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eLab – NFC.ppt 

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a standard developed by Sony, Philips, and later on Nokia, to establish a communication between computers, PDAs, mobile, or even TVs. The communication can also be based on wireless protocols, such as Bluetooth or WiFi. If users want to secure Bluetooth or WiFi communications, they have to manually enter passwords and other parameters for the connection. With NFC, where communication is only possible at a distance of a few centimetres (maximum 20 cm), it is simple and intuitive to control communication (like a handshake).

NFC can be established in active mode, where both devices generate their own radio frequency field to carry the data, or in passive mode where only one device generates the radio frequency and the passive element's information is only read if the active device is close enough to supply a power source by radio waves.

Payments are one rather obvious potential use for the technology, but NFC could also be used to access public transportation, to provide electronic keys, or to swap digital music, photos or other files between devices. In Japan, FeliCa (a technology similar to NFC) is already used in real-life applications, but not in the USA and in Europe, where it is still in its infancy. In December 2005 VISA started a mobile payment pilot program in Atlanta and France Telecom/Orange is making experiments in Caen since October 2005: users can pay in selected malls, open car park barriers, and download information (movie trailers, exhibitions, bus or tram timetables).

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