Visa has already distributed millions of so-called contactless credit cards cards that can be read by simply waving them in front of small machines

These kinds of credit cards can interact with devices equipped with NFC technology without any adjustment. Sony, Nokia and Philips are teaming up to create a technology standard that would allow a wide array of electronic devices to communicate with each other by simply touching two products together, the companies said Thursday. If the technology, called Near Field Communications, or NFC, lives up to its promise, it could change the way people use their devices, as well as the way they use money, keys and credit cards. NFC uses a combination of a chip, an antenna and some software to allow devices to communicate when they are within a few centimeters range at a cost of a few euros. Beginning this year, Sony and Philips, two of the world's largest consumer electronics manufacturers, and Nokia, the world's largest maker of cellphones, will start integrating NFC technology into everything from cellphones and digital still cameras to camcorders, television sets and car navigation systems, executives from all three companies said at a press conference at Cebit, an annual technology industry trade fair. The companies said they were creating an industry forum to ensure that NFC is developed as an open standard and on Thursday urged consumer electronics, telecommunications and computer companies to join the initiative.