We are used to using entrance cards, which open the office door every morning, pay with the same card in the cafe, and with one swipe of the card we bring the tools we need for work or the book in the library. The possibilities are even wider, so it’s time to discuss in more detail what technology is used, what it is special about, how and how it differs from other contactless communication methods and, most importantly, how you can be used in business to create more efficient and fast processes.
NFC is short for Near Field Communication. It is a variant of Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) for contactless data transmission over short distances and standardized for wide use. Innovative companies such as Sony, Nokia and Philips laid the foundations for NFC back in the last century. Uniform standards have been developed that have allowed the technology to be widely applied in a variety of fields. Short-range wireless technology is making life easier and more convenient for millions of users worldwide by facilitating transactions, digital content, and touch-only electronic devices. NFC is compatible with the hundreds of millions of contactless cards and scanners that operate worldwide.
Many organizations have been set up to support technology development and ensure a single standard. One such organization is the NFC forum (https://nfc-forum.org/), which provides detailed information on NFC technology, specifications, products, and applications. Technical information and standards ISO / IEC 18092, partly ISO / IEC 14443, are also available here. For more information on NFC technology, please see: https://youtu.be/8q9iISSRx7k
Let’s compare NFC technology to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
Advantages of NFC – No need to “pair” or otherwise pair devices when transferring information, just hosting. A Bluetooth connection requires pairing of devices by exchanging certain data, but it is possible to transfer larger amounts of data over a longer distance (tens of meters).
Wi-Fi connection also requires authentication, password is required. It doesn’t pose a lot of problems with your own devices, but it is a hassle to use other people’s devices. With NFC things are much simpler, e.g. During the party, all NFC-enabled phones can broadcast photos and videos on the TV.
Another key moment is the power consumption of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It’s no secret that smartphones get faster with these two devices. Not to mention the waste of battery power when transmitting large amounts of information.
The third advantage is the extremely fast connection of NFC devices: within 0.1 seconds.
In summary, NFC is best suited for short and fast operations with limited data (access control, payments, transport tickets, device pairing). For more information, the relay takes over other technologies: Bluetooth or WiFi.
How does NFC technology work?
The figure below shows 3 NFC operating methods: card reading, device “communication”, NFC device – card.
In the first case, the NFC device reads or writes information from an NFC card or tag, such as access control, transport ticket.
In the second case, the devices communicate with each other by transmitting information such as pairing, business card information transfer, photo or music transfer.
In the third case, the NFC mobile device “becomes” a card that other NFC devices see as described in the first variant, e.g., an NFC phone is used to enter the premises, pay for it, and scan the ticket.
In our next blog article we will discuss more interesting uses and ways of using NFC technology, follow our news at www.acoris.lt