IDEA


Originally the NFC was developed as short range (1 to 20 cm) radio access for payment of small amounts for paying bus tickets, parking and so on. Technically it’s some special chip in mobile phone and transaction terminal (something like electronic radio control door look).


There are still a lot of discussions about role dividing of banks and mobile operators, yet in some countries NFC is already in commercial use. General idea is clear – operators have more pre-paid money on their accounts. There are other benefits also, like being more competitive or popularization of electronic payments in general.


But let’s try to think – how else can we use NFC that operators or service/content providers can earn more money. Some ideas see below:


MARKETING


Secure payment – this is the marketing point for promotion and development of NFC technology. At now days we have a lot of buzz related to un-safety of credit card usage for internet payments. People want to pay but afraid. If remove this “afraid” then even not too much advertisement is necessary as most of the people are ready to use internet and others internet like payments. And there is the good thing for operators that they have not only traffic, as in case with credit cards, but part of money amount and transactions too!


The only thing is necessary is that operators start lead such development. If banks will do so or some federal agency (for public transport, for example) then all the case mentioned above will be impossible to do. If operators do not take part in it then NFC development goes slowly, goes not in the exactly preferable direction and in result there is just small commission from those who had leading development.


Meantime, whether solution development should be lead by operators, but the exact components and even ready systems can be developed and produced by IT/Telecom vendors. To drive an idea is not mean something strange like operators become a factory for production of telecom equipment. To drive an idea is to form the market completely for your telecom business. You forming what producers produce, what subscribers use and you are main in roles distribution for other parties in business. Good example is DoCoMo network.