Tag: NFC chip

NXP Semiconductors takes a swing at NFC technology

| November 6, 2012

 

NFC technology set for boost as new chips become available

NFC technology is becoming mNFC technologyore popular as more consumers get their hands on smart phones and other high-tech devices. The technology has helped establish mobile commerce, but it has also seen extensive use in advertising. Indeed, the technology is beginning to gain more attention for its uses beyond the mobile payment space, and integrated circuit manufacturer NXP Semiconductors is keen to ensure that businesses can make use of NFC technology in an efficient way.

New NFC chips could be a major boon to businesses

NXP Semiconductors has developed a new series of NFC chips that are meant to make serialization much simpler. These chips provide businesses with a URL “mirror,” which allows them to keep track of which NFC tags are actually being used and in what way. These NFC tags are typically to be used in advertising and information distribution. Being able to track the performance of these tags could be a major boon for companies that are looking to tune their engagement with mobile consumers.

Four new chips designed to meet the needs of businesses

The new NFC chips come in four varieties, all part of the NTAG21x chip family. These chips have varying features that are meant to appeal to different sectors of business. The NFC chips with low memory — NTAG210 — are meant to be affordable and appeal to companies that want to reach a large number of consumers in an efficient manner. Other chips are better suited to provide consumers with some type of service, such as remote access to a computer network. These NFC chips are currently only available as samples, but NXP Semiconductors has plans to deliver the chips to NFC manufacturers by the end of this year.

NFC technology gains momentum beyond mobile commerce

NFC technology is gaining momentum outside of mobile payments. If the technology can continue to prove popular amongst consumers, businesses are likely to continue showing interest in making use of the technology. For now, NFC technology is seeing the most use in the mobile commerce industry, where the technology enables smart phones and other mobile devices to make purchases for goods and services.

Square to bring Mobile Card Reader to Canada

| October 27, 2012

 

Mobile Card Reader to expand beyond US

Square, a maker of mobile commerce products, has announced that its Mobile Card Reader will soon be available in Canada. The move aims to engage the growing number of consumers in the country that are showing interest in mobile commerce. The Mobile Card Reader will allow both businesses and consumers to make transactions directly from a smart phone or tablet. This is a physical product, which is available for free, that can be used on both the Android and iOS platforms.

Mobile commerce growing quickly in Canada

Mobile commerce is growing in popularity largely due to the concept that it is more convenient than traditional forms of commerce. Using a smart phone, consumers can pay for goods and services with a simple gesture. For some, this is considered an innovative way to pay for things. For others, it is just another way to make purchases. Whatever the reaction from consumers is, their interest in mobile commerce is growing, as is the demand for platforms that will allow them to make purchases using their mobiles devices.

Device accounts for $8 billion in transactions each yearSquare Mobile Card Reader

Though the Mobile Card Reader is free, Square is still able to make a profit off the platform. The company charges a 2.75% fee each time a transaction is made using the platform. According to Square, the platform facilitates more than $8 billion transactions every year. Considering that Square has only operated in the U.S., until very recently, the platform has proven itself to be quite successful. Bringing the Mobile Card Reader into the Canadian market will be Square’s first time expanding beyond the U.S.

Device allows smart phones to become mobile payment platform without native NFC technology

The progress and adoption of mobile commerce is being heavily delayed by the availability of NFC-enabled mobile devices. The low supply of these devices means that consumer engagement in mobile commerce is limited. The Mobile Card Reader solves this problem by being equipped with its own NFC chip, allowing any smart phone or tablet to become a viable mobile payment platform.