Near Field Communication, also known as NFC, is a technology that allows for very short-range wireless communication between two mobile devices, for example. The touch-based system is very simple and intuitive to use, and makes data transfers between two terminals accessible. All that users need to do is bring their mobile phones close together, and connections are automatically established. At this point, the largest distance at which devices can establish a link is around 10 centimeters (around 4 inches), AlphaGalileo reports.

Although still in its infancy, the NFC technology is already compatible with contactless infrastructure set in place in public transportation or in payment. It is primarily destined to be used on mobile phones and, as such, is heavily reliant on the ISO/IEC 14443 proximity-card standard, also employed in RFID (radio-frequency identification) transmitters. In the near future, experts believe, applications such as Bluetooth pairing, reading “smart” posters, and paying for tickets in public transportation may become standard practice. For pairing, Bluetooth 2.1 devices will be required.

The SmartTouch project is the largest investigation effort in NFC ever undertaken in the European Union. Many science institutes and universities have collaborated on bringing NFC closer to mass production from 2006 to the end of 2008. The teams analyzed the possible implications of the new technology in various fields of modern life, including city life, home, wellness and health, security and privacy, and businesses. The team work helped further NFC considerably within only a couple of years, and many aspects of the communications technique have been cleared up.

All the accomplishments that have been made are centralized in a new book, entitled “Touch the Future with a Smart Touch”, and authored by experts Tuomo Tuikka and Minna Isomursu. The publication features extensive knowledge about the basis of NFC, as well as data on pilot cases and investigations, and information about NFC-enabled businesses. Therefore, the book is a must-read for those seeking opportunities in the emerging NFC industry, or for those looking to enable their businesses to compete with the upcoming changes.