So it’s 2015, and by many predictions and forecasts this would be the precipice of NFC ubiquity. Of course Apple is still weighing in on this fate, but assuming Apple plays nice and allows NFC to be used for more than payments we’re certainly on that path. Just having NFC hardware shipped with iPhones is a huge step forward, and this is why 2015 will be the year of NFC for TapTrack and other NFC companies, just not for the everyday consumer just yet.
NFC is not yet as well known a feature to consumers as Bluetooth and WiFi so there is still a ways to go on the consumer education front, but the enterprise market is a different story. Now that the iPhone is NFC capable that is enough to persuade the early majority to begin implementing the NFC projects they hesitated pulling the trigger on in 2103⁄2014. The comfort of knowing that iPhones will likely be compatible has been enough for many to proceed knowing that NFC can deliver fast ROI and provide competitive advantage. We’ve even had clients that are afraid of accepting LinkedIn invitations as it could signal to competitors, so the market has certainly matured. None of my meetings or pitches start by explaining what NFC is, most enterprise customers are aware of and understand how to use NFC so now solution refinement rather than discovery is the core topic. Whether it’s cashless payments, BLE readers, asset management or anti-cloning tags the enterprise clients we have are educated and informed about the merits of NFC technology.
This why 2015 will be a transformative year for us and the NFC industry. The sales figures to date for 2015 clearly indicate market maturation and the arsenal of NFC tools at our disposal is ever expanding. BLE readers seem to be the flavour of the day as iOS app developers seek to add NFC features for existing projects. However things shake out, we’re excited to ride this wave until NFC is a technology that people use every day both at work and in their personal lives.
So far this year, the introduction of the new NTAG 213, 215 and 216 model tags has spiced things up. If more than 144 bytes of memory is required there are now more options than expensive Desfire or outdated Topaz tags with dubious compatibility. The NTAG 216 comes with 888 bytes of memory at only a marginal increase in price vs. the NTAG 203 model. The 32 bit password protection and NXP authenticity check offered in the 21x series also provides some level of anti-falsification without the need for expensive tags. These and other innovative new products continue to accelerate NFC adoption.
Mar 2, 2015