NFC – Near Field Communications

Today’s marketing campaigns can be seen to be incomplete without the use of communication technologies that work in conjunction with smart phones. Smart phones have become part of everyone's life and the number of users in Australia is growing rapidly. Mobile manufacturing giants have already started manufacturing devices that are enabled with the newest communication technologies, including NFC and WiFi. The endless marketing opportunities rendered by these two technologies have made them popular in industries like finance, travel, FMCG, transportation and commerce. At Proximity Sky, we work alongside agencies to create successful marketing campaigns using NFC and WiFi technology.

NFC technology: What is NFC?

NFC stands for Near Field Communication. It is a wireless technology used in mobile phones to share electronic data where a connection is established through radio frequency with other NFC compatible devices. It enables two way communications with devices in close proximity of around four centimetres. Everything is possible by single touch with little or no additional set ups and downloads. Additionally, other requirements like providing passwords, pairing and waiting for other device to respond are also not required to make connection. NFC technology is flexible and compatible enough to get connected with any kind of NFC enabled device.

Technology behind NFC

Communication through NFC technology takes place between two devices i.e. an initiator device and target device. Communication is established through a radio frequency. When an initiator device is prompted to initiate communication, radio signals are produced which are then responded to by the target device. Radio signals rely on two components involved in NFC technology i.e. NFC tag/chip and NFC reader or writer. A NFC tag is a chip that incorporates relevant data with an antenna which enables NFC enabled devices, such as some mart phones, to read and write data. NFC usually works on two communication modes i.e. passive mode and active mode.

Benefits of using NFC

Simplified payments:

NFC enabled mobiles are working as virtual wallets and mobile payment systems for end users. The NFC enabled device can act as debit or credit card where a customer can shop and make payments without having to swipe credit cards or withdraw cash. The encrypted data of a credit card, smart card or debit card can enable end users make to payments for rail tickets, movie tickets and public transport tickets with every small or large money transaction being undertaken through using a NFC enabled device

Exchange of data:

NFC enabled mobiles can also be used to access data regarding travel schedules, maps, train timetables and even to get more information from smart posters. As a tourist, you can gain a lot out of NFC technology that is inbuilt in smart phones. All the information relating to travel can be easily referenced on the NFC enabled device. NFC technology can even be a great help for businesses looking to introduce new products or services in the market. This type of smart advertisement is built with a NFC tag that carries all the information about the product or service. Touching the NFC tag to an enabled device will drive the end user to a website containing further information.

Reliable, fast and cost effective:

NFC technology has made transactions more reliable because of its requirement of having close proximity between the two connected devices. In addition, data transfer is fast when compared to other communication technologies being used by smart phones. The passive mode of communication in NFC technology results in the consumption of energy from a single device instead of both the devices, which leads to a more economical mode of communication.

Wi-Fi Marketing: What is Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi, or Wireless Fidelity, marketing is another popular technology used today by businesses all over the world to promote their products and services. With an increasing number of smart phone users around the world, Wi-Fi technology is gaining momentum. Wi-Fi technology enables users to access websites, receive messages and access relevant data from any corner of world without any need to get connected through cables.

How does it work?

Wi-Fi works on radio waves and it is based on two way radio communication. Two devices are connected through an adapter and a router. The wireless adapter of one device interprets data into radio signal and broadcasts it which is then received by router. The router deciphers the data and sends it on. Access to Wi-Fi technology is governed by Wi-Fi hotspots. Hotspots are access points that cover certain regions where Wi-Fi can be accessed by the end user.

Benefits of using Wi-Fi technology

LAN without cables

The most prominent benefit of having Wi-Fi is that it completely eliminates the need to have cables to connect computers to the local area network. This actually reduces the costs and efforts that are incurred in developing networks run on cables. Wi-Fi technology can reach the most unreachable places.

Better speed

Wi-Fi networks offer better broadband speed of around 2 megabytes as compared to cabled networks.

Wi-Fi Marketing:

Numerous industries all over the world use Wi-Fi as one of the most approachable advertising technologies because it can cover a wide spectrum of audiences. Wi-Fi marketing campaigns are conducted using facilities like Short Message Service, mobile messaging and alpha-numeric messaging services. Emails are at times left unread but it doesn't happen with SMS. 94% of messages sent on mobiles are read and so the reach ability of Wi-Fi marketing over mobile phone can be much stronger than a traditional email campaign.

The increasingly growing market of Wi-Fi enabled mobiles and the increased number of applications developed to support different technologies over the mobile network have encouraged businesses to get more involved in mobile marketing. So now it’s time to get going and include NFC and Wi-Fi into your next advertising campaign. By working with Proximity Sky and its mobile marketing services, you can use NFC and Wi-Fi technology to promote your business – it will be promotion that actually works.