Glossary: Near Field Communication (NFC)

Potentially interlinking the functionality of Bluetooth, WiFi, ZigBee and RFID we now have Near Field Communications NFC. However, it would be wrong to portray it as the "glue" that sticks them together in all situations.

 

The argument for NFC is this. It enables the user to exchange all kinds of information, in security, simply by bringing two devices close together. Humans like to touch things together, though, as with RFID smart cards, bringing them within a few centimeters is sufficient for the transaction to take place. Its short-range interaction over a few centimeters simplifies identification because there is less confusion when devices can only contact immediate neighbours. Financial transactions cannot be accidental either.

 

Take a picture with your cellphone then touch the television with it and the picture is displayed. Use the cellphone to replace all smart cards by touching it on ticket barriers and so on, in just the same way as you would with a contactless (RFID) smart card. These are some of the dreams of NFC. Little wonder then that the cellphone industry is in the lead in commercializing NFC.NFC employs 13.56 MHz, the frequency of nearly all contactless i.e. RFID smart cards and is the subject of ISO standards. Proponents include Philips, Sony, Nokia and Innovision.