When will NFC be mass market?

NFC is already used very successfully for a number of closed user group applications, such as healthcare. In terms of widespread adoption, current predictions estimate NFC devices will be mass market by 2011.

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What's the official technical definition?

Near field communication (NFC) is a short-range wireless connectivity technology that evolved from a combination of existing contactless identification and interconnection technologies. It operates at 13.56 MHz and transfers data at up to 424 Kbits/second. NFC is both a "read" and "write" technology.

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How does it work?

Communication between two NFC-compatible devices occurs when they are brought within four centimeters of one another. A simple wave or touch can establish an NFC interaction which could be for service discovery, contactless payment, voucher redemption or any other simplified user experience. The underlying layers of NFC technology follow universally implemented ISO, ECMA, and ETSI standards, meaning that NFC is compatible with much existing RFID infrastructure.

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Is NFC the same as RFID?

No. NFC is derived from RFID technology, but has enhanced security and a limited transmission distance to ensure close proximity between devices to more securely exchange information. In particular NFC devices can act as both a reader of RFID tags and a contactless smartcard.

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Are all phones NFC enabled?

No. There are currently a limited number of phones on the market (with the exception of Japan where adoption is widespread). We are working with Nokia handsets for the most part but ensure that we keep up to date with market developments and models from all manufacturers.

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Who is driving this activity?

From a standards point of view, the NFC Forum plays an important role in ensuring interoperability and building market awareness. From an adoption point of view, the main stakeholders include payment schemes, banks, mobile network operators and increasingly retailers and advertising agencies.

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Do I have to wait until 2011 before I can do anything useful with this technology?

No. Contactless smart cards and phones can be combined to deliver services that are meaningful to customers and deliver benefits to business today. There are also a number of NFC accelerator products that are helping to bridge the gap. The advent of NFC will mean that the services are slicker and more intuitive but there's a lot you can do with cards and phones right now.

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Can the RFID on my smart poster be hacked?

Smart posters can be locked with a secret code that allows people to read, but not write to the tag.

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Do smart posters work behind glass?

Yes. The RFID tag transmits through glass and perspex.

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What can RFID tags be attached to?

Anything with a sticker-friendly surface, e.g. posters, packaging, USB pen drives, clothing... the list goes on.

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Are there any materials RFID tags cannot be attached to?

Some metals can cause signal interference when placed behind RFID tags. We can help you with the specifics if you have a particular substance in mind..

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