Berg Insight study shows that NFC-enabled smart phones sales will jump to 100 million this year

NFC Technology

A new study from Berg Insight, a market research and analysis firm based in Sweden, paints a bright future for NFC-enabled smart phones. The study suggests that sales of NFC-enabled smart phones will jump to 100 million this year, up from 30 million in 2011. The rapid adoption of these mobile devices is likely due to the growing popularity of mobile commerce. NFC smart phones can be used as mobile payment devices, enabling users to make purchases without having to use physical currency or credit card. The technology is not…

Read More

Microsoft registers new NFC Tap and Do trademark for Windows 8

Microsoft mobile secrurity Outlook app

Technology giant Microsoft seems to have plans to enter the arena of NFC. The company has applied to register a new patent for its upcoming Microsoft Tap and Do initiative. According to the application, the trademark will be used to cover all of the company’s products that make use of NFC technology. This includes hardware, such as computers and mobile devices, as well as computer software. While this has implications for Microsoft’s long-term goals with technology, one of the mark’s immediate uses may be with the Windows Phone 8. The…

Read More

Commonwealth Bank sees major rise in NFC payments in Australia, Telsyte suggests merchants will be slow to warm to mobile commerce

Mobile Payments

Mobile commerce is gaining momentum in Australia, according to The Commonwealth Bank, the country’s largest financial institution. The bank announced this week that mobile payments have more than quadrupled in the last year, logging more than 1.3 million transactions during December alone. The bank notes that the availability of NFC applications has also risen by 30,000 over the same time period. This indicates that mobile commerce may be gaining ground with consumers in Australia, but research firm Telsyte claims that the concept is not very popular with merchants. Mobile commerce…

Read More

WIRED to feature new NFC advertisements from Lexus

WIRED Lexus ad for NFC

Popular technology magazine WIRED has announced that it will be featuring a new NFC marketing campaign from automaker Lexus. The magazine claims that the new NFC advertisements are the first ever in the magazine industry. The ads will feature new navigation and safety technology that will be incorporated into upcoming Lexus models. These advertisements are being billed as an interactive experience, allowing WIRED readers to get hands-on experience with the new technology coming from Lexus. Readers with NFC-enabled smart phones will be able to test out the Lexus Enform with…

Read More

European Commission to determine whether mobile commerce project from the UK can proceed

M-Commerce Industry

Regulators with the European Commission, the legislative arm of the European Union, are determining whether to grant approval for a mobile commerce project from the United Kingdom. The project has been dubbed “Project Oscar” and is a joint venture amongst three of the UK’s largest telecommunications companies: Everything Everywhere, O2, and Vodafone U.K. The project seeks to promote mobile commerce through the spreading of NFC technology and mobile devices. The companies also want to build a system that would store the financial information of consumers so that this information is…

Read More