Technological Diffusion of Near Field Communication (NFC)

Abstract

Near Field Communication (NFC) is increasingly being employed in modern consumer devices and until now it has been used for mobile payments. However, on further investigation there are other areas where NFC has a key role. Recent developments in Medical and ticketing based NFC applications show promise for being the so called “Catalyst” for NFC's integration. The objective of this research was to determine if mobile payments will be the catalyst for a more widespread integration of NFC into society and how NFC technology will impact on everyday life. Research Methods comprised questionnaire and interviews to gain further insight into the current standing of NFC. The findings indicated that NFC will not mature enough to be classified as viral by 2016, especially with contactless payments as no decisions seem to have been made for any progression. It is that most likely outcome that NFC will mature enough at the very latest in 2018, with further development in the years to come for unique serialisation and the internet of things. Managerial implications for this research extend to the medical sector where large gains can be made in better patient care and remote diagnostics leading to a more efficient service.