QR codes are hard to miss. They’re on the business cards we exchange, in the magazines we read and more commonly embedded in the emails we receive. But as convenient as we may (or may not) find them, QR codes might soon fall to the wayside. It’s hotter, younger replacement: Near Field Communication, or NFC. Even faster and less reliant on our mobile devices’ capabilities, NFC is THE technology that will eventually allow us to use our mobile devices in ways we never imagined possible!
Whether we realize or not, Near Field Communication technology is all around us. In fact, some of us utilize it on a regular basis without knowing we do. If you have a credit account with a fuel company or supermarket, chances are, NFC is in your back pocket – that “Pass and Go” wand dangling from your keychain. When arriving at work or returning from your lunch break, do you have to “touch” your employee ID to an automated turnstile for entry into your building or office? If so, you use NFC every day. And to our friends in the UK, NFC resides in your Oyster Card, ready to act as soon as you enter The Tube!
NFC effectively contributes to making our daily chores and tasks a little faster, more convenient, and even fun! NFC’s next destination? Our mobile devices: smartphones and tablets. Though mass market offerings of NFC-ready mobile devices and corresponding applications – not necessarily “apps” – is still in its infancy, we can look forward to seeing the first wave of devices and usages much sooner than later. (At the moment, Google Android is at the NFC helm.)
So aside from paying for goods, services and gaining access to otherwise restricted areas, how will NFC change the way we interface with other smartphone and tablet owners – and our environments? This question had an early answer months ago at Google’s 4th Annual I/O Summit. Check out the video below. If Google is this enthused about utilizing NFC, so should we all be!
Part of Liqui-Site’s success stems from having its finger on the pulse of the latest and greatest in industry-relevant technology. Whether these advances lie in the immediate or far-off future, Liqui-Site is poised to analyze and utilize only the very best technology, so long as it ensures measurable results for clients.
