NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION

Brian MaassISLT 9410 Emerging Technologies

Slideshare version(No animations/photos)

What is Near Field Communication?

A technology related to RFID that allows wireless data transfer between devices, or between a device and a tag.

Embedded in Tags Laptops Phones

Embedded MicroSD add-on

Applications

Information links (like QR codes), Social media check-ins, Smart posters

Peer-to-peer transfers – photos, contact info, files

Applications Access – doors, computers, car ignitions,

Public transportation, event ticketing Quick set-up of other services – Wi-Fi or

Bluetooth pairing Mobile payments

Missouri State has selected an NFC system to replace magnetic strip cards for campus IDs

Technical parameters

13.56 MHz Low power. Operates at close proximity only

– up to 10 cm, but in practice averages 4 cm max

Can be read-only or read-write. One-way or two-way communication. Only one side of the connection needs to be

powered. Other side uses induction (like wireless charging)

Can store/exchange up to 1MB of data Tags currently run approximately $0.50 each

Why NFC in addition to RFID, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth?

Fast connection Simple to use Low power consumption

Shorter distance than RFID means more security Exchanges data in two directions (RFID is one

way) Compatible with some existing RFID tags

Faster set-up than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth Can be used to speed up their connection process

NFC vs. QR Codes

NFC Tags can hold up to 1MB of data

NFC can be passive or active – Allows two-way exchange of data

NFC tags can be embedded in anything (unobtrusive)

Active NFC currently limited to certain phones

QR codes hold 7,089 characters

QR codes are passive only – One-way data

QR codes are ugly/jarring

QR codes can currently be read by most phones, but user must open app and scan the code

Players in NFC

AGAINST Verifone (dominant maker

of point-of-sale hardware) Phones makers –

Samsung, Nokia, Blackberry, HTC

Google Wallet and Nexus ISIS – AT&T, Verizon, and

T-Mobile Visa/Mastercard Bank of America/Citibank Gaming – Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja

Objecs – NFC gravestones

PayPal/eBay Square Retalix

UNDECIDED

Apple

FOR

NFC in Libraries

Library card replacement Payments Reservations One touch setup of Wi-Fi access Self checkout - http://youtu.be/2C_bvyqJVfU

Near term - Powered NFC checkout device – tap card, tap book, walk out

As more patrons have NFC phones – tap phone to book, walk out

NFC in Libraries

Information tags on books/media Bibliographic info Reviews Author info “You might also like”

Information tags on displays/signs “More info on this subject” tag Related books/materials in this library Instant e-book download from

poster/display

Concerns

Security and Privacy Concern about spoofing tags, snooping on

data exchange, activating tags at greater distances Can be Pin number protected Can be encrypted Can be shut down remotely Critical data can be kept on separate secure chip

in phone

MasterCard has said it is as secure as any credit/debit card.

Concerns

Digital divide We could still issue the NFC-enabled library

cards to provide much of this functionality to users without mobile phones

Mobile phones are becoming ubiquitous 6 billion phones in the world Some countries over 100% mobile phone

penetration

http://mobithinking.com/mobile-marketing-tools/latest-mobile-stats

More Information

nfc-forum.org NFCTimes.com NearFieldCommunicationWorld.com

http://www.google.com/wallet/ http://www.paywithisis.com

References Ayre, L.B. (2012). Moving your RFID system to the new US data

profile. Library Technology Reports, 48(5), 27-35.

Becker, B. W. (2012). Get smart: Raising the intelligence of DIY library smart objects. Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, 31(1), 80-83.

Miraz, G.M., Ruiz, I.L., and Gómez -Nieto, M.Á. (2009). University of things: Applications of near field communication technology in university environments. The Journal of E-working, 3(1), 52-64.

McHugh, S. and Yarmey, K. (2012). Near field communication: Introduction and implications. Journal of Web Librarianship, 6(3), 186-207. Retrieved from Taylor & Francis Online database.

Rose, C. (2012). Close contact: An examination of the future of near field communications. International Journal of Management & Information Systems, 16(1), 95-100. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database.