Home
The rise and rise of the smartphone in the last 5 years has paved the way for Nearfield Communication (NFC) to become more prolific, as we turn to our mobile phone to provide a complete suite of functionality. NFC is a high frequency, wireless communication technology, allowing digital data to be exchanged between devices for identification and validation.
Inclusion of NFC smart chips in today’s smartphones, in particular the iPhone and Android, means everyday tasks become quicker and easier to perform. Hardware compatibility has been greatly improved and all four major UK mobile networks are now NFC compliant.
NFC, or contactless technology, has been around for some time but its adoption has been somewhat tenuous, at least in the consumer market. For example, the application of contactless technology in credit card processing carried with it an air of distrust and insecurity in customers and businesses due to the high risk of theft or fraud. However, the introduction of the Oyster card, now used extensively throughout London, was perhaps the tipping point that led the contactless innovation towards universal acceptance as a viable technology. Google have taken NFC and created their Google Wallet, which promises to be the future of credit card and banking, and potentially the eventual usurper of its tri-fold leather contemporary.
The use of NFC in consumer goods is one of the newest avenues where its capabilities are being exploited, but businesses have in situ needs that command the same benefits, notably in entry systems and security logging. The value of NFC in sectors that depend on accurate but fast recording of data or activity has become apparent.
Workforce management, time and attendance, security, safety and stock control are fundamental tenets of business and keeping track of everything and everyone that contributes to your company is vital to successful, profitable enterprise.