Near Field Communication or NFC is a sort of innovation that soon will be an absolute necessity for every device and is a coordination of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) innovation with cell phones which permits them to speak with each other by basically touching or conveying them near each other. RFID is utilized for the most part for applications like showing or recognizing merchandise or people using long distance communication technology while NFC is utilized for more modern and secure exchanges like contact-less payments or access to information with NFC. Near Field Communication technology applies to short range communication, often within 4 centimeters of range. With the use of NFC technology remote correspondence offers safe and basic correspondence between electronic gadgets that we use every day. Those who use devices that have an NFC application can essentially touch their phone for example to another compatible device that has an NFC application to exchange data between them, making application and information use simple and convenient. NFC will soon be applied on a larger scale as its technology becomes more advanced, defined, and secure as opposed to RFID or Radio Frequency Identification although its basis of technology uses RFID.
RFID, Radio Frequency Identification has the ability to read RFID tags from a greater distance than barcodes and NFC technologies with that said RFID tags don’t need to be positioned in the line of sight a scanner or limited to a close range of another NFC enabled device. A benefit for companies that use RFID tags is that they can read at a faster rate than barcodes as well as being able to read multiple sources of information saving time making business more efficient. The biggest benefit that separates RFID technologies is that they tags can work within much greater distances in comparison to the other two forms of technology. RFID also isn’t limited to one function in executing task as those devices with RFID have the ability to both read and write data to devices. What makes people more comfortable with RFID rather than NFC is the high levels of security that come with it for example data can be encrypted, password protected or set to delete and remove data permanently if not properly accessed. RFID tags carry large data capabilities such as product maintenance, shipping, expiration dates, and history which can all be encoded to the tag. RFID tags are more cost effective because they are reusable and built to last as they are protected by a plastic cover.
Barcodes are used everywhere because they are much smaller and lighter than RFID tags and therefore easier to use. They are also a lot less expensive than RFID tags because barcodes are directly printed onto plastic or paper materials or whatever product they belong too and in which the only cost to use them is the ink to print them on the product. Barcodes work with the same accuracy on almost any material they are printed on.
Barcodes are a global technology that are the used for almost all retail products. Stores that own a barcode reader can process barcodes from anywhere in the world. Today barcodes are found on almost every item and there are no privacy issues involved with its use.
As NFC becomes more incorporated things like ID cards, passports, driver licenses and storage space for basic data security and approving individuals to get to those data. Some information that can be read from NFC tags, and a numerous amount of jobs will be completed by NFC empowered cell phones. The improvements of less space and the ability to increase the amount information holding limit should promise a future in advertising companies. I believe that with more security as NFC grows and more advancement in the technology itself during a time where society has to deal and combat against people or hackers who attempt to control, steal, and use fraudulent information that is transmitted using NFC technologies; NFC will become more abundant in societies everyday devices.
NFC technology has three modes peer-to-peer, card emulation, and reader/writer. In peer-to-peer mode information processes between two NFC enabled devices. But is hardly utilized due to competition from other wireless technologies like Bluetooth as it is more commonly used compared to NFC. As to reader/writer mode information is copied from NFC tag to smartphone or the other way around. And lastly the card emulation mode duplicates the information from a NFC empowered device to an NFC Reader.
Currently the most common use of NFC technology is seen used by retail companies that allow people to make wireless electronic payments, such as ApplePay which uses its NFC capabilities to allow people to use their smartphones in place of carrying around a wallet, credit/debit cards, or loose paper money.
NFC technology has several advantages over other wireless technology because it provides two way communication for exchanging information such as both devices being able to send and receive data at the same time unlike Bluetooth which only allows one way communication. There isn’t any real basis of setting up a connection between two NFC enabled gadgets in comparison to Bluetooth technologies. NFC’s simplicity makes it easier to utilize it in places where there are a lot of people who also have devices with ability to share data with some other form of technology.
With the use of NFC, Hospitals and HealthCare providers can keep records about individuals like their medical history, saving time and uncertainty. Time in the aspect of collecting, processing, and filing documentation pertaining to their patients and helps prevent uncertainty by minimizing the frequency of natural human errors. In the future NFC tags could be applied onto patients’ charts to the point where doctors and nurses are quickly able to see what procedures, treatments, and medication are necessary and what has already been done. As hospitals progressively involve NFC technologies to better serve their patients and become more efficient there are trials, experiments, and research currently being done where diagnostic NFC tags are infused directly into the patient’s skin that monitor things like their temperature, glucose levels and other health information which can prove very useful as well as making past and more primitive methods of collecting that same data obsolete.
All of which can be collected and reviewed by nurses and doctors so they are more inclined to find a more direct and absolute diagnosis as well as providing more appropriate and effective medications. Similarly the FitBit Company uses NFC in their products as they collect and transfer biometric information from their produced wristband to the owner’s smartphone.
NFC technology is already being used by some companies for small payments. But with major companies like Google, Apple, and Android the product of NFC enabled devices will be more plentiful and frequent. Near Field Communication has started the future of evolution in technological devices that are used in everyday life. And as manufacturing prices drop, the probability that NFC enabled phones will eventually become standard and the abilities that NFC possess will become an essential part of life.