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 2015. Contactless cards are already widely used and there are c.43000 contactless payment terminals in the UK alone. NFC has a promising future with UK contactless card holders expected to reach 20 million by the end of 2011.

Juniper Research predict that at least one in five smartphones will have NFC software by 2015 and ABI Research predict that there will be 35 million NFC phones shipped in 2012.

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.

How can I use NFC?

NFC tags can be used in product packaging, signage, information points and more. A city council might want to use an NFC tag at a bus station. The user touches the tag and receives the most up-to-date travel information to his/ her phone. Or a brand might want to promote a sale in store. They simply put a tag on the promotion label of the product, the user taps this and sees the saving in comparison with regular pricing.

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.

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 ensure we keep up to date with market developments and models from all manufacturers, including Nokia, Android and Blackberry. There are rumours that Apple will shortly be releasing NFC handsets although this has not been confirmed.

Near Field Communications World has produced a comprehensive list of NFC phones on the market. To have a look, visit their webpage.

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.

Do I have to wait until 2015 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. Proxama recently ran the UK's first NFC marketing campaign and the world's first NFC Murder Mystery game, both of which proved to be great successes.There are also a number of ways to take advantage of m-payments immediately. With contactless infrastructure in over 40,000 stores in the UK alone and NFC smartphones being released at an increasing rate, creating mobile 'wallets' which allow customers to pay for good through their phone has huge potential.

There are also NFC accelerator products that are helping to bridge the gap between the current market and mass adoption. 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.

How secure is the tag on a smartposter?

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

How far can NFC tags transmit?

This depends on both the tag type and the phone used to interact with it. On average, we say that a tag transmits about 2 cms. For some NFC phones this may be less, for others, a bit more. It is worth baring this variation in mind if you are thinking of placing tags behind thick panels or glass. The tag can be read through glass but the thickness hould be considered.

We advise that NFC tags are not placed on metal backing so if you want to run a poster campaign, avoid mounting your posters on metal boards. Metal materials interfere with the signal between the tag and phone.

What can NFC tags be attached to?

We typically use NFC tags that are in the form of labels, so they can be fixed to anything with a sticker-friendly surface, e.g. posters, packaging, USB pen drives, clothing... the list goes on.

However, other tags are available that come in the form of wristbands, cards, plastic discs etc.

Are there any materials NFC tags cannot be attached to?

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

Is there a limit to the number of times an NFC tag on a smartposter can be read?

No. The number of times a tag can be read is unrestricted. However, this is configurable so could have a 'read limit' if needed.