NFC Technology

Near Field communication is a close proximity communication technology which uses High Frequency radios – 13.56 Mhz. It is more evolutive than RFID because it allows for information exchange or interaction between two NFC peripheral devices. That technology is also used for the Internet Of Things (IOT).

Near Field Communication and smartphones

Until 2010, Near Field Communication (NFC) was mainly used on passive objects such as microchip enabled cards. With the rise of mobile phones and mobile technology, NFC has developed and now offers more interactivity, fluidity and security for users.

With NFC, a mobile phone can become a:

• rechargeable transport ticket
• means of payment, reducing small cash transactions
• access pass to the office
• car park ticket
• portfolio of loyalty cards
• receiver for vouchers
• Domotic Remote
• interactive tour guide
• …and many, many more

Thanks to their screen, keyboard and internet connection, smartphones have multiplied NFC applications, in particular for consumer brands. NFC enabled phones increase interactive opportunities, and give brands a new way to communicate with their clients.

NFC applications are endless for consumers and brands

How does Near Field Communication work?

NFC has three very different ways of working:

Peer to peer:
The quick exchange of information between two devices equipped with NFC.
Example: Photo transfer from a tablet to a smartphone.

Reading Mode:
NFC smartphones are capable of reading the data encoded in a NFC tag – an evolutive RFID label – to collect practical information, or lead to a call to action.

The NFC tag is more beneficial than the QR code because you don’t need to open an app to read it. Furthermore, the NFC tag is highly secure, whereas a QR code is easy to reproduce. NFC tags are, for example, widely used to fight counterfeiting.

Host Card Emulation:
Host Card Emulation (HCE) is the term describing on-device technology that allows a phone to perform card emulation on an NFC enabled device without relying on access to a secure element. This innovation opened an alternative path to contactless payments and other services that had no reliance on secure elements.

NFC label, tag or sticker: Paragon’s solution

Leading RFID labels manufacturer, Paragon Identification also specialise in NFC tags, in the form of labels, tickets or cards.