It has a forum, NFC Forum, and it is becoming very important. Google adopted it for its Google Wallet – an Android based mobile payment system.
Google is a principal member of this forum:
Google has joined the NFC Forum as one of the principal members. This member list includes some top companies in the mobile world such as Motorola, AT&T, LG and others. Intel recently just raised their level to the same Principal Level that Google and the others are at. This comes right after Google partners with Mastercard and Citigroup for NFC payments.
So what is NFC? This is what Wikipedia has on this entry
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Near field communication, or NFC, is a set of short-range wireless technologies, typically requiring a distance of 4 cm or less. NFC operates at 13.56 MHz and at rates ranging from 106 kbit/s to 848 kbit/s. NFC always involves an initiator and a target; the initiator actively generates an RF field that can power a passive target. This enables NFC targets to take very simple form factors such as tags, stickers, key fobs, or cards that do not require batteries. NFC peer-to-peer communication is of course possible, where both devices are powered. According to the NFC Forum, the three main uses of NFC currently are “sharing, pairing, and transaction.” Global companies are interested in NFC’s ability to provide pervasive marketing, simplify processes, and facilitate contactless payment for goods.
So when is NFC coming into the Nigerian developer circle? This is actually the tool that will reinvent the whole model of supermarket operation in the nation. What Good has done in Google Wallet is the next phase of mobile payment. The first company that begins that integration could see major buy-in from foreign companies. Google enough, Android has a very deep documentation on how to code for NFC. Yet, you still need the NFC chips like the ones supplied by NXP to develop and create physical products on this technology.