Near Field Communication: the next big thing in mobile
In terms of technology, Near Field Communication (NFC) is the next big thing in mobile, even if it isn’t exactly new. In fact the NFC Forum, which includes the likes of Nokia, Samsung, Sony and Microsoft, was formed in 2004 with the objective of promoting this concept of short range wireless communication.
A bit like Bluetooth, which took years to move from concept to real world use, NFC is only now starting to emerge in consumer mobiles. But when NFC does become widely adopted it promises to transform the way that we use our mobile phones.
In short NFC allows a mobile phone, or other mobile device, to share or collect data from another NFC-equipped device. Although sounding similar to Bluetooth, NFC is significantly different. Bluetooth, for example, can communicate over distances of up to 10 metres while NFC has a maximum distance of 20cm. NFC is designed for cases where instant connections are needed and these can be initiated by a single touch between two NFC devices. Bluetooth also includes layers of security to communicate over distance, NFC is designed to initiate connections between devices that are right next to each other or even touching.
Connections between NFC devices are almost instantaneous and can be used to make payments, transfer data or connect devices. There are many ways in which the technology can be used.
Contactless payment
This is perhaps the most promising use of NFC. By using NFC devices consumers will be able to pay for purchases by simply touching their mobile phone to paypoints. Mastercard and Visa are already part of the NFC Forum and so contactless payment is very much on the agenda.
In addition to making payments, NFC could also be used for coupon and loyalty systems. Companies such as Molo Rewards are already implementing systems that will allow users to download electronic coupons onto their phones and then exchange these at paypoints using NFC.
Pay and ride
Public transport systems are also a prime target for NFC applications. NFC-equipped mobile phones could be used to pay for public bus and train services. Although South Africa has a limited public transport infrastructure there is a growing need for these services. Implementing NFC in new public transport systems could mean that users swipe their phone before and after a journey and have their transport fees added to their account.
Medical mobile
Naturally NFC could also be used in the medical profession. One application could be store patient data which could be quickly accessed from their mobile phone. Alternatively hospitals could use NFC devices to track treatment of a patient by monitoring which nurses and doctors attend to them.
Information
Many shopping centres already have kiosks that use Bluetooth to give visitors information. NFC could simplify this enormously and add to the number of potential “smart objects” in the world. NFC tags will soon be added to buildings, vehicles, and even posters.
The low-cost of NFC chips will mean that users could use their mobile phone as a theatre ticket, to get information about bus schedules, download historical information about a building or find out more information about an event by touching a poster.
There are endless ways in which NFC has the potential to transform the world around us, which is why your next phone is likely to be equipped with an NFC chip. There are already a number of phones available with NFC built in, including the Nexus S, Nokia’s C7 and at least one Samsung phone.
Later this year (2011) is when NFC will start becoming mainstream. Samsung’s Galaxy S II will ship with NFC, as will Samsung’s Wave. Most Android 2.3 phones will include NFC this year and Nokia has said its smartphones will ship with NFC, though that is likely to be dependent on its new software partner Microsoft. There are also many rumours about the iPhone 5 including NFC although there is no clarity on this yet.
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