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Mobile users can expect NFC tech by 2014
Tuesday 19th April 2011, by Daniel King
While most consumers are hankering after 4G mobile broadband being made available on future handsets, major players are expected to make near field communication (NFC) technology available too.
BT, T-Mobile and other major telecoms firms are expected to make NFC available on at least one in five smartphones globally over the next three years, a report by Juniper Research shows.
Use of NFC chipsets in handsets will enable consumers to make more convenient retail payments as well as taking full advantage of coupons and smart posters.
Google, France Telecom and Orange are among the operators that have already signalled their intention to expand their mobile commerce capabilities.
Juniper NFC Retail Marketing & Mobile Payments Report author Howard Wilcox explained: "Juniper's market analysis highlighted that, although there are still hurdles ahead, NFC prospects have been boosted by the succession of mobile operator and device vendor announcements.
"France is a case in point where operators expect to sell one million NFC devices this year."
Interest in NFC is growing as phone technology develops to a level capable of accommodating it on a commercial scale.
The non-profit NFC Forum recently published a white paper concerned with developing NFC Smart Posters, which feature readable NFC tags.
Users will be able to hold their device close to the poster, which can also appear in a magazine or even a three-dimensional promotional object, and take advantage of discounts, special savings or offers advertised.
The aim of the paper is to empower and encourage businesses to make use of this new technology, while advising on avoiding common pitfalls expected during any commercial rollout.
However, the success of NFC will depend on how well it catches on among shoppers and other consumers.
Speaking to Bloomberg in January, PayPal spokeswoman Charlotte Hill noted: "NFC is definitely one of the technologies that's getting a lot of attention, but ultimately the consumer is going to choose."
