evident applications and monitoring. NFC will also be used to offer a direct engagement touch point with consumers – with a simple tap from an NFC-enabled smart device, consumers can learn more about the beverage in question, receive cocktail recipes, special offers, loyalty rewards and much more. These new and advanced closure solutions aim to guarantee the authenticity and integrity of branded products, hugely benefitting both beverage manufacturers and consumers.

The new NFC-enabled closures from Guala Closures will feature an opening detection and logging technology to give a clear indication of an unauthorized opening of the bottle. Consumers can also verify the genuine provenance and integrity of the product via any NFC enabled mobile device and pertinent application. Brands will be able to interact with consumers via NFC smart engagement programs both at the point of purchase and throughout the usage of the product.

“Our collaboration with NXP will enable a new generation of products for Guala Closures and the beverage closures market. The result of our work together will generate an electronic tamper evident barrier for counterfeiters and will add an extra level of protection to our non-refillable systems. On top of the advanced closure safety, this innovative solution will provide a unique communication platform for our brand clients to connect and engage with consumers at the point of purchase and usage,” says Maurizio Mittino, head of research and innovation at Guala Closures. “This revolutionary product line will generate tremendous market opportunity for us, particularly in those markets where counterfeiting is a widespread phenomenon and the population is highly aware of beverage counterfeiting.”

“Building on our long-standing leadership in NFC, NXP’s collaboration with Guala Closures supports our constant quest for innovation in the smart and secure product space,” says Matthias Poppel, general manager smart mobility and retail, NXP Semiconductors. “As the world is becoming ever more connected, our NFC technology enables unique identity products, secure brand protection solutions, a new level of product traceability as well as smart marketing services. This new scalable anti-counterfeit closure solution shall enable Guala Closures customers to protect their revenues and valuable brand assets.”