The Emerging Technology called NFC or Near Field Communication is going to change the way phones and wireless in general work. Phones are taking an increasingly important role in our everyday lives and this function is going to further that dramatically. Our phones are starting to resemble computers rather than the mobile phones of our past. Today phones are used for texting, browsing, phone calls, email, applications and more. Tomorrow they will open doors, pay for purchases, redeem coupons, and most importantly impact how advertisers use the environment around us.
The impact of NFC is simply astonishing. The mobile wallet alone has the potential to eliminate the need for a physical wallet as replaces credit and debit cards, rewards cards, coupons, boarding passes, and many other information based necessities. This will impact how we shop, talk, and even walk.
The belief is that the short range circuits, low power memory, ergonomic design, and careful software design are making a global adoption not only possible, but unavoidable. Mobile devices are already a huge part of our lives and as they evolve will likely become even more so. NFC is just one step in that direction.
Mobile Application developers are all starting to look at this technology and think about how they can use it to its full capacity. The fact is that with NFC mobile devices will be able to interact with the world around us in a way that is unprecedented as of yet. Opening doors and swiping credit cards are just the beginning. The possibilities are endless and if the trend holds we will be seeing some very cool things coming our way very soon.
Mobile Applications alone are impacting hospitals and the medical fields, what if as a doctor walks around he can check the status of a patient by standing near the door? Nurses will know where a doctor is based on his signal and can plan accordingly.
You could eliminate keys to doors and hotel rooms, ease the process of check-ins and check-outs, and even start your car for you. Honestly phones are pretty much attached to us at the hip and will be more so as we move forward. NFC and Mobile phones could easily push contactless infrastructure to a reality and not a dream.
Imagine you are checking into a hotel. You call ahead and set up your reservation receiving a conformation text that contains the code for your encrypted room key. You can walk strait through the lobby into the elevator and up to your room checking in as you walk by. Getting to your room you simply bump your phone against the door and it unlocks and opens for you. As you move into the room the lights turn on and the AC sets itself to a preset temp you have saved in your phone. Nothing says comfort like future.
Once more think about walking into a store and seeing an ad next to a piece of merchandise that you are eyeballing. Swiping your phone near it instantly likes the store on facebook, twitter, and +1s Google+ while giving you an exclusive deal within the store. This is a thing that will be happening sooner rather than later.
The possibilities are endless and mobile application developers are bursting with ideas and excitement. The market is going to keep growing and as we integrate ourselves with technology will become more and more important. Dreams are becoming a reality and the impossible is becoming possible. As our technology grows so will our integration into the mobile world. Who knows what the future will bring and what might be next.
