Critics may not approve of near-field communication as a mobile payment option, but the burgeoning technology is being groomed for success. Market intelligence group In-Stat predicts global NFC chip shipments will exceed 1 billion by 2015, bolstered by increased inclusion in smart phones and tablets.
The technology offers more than just simplifying movie ticket and coffee purchases. Companies can also adopt NFC for futuristic ad campaigns, explained In-Stat. By 2012, the group believes it will become more common in smart posters inside shopping malls and retail stores. Combined NFC chips will also prove attractive.
"As the costs of NFC chips decline, and NFC radios are combined with other chip functions, the cost to integrate NFC into handsets will be outweighed by the benefits," said Allen Nogee, In-Stat research rirector. "The growth of combo chips will also allow NFC radios to piggyback on technology that already has significant penetration in the market."
Nogee added that Bluetooth radios are an "easy choice" for hardware manufacturers looking toward adopting NFC, and will help grow the connection technology's global penetration to 30 percent in 2015.
A consumer survey conducted early this year found 63 percent of young adults were interested in the technology as a payment option. Support dropped by more than half among the 35-and-older crowd. Last year, New York City commuters took part in a Visa-backed NFC trial which let them wave their phones in front of an eReader to pay fares. (via In-Stat)
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