Near Field Communication (NFC), allows simplified transactions, data exchange and wireless connections between two devices close to each other, generally not more than a few centimeters. It is expected to be a system widely used for payments with smartphones. Many smartphones nowadays already have imbedded NFC chips which send encrypted data a short distance to a localized reader, like a shop's cash register machine, for example. Clients who have their credit card information stored in their NFC-imbedded smartphones may pay the bills shaking the smartphone near the reader or touching them, instead of worrying about credit cards. Co-invented by NXP and Sony in 2002, the NFC technology is being gradually included in a growing number of mobile phones to make mobile transactions possible, as well as other applications.
NFC devices may read NFC tags in a museum, or shop a showcase to obtain more information about a product, slideshow or video. NFC may share a contact, a picture, music, an app, a video or pair Bluetooth devices.
The NFC standards claim to modernize the discovery process sharing Wireless Media Access control networks with encription between radios through a union near-field channel, that, when limited to 20 cm, allows users to reinforce their own physical safety using random encripted key switching. The forum deliberately specified the NFC standard to be compatible with the RFID ISO 15693 tag standard, which operates with the 13.56 MHz frequency. This also allows smartphones to read this already popular tag standard, and be compatible with the smartcard and Mifare standards.
NFC harmonizes many technologies and offers a variety of benefits for consumers and companies:
