As Microsoft Windows 8 is just around the corner, the company’s vision for the future of computing is coming into focus, and it could have a major impact on your local near field communication company. Today, near field communication NFC technology is trying bravely to make the world more interactive and create personalized brand experiences through Quick Response codes and other measures. It’s also on the cutting edge of online payment technology that could replace your real wallet with a virtual alternative.
But there’s one element still missing: Widespread market acceptance.
As anyone who has worked in the tech sector knows, Microsoft has always positioned itself as the company that builds and focuses on accessible technology. While Microsoft hardware is great for technophiles, Microsoft software is intended to work for the broad swath of consumers who don’t consider themselves especially tech friendly. Even in these times, when rival Apple has the highest level of OS penetration yet, Microsoft’s brand identity isn’t diluted; it’s been getting stronger as Windows gets more stable.
That makes Windows 8 a curious move on Microsoft’s part. At first, it might look like the desktop computer is being made functionally similar to a smartphone. But you have to look at the underlying, changing demographics: These days, there are multiple mobile devices per consumer. Millions of consumers have begun to use their mobile device as their main source of ‘net connectivity, although it’s not clear what will happen in this area as companies roll back unlimited data plans. Things look different now.
A Vision for the Future of Near Field Communication NFC Technology
Despite what some early adopters might say, it seems unlikely that the desktop computer is going away any time soon. On the contrary, people will always need a “full sized” computer experience; mobile devices are limited in the kind of hardware they can possibly implement, solely because of the size of their constituent parts. It might be years before a future mobile device packs the power of a modern desktop into a smaller space.
So, what relationship does Windows 8 propose between the desktop and mobile devices? What does it mean for users of near field communication services, including marketers? The desktop will increasingly serve as a “mothership” around which a constellation of mobile devices will orbit. The mobile enabled family will find it easier than ever to notice, collect, and collate location-based offers, “beaming” them between devices.
Right now, Quick Response codes are very geographically bounded. This is part of their charm and one reason they work so well when they’re used properly. But with Windows 8 extending the interactivity between a user’s entire set of devices, the ideal of the Personal Area Network may be coming to life. That means the way a QR code is “sited” physically might become less important as mobile devices can ferret them out for you.
A World of Infinite Choices: Is This Where Windows 8 is Leading NFC?
Imagine being able to step outside, walk down a street full of restaurants or stores and “collect” the special offers in your cell phone as you go by. Perhaps these offers will expire within a defined time, encouraging you to visit a business right away; perhaps you will be able to keep them in a virtual “scrapbook” for a while, but they will only be accessible to you because you were in the right geographic location at the right time.
With the power of distributed computing combined with mobile-friendly networks, you may be able to make purchases faster than ever, get deliveries done or have downloads initiated right away, and even handle all your purchases through a virtual wallet network that will make it unnecessary to carry cash or credit cards. Although Windows 8 is only a small step in this direction, it portends an enterprise focus on the mobile world — and that world will ultimately create greater interactive opportunities with NFC.