NFC Implementation?
Japan vs. USA

I know I?ve said my piece about NFC safety and security in the past, but to just quickly reiterate: NFC is safe, most think even more so than credit cards. On top of that it is faster and more efficient.

Many would say the widespread implementation of NFC has just barely started or maybe isn?t even here yet. In Japan, NFC technology has been mainstream for quite a while and has proven to be quite successful.

NFC Technology is made possible by the NFC enabled computer chips that are built into the device. The chip sends and receives electronic data and information a short distance, which is usually about 4 centimeters. What?s impressive about these chips is there is so much crammed into such a small space. They need to do this so they can fit into cellular devices and smart phones without being a burden to the manufacturer. The phone designer shouldn?t have to make a phone bigger then they want to just to fit a clumsy chip. It is this impressive chip that communicates with the NFC receiver.

Smart tags or NFC spots contain a message such as a URL that communicates with the device that can do things such as unlocking doors in hotels, purchasing items, automatically connecting to customer service lines, and even sending media to your friends or collecting videos from NFC spots such as the trailer to the next big movie coming out. NFC technology is definitely comparable to bluetooth however NFC doesn?t use as much electricity and it connects much easier however it unfortunately doesn?t transfer data as quickly. This means slower downloads. Fortunately, Near-field communication won?t be relied on as much for large scale downloading as bluetooth is. Some NFC chips are looking to completely replace the current SIM card.

In Japan, NFC chips are used in the train system pass cards so users need only swipe the pre-paid card past the gate to be allowed entry. This technology doesn?t even require they remove the cards from their purse or wallets. Some local eateries and grocery stores even allow the subway pass cards to be used as legal pre paid tender. Whether the same type of system will be implemented here remains to be seen but you can only imagine the possibilities there will be.

Companies can give NFC chips to employees to allow them key card access to certain areas of the office as well as for access for hotel rooms in place of keys. In some cases, nfc chips and receivers are the basis of a home?s security system. Airlines have used them in place of boarding passes. When uploaded onto the NFC chip on your smart phone you could get to the airport and get on your air plane in only 15 minutes. If you can imagine a world where you don?t have to show up at the airport 3 hours early I?m sure everyone would move there.

Some eateries around the world are adding NFC chips to their menus so people who don?t speak the local language can swipe their phones by the menu to see the menu in their language or even hear a translation read to them by specific applications! Also some stores have NFC spots at the end of the isle and this would allow the customer to see what items are featured in the isle and what items are on sale or what the specials are for the week. All of the cool things I?ve mentioned above are currently implemented in Japan. It?s up to us to get this to happen here.

I?m hoping we are just late to hop on the NFC bandwagon and we will also eventually get to this point. There is speculation that it won?t catch on here but based on what we?ve seen so far I think we?re only a few years away.