What You Need to Know about Location Marketing Tech - #2: NFC

At first, I didn't think much of NFC (Near Field Communications). What use is there to communicating over the vast distance of a few inches? 

I dismissed the technology.

OK, so I goofed! 

It happens.

NFC is a protocol where an enabled device, like a smartphone, gets a message from a tag. It then does something with it. That something could be pretty much anything.

Let's get the Tech-Talk out of the way

ISO/IEC 14443 standardized NFC so interoperability is taken care of. That same standard defines those no-touch access key cards and RFID tags. RFID is further defined under  ISO 18000-3, a standard that NFC is also compliant with.

I think of NFC as RFID on steroids

Look, Ma, No Batteries!

Passive NFC  does not need a power source. Your phone, the reader, uses magnetic induction to create  a small magnetic field. Bring the phone close to the NFC tag (+/- 20cm, 6") and the field connects the two devices.

There's no need to pair devices. Your phone just reads the tag and acts on whatever it says.

NFC works in the same 13.56MHz frequency as RFID and uses 15 milliamps of power. It takes its power from the connection. No batteries needed for passive NFC!

NFC payload can be about 512k. Transmission speed is fast enough to make it seem instantaneous. 

Is this a location-aware technology?

From the technical view, no. NFC tags don't bother with where you are. But, they have a short range. You are within six inches of the tag.

This makes them the most accurate measurement of location. 

If you need to, you can always encode location in the payload.

That's nice. What can it do for me?

The short answer is pretty much anything. I have a tag in my car that makes sure my Bluetooth is on then starts my In-Car app.

I know people who have tags on their nightstands to kill the volume on their cell phones so they can sleep. Another tag puts their phones back to normal.

That might be going too far.

It would be nice to have tags in airports. A "tap to turn on Airplane mode" as we board. A "tap to turn off airplane mode" when we get off. 

We can do the same thing for hospitals.

I often use NFC to "Tap to Connect" to Wi-Fi. In one case, a restaurant embedded the tags in the menus. Tags are tiny.

The most often described use is for interactive movie posters. Tap the poster, see the movie's trailer, buy tickets. You can even pre-order your popcorn.

Museum exhibits are also mentioned often. Tap to see detailed web content. NFC tags are cheaper than beacons. Heck, they're cheaper than dirt.

Their range is much smaller, though.

Some books are now fitted with NFC tags. Tap the book and go to a website. Once there, you can read an excerpt, see the writer's bio, or whatever else the tag's owner wants to show you.

Did I mention that NFC tags are cheaper than dirt?

I can see manufacturers adding NFC tags to in-store displays. Tap a tag and see the product in use, right on your phone.

Why not include NFC tags in packaging? They can send us to YouTube assembly videos. Are you reading this Ikea?

How about a "Tap to Check-in?" Originally, I thought of this for a Facebook check-in. Tap the tag and populate a Facebook like and check-in.

A hotel check-in/check-out is not out of the realm of possibility. I've never done it, but it should be possible. 

NFC works on the same protocol as access cards. I always forgot mine. I never forgot my phone. Why not make my phone my card?

More uses

Your phone can both read a tag and transmit as if it were a tag. There are plenty of NFC file transfer apps. It's even possible to tap phones and exchange contact info.

I haven't used this functionality. The more I think about it the more ideas pop into my tired old head.

A Word or Three on Security

You would think that the short range communication would be safe. You would notice someone six inches away, right? Probably. 

What your phone does with the information is not the same thing.

It can be eavesdropped on. It's not all that easy, but it is a risk. I wouldn't send unencrypted credit card data for example. But...

Mobile payment is the next frontier for NFC so many people are working on this issue.

Tag Hijacking

Hijacking involves changing the message sent by a tag. That's not a nice thing to do. A re-writable tag can be overwritten with a simple phone app. 

You will be none the wiser.

Tags can be set as read-only. That's the way to go. Again, NFC tags are cheaper than dirt. There is no logic to making them reusable when it opens you up to hijacking. 

If ever you want to change the message, change the tags. Better yet, have them point to web content and change the content. Offer free Wi-Fi if you do this.

An Example of Hijacking

Imagine this fictional scenario: 

Mattel rolls out a new Engineer Barbie. They promote it via in-store displays. These feature one or more NFC-driven interactions that promote women in technology.

It's a huge hit!

Little girls no longer want to be princesses. They want to be software developers, scientists, and engineers! 

Mattel even keeps the tags re-definable. That way they can say they are "recycled and recyclable." 

Everything is hunky-dory! Everyone applauds Mattel!  And then...

Along comes an equally fictitious Tech-Savvy Arse:  

This person is either malicious or just has a warped sense of humor. Either way, he's an arse.

He changes the Tags' payload to point to a porn site, and not a soft type of site either. He points it to a raunchy kinky-fetish type of site.

Not worth the risk. Keep NFC tags read-only!

Wrapping it up

This is not a comprehensive treatment of the subject matter. That would take a book. In fact, there are many. If you want more detail, check out NearFieldCommunication.org

NFC fixes issues that nothing else can. It also opens the door to ideas that can be easily and cheaply implemented.

If you neglected or dismissed NFC as I did, take another look. It's a valid addition to your marketing efforts.

Next Up:  Beacon Technology and the Physical Web

Previous post in this series: What You Need to Know about Location Marketing Tech - #1: GPS

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