Mobile payments and retail applications are expected to result in a great NFC adoption, a recent report from Juniper Research shows. According to the research firm, which analyzed “the $110bn NFC opportunity,” one of six mobile phone users in the world will own an NFC-enabled mobile phone by 2014. However, Juniper Research also notes that business model and technology hurdles will not disappear.

“Our research found that both the business model and the rollout of POS (Point of Sale) NFC readers at merchant locations are issues that need solving – depending on the country. As these are overcome, NFC is poised to enter an operational build up phase culminating in mass service rollouts across many countries, typically in metro areas driven by transport ticketing,” stated Howard Wilcox, author of the report.

The Juniper Research report also shows that the NFC adoption is centered on the Far East at the moment, while its use is being very reduced outside of this area. Even so, the firm's report also shows that payments and retail transactions are expected to be combined in the near future, also turning the mobile phone into a retail tool, in addition to all of its current features.

The new NFC report from Juniper Research, which can be found on the firm's website, also shows:
- NFC/Felica payments are already established in Japan but by 2014 North America and Western Europe will be experiencing high growth
- By 2014, NFC global gross transaction value will exceed $110bn
- Retailing ARPU from NFC coupons and smart posters will exceed ARPU from NFC payment transactions

According to Juniper Research, the new report also examines the opportunities that currently exist on the mobile payments market and the mobile retail market, and also includes solutions like stickers and SD cards. The report delivers six-year forecasts on eight regions, focused on shipments of handsets with NFC capabilities, on interim solutions, NFC transaction value and devices in use for payments, as well as on other aspects.