Uses for NFC expanding at a rapid pace
NFC technology is beginning to gain traction outside of the field of mobile commerce. The technology has proven versatile in its ability to connect with consumers. Companies interested in a higher level of interaction with customers and clients have begun showing more interest in NFC technology and how it can be used. NFC has managed to gain some ground in the mobile marketing industry and in social networking, and these two fields appear rife with opportunity for the growth of NFC.
RIM and HP show that NFC can be used for data transfer
Research in Motion (RIM), creators of the acclaimed BlackBerry platform, are currently developing an NFC-based data transfer system that will allow user to stream music on their mobile device. The system will connect to RIM’s Music Gateway, which is a piece of hardware that can be connected to a stereo system. NFC has also become a focus for computer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard, which has announced that its latest ultrabook, the Envy 14 Spectre, will include an NFC chip that will facilitate wireless data transfer from mobile devices.
Mobile commerce continues to be a popular focus for NFC technology
Though NFC technology is growing in popularity, the most common use for it remains in the field of mobile commerce. The mobile commerce industry has hit a roadblock in the sheer lack of NFC-enabled mobile devices that are available to consumers currently. These devices are necessary to make mobile payments. Instead of waiting for these devices to saturate the market, companies like DeviceFidelity and Barclaycard have developed solutions to this problem.
DeviceFidelity and Barclaycard develop systems to allow all mobile consumers to make contactless payments
DeviceFidelity has created a line of protective cases for the iPhone that is equipped with NFC technology. The case can transform an iPhone into a mobile payment device, with financial information stored within the NFC chip that is stored within the case itself. Barclaycard has developed a similar system, using NFC tags, called PayTags, instead of a protective case. The PayTag works with a consumers existing Visa account that is managed through Barclaycard.
NFC technology is beginning to show how versatile it can be. If companies continue to push the boundaries of the relatively new technology, new uses for NFC are expected to emerge in the coming years.
