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BlackBerrys in NFC drive
Makers of BlackBerry, RIM (Research In Motion) plan use a decade-old technology near-field communications (NFC) in a way to turn their smartphones in to wallets. RIM are not the only smartphone manufacturer with everyone from Nokia to Android developer Google planning to include NFC technology in future devices as they seek to replace cash and cards for everything from coffee to concert and transport ticket purchases.
NFC enables data to be exchanged wirelessly over distances of a few centimetres, meaning mobile phones can be used to pay for goods, store electronic tickets, download music and swap photos and business cards. However, NFC faces strong competition from banks, merchants, device makers and even wireless carriers all eager to dominate the market.
RIM will be leveraging its established role as smartphone of choice in offices and government buildings to gain physical access to those properties. Office workers often swipe a plastic card at a reader to gain access to their building or activate the lift. RIM and HID Global (produces of the plastic card readers) have joined to enable users of new versions of RIM's Bold and Curve smartphones to tap them against a reader to gain access to their workplace or other controlled areas.
Google is including the ability to make mobile payments in its Android operating system, the world's most popular smartphone software, while Nokia has said all of its phones will be NFC-enabled by the end of 2011
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