Near-Field Communication and the Contactless Communication API

Near-field Communication (NFC) is characterized as a very short-range radio communication technology with a lot of potential, especially when applied to mobile handsets. Usages of NFC include the electronic wallet to make payments using your handset, the same way you do with your credit card. With NFC all this is possible. But NFC is still a young technology. That said, NFC-enabled handsets are being introduced into the market, and deployments and pilots around the world are occurring. This article explores NFC and how you can leverage it in your Java application by using the Contactless Communications API.

Introduction to NFC Technology

What exactly is NFC technology? NFC is a radio communication standard that enables wireless data transfer between two devices at a very short distance -- less than 10 centimeters. NFC devices include a certain class of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags and contactless smart cards. NFC devices operate within the 13.56 MHz frequency range, and they support extremely low data rates -- a maximum of 0.42 Mb per second.

Compared to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, NFC technology operates at drastically reduced transfer rates and only within a very small proximity. If that's the case, why use NFC technology? Here are three reasons:

• Setup time. NFC devices communicate instantly -- in less than 100 milliseconds -- when placed within range.
• Power consumption. NFC tags and cards do not consume power, so their lifespan can be unlimited.
• Cost. NFC tags and cards are inexpensive to manufacture compared to other wireless technologies.

NFC technology has easily met the need for certain use cases in the industry, such as the following:

• Wireless payments. Traditional smart cards have been used for cashless payments for years. The short setup time for NFC devices allows mobile payments to be even easier.
• Smart magazines and posters. Want to get more information about something you read in a magazine or see on a poster on the street? Just tap the page to get more information, or get the URL to store the bookmark for later use.
• Transit tickets. When used in scenarios for mass transit, NFC-enabled phones are simple and convenient.
• Business-card exchange. Because setup times for communication between NFC devices are very short, NFC devices are ideal for business-card exchanges.

Reference :www.java.sun.com