New era of interactive signs and posters dawns with NFC phones set to exceed 500 million by 2014
New research indicates that at least 285 million NFC-enabled mobile and consumer electronics devices will ship in 2013 and that number will increase to over 500 million in 2014. Signbox predicts that this will herald a new era of truly interactive signs and will lead to a sea change in the way consumers access, retrieve and share content.
25 April 2013 – It’s been widely recognised for some time that using an NFC enabled smartphone will make accessing new media and content not just truly interactive but much more intuitive; make it easier to pay for things; easier to discover and share information and much easier to use public transport. The only thing that has held NFC technology back is ‘critical mass’ – the number of NFC enabled smart phones in use.
But now things really are changing with mobile manufacturers driving the push for NFC. A new report by ABI Research shows that the number of NFC-enabled devices hitting the market will greatly increase by 2014. This latest research indicates that at least 285 million NFC-enabled mobile and consumer electronics devices will ship in 2013 and that number will increase to over 500 million in 2014.
Mark Bartlett, Managing Director of Signbox who have pioneered the use of NFC technology in the UK, comments, “We can now say with confidence there is no turning back – a new era where people use their phones in a different way is upon us and not simply guided by NFC driven mobile payments.
“In reality the NFC market is shifting from payment applications and it’s estimated that by 2016 70% of NFC tag shipments will end up being used in marketing and promotional applications. One of the biggest trends will see the transformation of static signs and posters into truly interactive experiences via consumers’ smartphones."
This development has coined a new term – proximity marketing – with NFC signs, smartposters and smart stickers at the forefront of these opportunities. No longer will these be inanimate displays but interactive media that communicate with an NFC enabled smartphone.
NFC chips embedded in signs and posters can be pre-programmed with a range of data or information that will transfer instantly to an NFC enabled smartphone with a simple fast “tap” of the sticker. So when the user taps the poster a browser opens up with a video, coupon, list of stores, directions to nearest store, special offer or whatever promotional offer a campaign manager chooses to deploy.
As a phone can read an NFC tag through glass or acrylic any business can stay ‘open’ 24-7, allowing consumers to download product information, a restaurant menu, voucher relating to a shop window display, call a cab, retrieve details of a property and so on – any time of the day or night.
Bartlett concludes, “When you think about it you’re connecting chips; chips embedded in devices. It’s this simplicity and ease of connectivity that makes NFC the technology that will make people wonder, in years to come, how they ever lived without it. No services to sign up to; no pins or passwords to enter and no apps to download. Just tap, connect, receive and share information, offline and online: when a smartphone becomes an NFC reader the possibilities really are endless.”
For more information visit: www.smartposter.co
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Issued on behalf of Signbox Limited by Next Step Marketing Ltd
Media enquiries to: Heather Lambert
Tel: 44 (0)1256 472020
Fax: 44 (0)1256 471010
Email: heather@nextstepmarketing.co.uk
About Signbox
Drawing on architectural and engineering experience, Signbox develops high quality, sustainable and fully compliant signs and displays for the built environment. Signbox is an innovative company creating future-proof products for a wide range of market sectors, including corporate, education, healthcare, retail, hotel and leisure. As a single-point resource Signbox offers consultancy, signage strategy, design, manufacture, project management and installation.
Signbox's vision is to enable static signs, using NFC technology, to provide a host of interactive experiences via consumers' smartphones.
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