NFC, or Near Field Communication, is a technology that allows contactless data transfer between devices over short distances. It has many applications, including mobile payments, hotel room keys, and Disney's MagicBands. While not widely used currently, NFC adoption is growing and several services are taking advantage of it. NFC will streamline operations for businesses in hospitality and other industries by speeding up payments and allowing for more customer interaction. It may eventually replace credit cards for mobile payments and improve marketing through more personalized experiences. Overall, NFC will enhance the quality and speed of service across various industries like hospitality.

1. NFC: Near Field Communication Technology
Nathan Weisenbeck and Erin Wendorf
Mobile payments today are somewhat of a hassle. You have various coupons and/or gift cards
stored on your phone and it can be such a struggle to make scanners recognize the QR codes used to
identify them. A new method of handling these transactions called NFC is on the rise that will help make
it much less of a hassle and save time. NFC (Near Field Communication) is a technology most prominent
in smartphones that allows the transfer of data between devices over a short distance. This makes it
perfect for mobile transactions, but its capabilities have gone far beyond just that.
While not many devices are outfitted with NFC currently, it is definitely catching on to the point
of several services already being offered taking advantage of it. Hotels are using it for those with NFC
devices to access to their rooms, Google is offering a mobile wallet service, and NFC Tags are available
to have your phone perform tasks when held close. There are many areas in which this technology can
be applied that can be used to streamline operations in not only a business, but in one’s personal life as
well.
VingCard, a company that provides electronic locks for hotels, has recently offered a new option
for hotels to allow their guests to use their phones as their hotel keys. It allows the guest to skip
checking in almost entirely. Walt Disney world has created the MyMagic+ experience for its guests. They
have created the MagicBand which is a NFC enabled wrist band that serves as room key, theme park
ticket, FastPass, optional payment account, etc. It is securely encoded with personal identification for a
more personalized interaction with Disney Employees.
Lindsey Smith, a manager at the Eau Claire Buffalo Wild Wings, had some great insights to NFC.
While there are not any Buffalo Wild Wings locations using this technology as of yet, she thought that
this technology has great potential, especially in the hospitality industry. It can help streamline the
operations of a restaurant to make employee and customer experiences better in such that payments
can be handled at the table. That would allow for a quicker payment experience, but also allows the
employee to interact with the customer more.
NFC will make many changes in hospitality and business overall. It will make mobile
payments a lot easier in which it may even replace the credit card eventually. It will also make marketing
an enjoyable and more personal experience for customers. Overall, it will improve the quality and speed
of service in the hospitality industry. Related to class, NFC could be considered a Marketing Information
System. NFC collects the user’s information to keep track of their purchasing records. Also, businesses
can start connecting NFC technologies to the consumer’s pattern of living – activities, social events,
interests, political & social issues – in order to successfully know their target market. Smart posters can
be used as an advertising plan, using direct marketing for some businesses, and NFC can be used as a
communication device to share photos, videos or any other business transactions. In order to maintain
a competitive advantage, businesses need to start using NFC ASAP. The faster they grasp it, the more
popular it will become in order to stay ahead of competitors. It will be extremely hard for a competitor
to surpass the characteristics.