Intel did show off a Medfield-powered tablet at IDF which had NFC tech built in, as well as being partnered with MasterCard, it promises to bring PayPass checkouts to Ultrabooks.

Intel is now entering a licensing deal with Inside Secure. Inside Secure specializes in contactless payment systems and will be lending its Microread, Secured and Open NFC products to Intel for future chips.

NFC should feature in Ultrabooks, and we should see it in any future x86-powered smartphones, too. NFC is looking to become the next pure standard, and with companies like Intel behind it, it gives more confidence to the technology, and its customers.