The NFC Forum, the leading standards body for Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, has recently revealed its comprehensive Technology Roadmap, providing insights into the future of NFC technology and its anticipated developments.
This roadmap, spanning the next two to five years, outlines key initiatives that will shape the direction of NFC, presenting exciting opportunities for product development, markets, and businesses.
NFC Forum’s Technology Roadmap
- Increased Power for NFC Wireless Charging: The NFC Forum aims to enhance the current NFC Wireless Charging specification, increasing the power capabilities from 1 watt to 3 watts. This advancement will enable wireless power and charging in smaller form factors, disrupting industrial design and opening up new markets.
- Increased Range: The NFC Forum is examining ways to extend the operating range of NFC connections, aiming for distances four to six times greater than the current 5mm limit. Even a modest increase in range will facilitate faster and easier contactless transactions, enhance user experience, and reduce the need for precise antenna alignment.
- Multiple Purpose Tap: This feature aims to improve the contactless user experience by enabling several actions with a single tap. From point-to-point receipt delivery to loyalty identification and total-journey ticketing, this innovation will enhance convenience and efficiency.
- Modernizing Device-to-Device Communication: The NFC Forum is working towards empowering NFC-enabled smartphones with Point-of-Sale functionality, known as SoftPOS. This advancement will enable businesses and individuals to accept payments anywhere, expanding the reach of NFC technology.
- Expanding NFC’s Data Sharing Capabilities for Sustainability: To meet evolving consumer demands and regulatory requirements, the NFC Forum aims to enable NFC to share data on product composition and recycling options. This enhancement will contribute to a healthier circulatory economy and support sustainability goals.
The NFC Forum’s Technology Roadmap was developed through collaboration with its members, liaison partners, and stakeholders from various industries. By sharing the roadmap publicly, the Forum aims to generate awareness and interest in its important work.
While the timeframe for these initiatives spans two to five years, individual work items are currently at different stages of development, from research to market requirements and draft specifications.
The NFC Forum encourages all members to actively participate in these efforts. The organization will also collaborate with its 400 members and industry bodies to ensure complementarity with other initiatives.
Regarding the announcement, NFC Forum Executive Director Mike McCamon said,
The exponential growth of NFC technology is a testament to our members’ forward-thinking approach and unwavering dedication to innovation. Through our continuously evolving standards, business-line managers and product designers will be able to create new and exciting products and services that customers will love. As NFC technology becomes more prevalent in our daily lives, our planned features have the potential to significantly enhance the way we pay and receive payments; engage with our favorite brands; power our devices; and access sustainable products and services.