As the number of mobile payment users grows to over 375 million in 2015, the demand for devices with near field communications (NFC), the underlying communications technology behind many mobile payment solutions, is expected to grow as well. New research from In-Stat forecasts that adoption of this technology will push global annual shipments of NFC chips to over 1.2 billion by 2015.
NFC is a set of technologies that supports communications between two devices in close proximity to each other. An NFC link is quick to set up, enabling small amounts of data to be exchanged over short distances.
"As the costs of NFC chips decline, and NFC radios are combined with other chip functions, the cost to integrate NFC into handsets will be outweighed by the benefits," said Allen Nogee, research director. "The growth of combo chips will also allow NFC radios to piggyback on technology that already has significant penetration in the market. For example, Bluetooth radios, which currently have 100% market penetration, can be integrated with NFC radios, making the choice to include NFC easy for OEMs."
The research findings include:
- Today, the focus of the NFC market is shifting from payment applications that can be enabled by NFC, to marketing applications. With this focus shift, In-Stat expects retailers to begin pilot programs in the latter part of 2011 and into 2012 that incorporate smart posters into their signage and outdoor advertising strategies.
- NFC will reach 30% global penetration by 2015
- Global annual shipments of NFC chips will grow at a CAGR of 129% over the forecast period.
