Although the advantages of mobile barcodes may seem all too obvious, the proponents of near field communication, or “NFC,” argue that it is a superior technology in many aspects. Admittedly, under certain circumstances, NFC has a definite advantage but barcodes are more flexible and are rapidly becoming the better-established technology.

 

NFC's supporters normally argue something along these lines: NFC technology is simplicity itself. All the consumer will need to know is that the capability is embedded inside their mobile phone. Then, all they need to do is touch it to a supporting reader. That requires almost no technical know-how at all. People simply can't fail to understand how NFC works.

It sounds like a compelling argument but then text/SMS has become almost universal. Despite SMS's complex input methods, it has triumphed over its supposed complexity. In effect, people will always learn how to use a “must-have technology.” Plus barcodes themselves are universally understood. Who hasn't experience barcode scanning at a supermarket checkout?

 

The principal challenge is getting people accustomed to using their handset as a barcode scanner. Many don't even appreciate that the facility is already built into the mobile phone in their hands. For the rest, it is simply a matter of providing compelling applications that provide the necessary incentive to download a suitable piece of scanning software or discover how to use the scanner inside their phones.

 

The huge advantage that mobile barcodes enjoy is that a scanning capability can be retro-fitted into millions – possibly billions – of existing handsets – even low-end and entry-level devices. By contrast, it is virtually impossible to retro-fit an NFC capability into a handset. So even if NFC does become as universal as Bluetooth – and there's no guarantee that it ever will – it will be years before NFC has anything like the potential audience that barcodes presently enjoy.

 

 

NFC is an “open” standard that builds on existing RFID technology. Hence it's an extremely close cousin of the Oyster card which is used by Britain's London Transport as a form of cashless payment. The aim is to build NFC into handsets in order to trigger an associated action – a payment. Its proponents argue that NFC will become a built-in facility as universal as Bluetooth is today.

 

The advantage with a barcode is that the most existing camera phones, those will a resolution of 1.3 megapixels or above, are perfectly capable of reading them. The good news is that many leading camera phone vendors – Nokia (News - Alert) in particular – have been shipping mobile phones with barcode scanner applications already built in.

For those handsets which don't come with a barcode scanner - and for specialist barcode applications – it is relatively easy to download a compatible scanning program. The correct address for downloading an appropriate scanning program can be sent to a handset embedded into a text message. As long as the handset is mobile internet/WAP enabled, it's easy to obtain the software by clicking on the link.