communication technology

T he NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, today announced that "Click," the BBC's flagship technology program, has chosen NFC as one of its five top technologies for 2008. BBC News selected the five technologies from the hundreds of consumer products and technologies on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) International in Las Vegas last month. The television news story ran numerous times on BBC News 24, BBC One, and BBC Breakfast.

Near Field Communication
NFC (Near Field Communication) is a standards-based, short-range wireless connectivity technology that enables simple and safe two-way interactions between electronic devices. NFC technology allows consumers to perform contactless transactions, access digital content and connect devices with the simplicity of a single touch. NFC technology provides global interoperability of contactless identification and interconnection technologies.

NFC technology
"The 'Click' program's selection of NFC says a great deal about both the maturity of NFC technology and the growing demand for it among consumers," said Gerhard Romen, NFC Forum vice-chairman. "At this year's CES, NFC Forum members showcased a broad range of commercial applications that take the convenience of NFC in a number of exciting new directions."

NFC enabled mobile phones
NFC Forum member demonstrations at CES 2008 included: using a phone as a payment or travel card; making mobile proximity purchases easily using an NFC-enabled device; transmitting digital pictures quickly and simply over a secure Bluetooth connection; redeeming mobile phone-based coupons at point of sale; using an USB-NFC reader to enable card-to-PC communications; collecting and displaying information from smart posters using NFC phones; NFC-enabled products for the car, home and office; and connecting Bluetooth devices simply by waving a mobile phone over an NFC reader/writer.

Near Field Communication Technology
Near Field Communication (NFC) technology provides global interoperability of contactless identification and interconnection technologies. NFC operates in the 13.56 MHz frequency range, over a typical distance of a few centimeters. The underlying layers of NFC technology are based on ISO, ECMA, and ETSI standards. NFC technology is supported by the world's leading communication device manufacturers, semiconductor producers, network operators, IT and services companies, and financial services organizations. NFC is compatible with hundreds of millions of contactless cards and readers already deployed worldwide.