NXP Semiconductor has been ranked at the top of the latest Vendor Matrix released by ABI Research.

INSIDE Contactless and Infineon Technologies claimed the second and third spots in the company’s most recent evaluation of worldwide contactless transaction IC vendors.

“This year, NXP retained its top position after 12 months in which it not only strengthened its already strong core offerings such as increased security options on MIFARE products, but also expanded its product reach into new contactless transaction applications and markets,” says Jonathan Collins, Principal Analyst at ABI Research.

The Vendor Matrix is an analytical tool developed by ABI Research to provide a clear understanding of vendors’ positions in specific markets. Vendors are assessed on the important parameters of “innovation” and “implementation” across several criteria unique to each vendor matrix.

For this particular matrix, under "innovation," ABI Research examined the vendors’ product portfolios (including specifications supported), their products’ physical specifications and applicability to a range of applications or devices; the companies’ experience, leadership and knowledge transfer, their relevance to the global market, and their focus on and capabilities in new application development.

Under "implementation," ABI Research scrutinized the following criteria: the vendors’ overall market position, leadership, strength and experience; their marketing capabilities and strategies; their installed base and customer deployments; the breadth of the verticals and applications targeted or served and their strength within those; their partnering strategies, and their global reach.