Apple might be on to something with the acquisition of NFC technology. While the actual hardware feature has yet to be implemented on any mobile phone, the concept is already there and there are plenty of useful applications for it –though not quite what Apple originally promised.
The original idea for NFC technology (near field communications) is that it would be used as an alternative to keys –meaning that electronic locks can be used on our front doors and car doors with the mobile phone serving as the new opening device. While very impressive, this does open up an entirely new world of security issues and weaknesses. The same applies for using NFC for financial transactions.
However, other NFC tech applications are also starting to pop out and while no mobile phones are already equipped with the technology, a sufficient demand is certain to push its development.
Hotels are among the first industries interested in using NFC. With many accommodations switching from the use of keys to magnetic cards, the shift to NFC would not be so far away. The Clarion Hotel in Stockholm is already testing out the technology, and if all goes well, we can pretty much be certain that the technology will start spreading out.
Of course, these are not the only possible applications of NFC, other services such as baggage check-ins or parking lot rentals will certainly see use for the technology, the same goes for turnstiles for public transportation and other micro-transactions.
The big worry here will still be the availability of a power supply –it would be bad to be locked out of a hotel room for having no battery, as well as the need to never lose or accidentally damage one’s mobile device (which unfortunately happens often enough to be an issue most phone users).
Tags: Apple, near-field-communications, NFC