Near Field Communication (NFC) allows short-range wireless data transmission when two devices are touched or brought close together. NFC operates at 13.56 MHz and works with existing contactless RFID technology. It has a range of about 10 cm and transfer rates from 106-424 Kbit/s. NFC is used for applications like mobile payments, parking, boarding passes, car keys, advertisements, and sharing contacts or files between devices. As the technology is compatible with RFID infrastructure and brings benefits to Bluetooth setup, NFC has potential to become a disruptive technology and transform everyday tasks.
2. NEAR FIELD
COMMUNICATIO
N (NFC)
You may have seen recent TV commercials or shows
that depict people using phones to transmit data
between mobile devices with a single touch, or diners
using their phones to make payments for their meals.
Wonder what technology is behind all these feats?
Well, it’s all thanks to NFC and with so many new
devices sporting this technology, from a variety of
smart phones and tablets, to notebooks and even
smart office appliances such as printer, we thought
now’s a good time for a nice primer on this subject
matter, how it works and it’s applications to make our
life’s more comfortable.
3. HISTORY OF NFC
1983 The first patent to be associated with the abbreviation RFID was granted
to Charles Walton.
2004 Nokia, Philips and Sony established the Near Field Communication (NFC)
Forum
2006 Initial specifications for NFC Tags
2006 Nokia 6131 was the first NFC phone
2009 In January, NFC Forum released Peer-to-Peer standards to transfer
contact, URL, initiate Bluetooth, etc.
2010 Samsung Nexus S: First Android NFC phone shown
2011 Google I/O "How to NFC" demonstrates NFC to initiate a game and to
share a contact, URL, app, video, etc.
2011 NFC support becomes part of the Symbian mobile operating system with
the release of Symbian Anna version.
2011 RIM is the first company for its devices is certified by MasterCard
Worldwide, the functionality of PayPass
4. SOME RECENT NEWS ABOUT
NFC
Google is working with Citigroup and MasterCard on NFC mobile payment
solution.
Nintendo’s Wii Successor, the Wii U, will come equipped with NFC technology.
Nokia went on record to say that all future Symbian devices will have built-in
NFC support, a de-facto feature
Recently “Ra.One” became the first Indian movie to be marketed through
NFC.
Apple hired Benjamin Vigier the NFC expert as its Commerce Product
Manager. Apple is going to take his help to built an NFC equipped iPhone.
5. WHAT IS NFC?
NFC is a short range wireless technology that allows communications
to take place between devices that either touch or are momentarily
held close together.
The main characteristic of NFS is that it is a wireless communication
interface that works with in a range of about 10 cm.
Operates at 13.56 MHz on ISO/IEC 18000-3 air interface and at rates
ranging from 106 Kbit/s to 424 Kbit/s.
It requires low power and is compatible with contactless RFID
technology.
6. HOW DOES NFCWORKS?
NFC
NFC is based on Radio Frequency
Identification(RFID)Technology
The technology works via magnetic
field induction technology and
operates on an unlicensed radio
frequency band
7. ADVANTAGES OF NFC
Advantagesof
NFC
Wide reach & avability
Can be used in various situations
Very easy to use
Value added services
Compatible with existing RFID
Infrastructure
8. APPLICATIONS OF NFC
MOBILE PAYMENT
PARKING
BOARDING PASS
CAR KEYS
ADVERTISEMENTS
OFFICE
OTHER USES
9. MOBILE
PAYMENT
NFC is usually associated with the term,
"mobile wallet". Consumers can make their
payments using their phones in restaurants,
public transport's networks and supermarkets.
In Places like Libya, South Africa, Belgium ,
Denmark, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Australia
and Brazil Mobile Payment feature of NFC is
used.
10. PARKING
NFC has enabled a parking application through
which a person can easily park and identify
where he park.
Countries such as San Francisco use NFC for
their parking meters. Parking meters have NFC
stickers on them, which have unique identifiers
that inform the app on NFC phones which exact
meter does it correspond to. This allows drivers to
save the hassle of entering the meter number
and eradicate any mistakes as well.
11. BOARDING PASS
Boarding Pass is thing a person is concern with during
travelling, whether he/she has not forgotten it. NFC has
provided Boarding Pass facility by considering NFC phones as
a persons Boarding Pass
Japan, one of the few countries in the world where NFC is
widely adopted, is believed to have launched the first
commercial service worldwide that enables passengers to use
their NFC phones as boarding passes for its Japan Airlines.
12. CAR KEYS
Several car manufacturers also explored the
concept of NFC car keys. In April 2012, BMW
collaborated with Vine card, a hotel key card
specialist to develop a way for its drivers to
book a hotel room from its cars, download the
room key to an NFC-enabled car key and
receive special promotions. Hyundai recently
demonstrated its NFC car key concept where it
not only allows an NFC phone to lock or unlock
a car, but also sync data and preferences from
the car's infotainment system to the driver's
phone.
13. ADVERTISEMENT
Marie Claire magazine ran its first NFC print
magazine advertisement in its December issue. The
advertisements were placed by Nuffield Health,
and offer a free two-day gym membership for
readers who tapped on the page.
Declan Boyle, advertising director at IPC Innovator
commented that NFC technology is an attractive
tool for advertisers who are looking for ways to
connect the offline print world with the online
digital world. He also mentioned that as NFC print
ads are immediate, measurable, dynamic and are
low-cost platforms with flexible distributions, NFC
will help in consumer engagement.
14. OFFICE
A person can setup a wireless home
office with a touch with the help of NFC.
It can also be used to get information by
touching on poster.
In printing from your camera by holding
it close to the printer
16. FUTURE OF NFC NFC has the potential to be a
disruptive technology, changing the
way that lives are lived, transforming
everyday tasks, making things
easier, more intuitive and more
effective.
A significant advantage of this
technique is the compability with
existing RFID infrastructures.
Additionally it would bring benefits
to the setup of longer-range wireless
techniques such as Bluetooth.
Though security concerns are
present, they can be overcome
through the use of various schemes
such as setting up a secure channel,
combined with which NFC can
provide confidentiality, integrity and
authenticity.