Close to a breakthrough: Near Field Communications
Near field communications (NFC) has taken far longer to get established than originally hoped for, but its fervent backers anticipate a breakthrough next year. In this respect, it shares the birth pangs of technologies such as Bluetooth and WiFi, which travelled from hype to hope, then disappointment, before becoming established.
What seems to be a compelling and simple idea – consumers touching their mobiles to pay for coffee, travel on the bus, download coupons or pass information on to friends – is proving unexpectedly difficult to bring to market.
The state of the global economy only partially explains why roll outs may be postponed for a year or, more likely, longer. It is the lack of eye catching devices and realistic business models that is holding things back and determining how everyone in the supply chain can make money from the technology remains another obstacle.
