The Future is tappable

How Contactless Technology is Transforming Everyday Tasks Outside of Mobile Payments

NFC – near field communication – is what’s behind contactless and mobile payments. You tap, you pay, all done. It’s starting to become one of those things that we wonder what we ever did without.

But NFC has many more talents than just making paying for things easier. In fact, it is starting to revolutionise a whole host of things, both in our personal lives, and in a business sense.

NFC Access

Physical access systems in buildings are already using NFC technology to grant entry to pre-approved visitors. Tapping your way in with an enabled device is the admissionmethod of choice for numerous organisations, and is also used widely in the hotel industry. It’s a security solution that controls who gets into where, whether that’s thefront door of a building, its store cupboards, its parking spaces or its cafeteria.

Basically anywhere you can put an NFC chip you can establish a smart-tap access point and set permissions as to who can get in.

NFC and Local Public Services

In San Francisco, tap to park has been in use for a number of years. And in Sydney, visitors can tap to tour landmarks like The Rocks, learning as they go via useful insightsthat the NFC chip sends to their devices. There really is no limit to what this technology can provide the public with access to: leisure centres; libraries; museums;events; transport; you name it, it can be tapped for access and useful information.

NFC and Shopping

Forrester reported a few years back that NFC will benefit the retail sector in numerous innovative ways. Here’s what they said:

"NFC tags placed on product shelves will enable consumers to access more personalized information about products when scanning them with an app that integrates their personal profile; for example, if you're allergic to nuts, the product scan could automatically detect if the product contained nuts and alert you...Tap-for-information,tap-to-add-to-basket, tap-for-coupons, and other new usage scenarios will have an increasing impact on the retail industry."

And why not? Like I said, anywhere you can put a chip…

NFC and Marketing

This is probably where the possibilities could start to blow your mind if you’re in any way involved in marketing. To sum up without going into too much detail,it’s all about merging virtual with reality. So for example, tap and scan flyers, adverts, billboards or posters for all the information you could everpossibly need to make a buying decision. Tap and check-in automatically on your social networks as you enter an event, a place of interest or a shop.

There’s an amusement park in Belgium that allows visitors to scan NFC-enabled bracelets to auto-send updates and likes to their Facebook pages, then rewards frequent usersbased on their check-in volumes. Tap-able drinks coasters are also used in bars, opening up advertising opportunities for businesses looking to target patrons.

So, endless possibilities for retail, marketing, local services and security. But wait… there’s more. Here’s how the tech bods at maxxpal have harnessed NFCtechnology and transformed it into a range of tools that businesses are already saying they can’t do without… just like contactless payments.

Tap to Discover

If you’ve ever stood in front of something wishing it could tell you how to work it, your wish is about to come true. Using NFC technology, we’ve created a platform that letsyou tap and scan absolutely anything and find out all you need to know about it. Whether it’s how to get your preferred type of coffee out of the machine, where the sparecartridges are stored for the printer or how to adjust the brightness on your monitor, there is no limit to what you can find out with a quick tap. We’ve calledit InfoPoint and it can be used in any environment and across any industry.

Tap to Manage

There’s no doubting the benefits of a digital asset register over a paper based one. But how about taking asset management a step further with a tap-able inventory? Imagine,instead of fumbling about looking for an item’s serial number, model number, etc., you just take out your smartphone, scan the item, and there appears all you need to know aboutit, including how to make a warranty claim or when its next safety inspection is due. It’s called AssetPoint, and we believe it’s the future for asset management.

Tap to Track

Keeping track of field workers or lone or vulnerable staff is naturally a priority for employers in terms of security. Plus there’s the issue of making sure contract personnel are where they are supposed to be at any given time. In response to challenges posed by our clients, we’ve developed a platform called LocationPoint. It’s ideal for contract businesses that need to prove operatives were on site at agreed times. It’s also a massive sigh of relief for employers of lone workers. Staff simply tap their phones at dedicated check-in points, and the NFC technology relays their whereabouts back to the supervisor. One of our clients uses LocationPoint to allocate new cleaning assignments to the nearest available operative, and it’s already saved them a fortune.

Tap to Sign-in

Have you seen a paper-based visitor book lately? If you have, it shouldn’t have been there because under GDPR, physical books are outlawed. Visitor sign-in systems now have to be digital, which can be as simple as a receptionist checking you in on a PC. But what if the whole visitor experience was brought into the 21st century? That’s what we had in mind when we developed VisitorPoint. It’s a next generation digital sign-in system that allows visitors to sign in with a tap and scan using their smartphones. But that’s not all… the tap action sends useful information to their phone screens, such as directions to the meeting. Plus it notifies the host that their guest has arrived. Great for unmanned receptions, and even better for your modern business profile.

Tap to Audit

Is the meeting room stocked and ready? Is reception clean and clear of hazards? Is the kitchen area free from spillages? Instead of auditing then relaying your needs by email or in person, why not do it with a tap-and-scan instead? We’ve developed a platform that allows you to scan discreetly located chips in absolutely any location to see a list of requirements for that specific place. Simply verify what’s missing and what needs cleaning, etc. and the system automatically alerts the relevant personnel to do their thing to make it right.

Tap to Find out More!

All of the X Cloud tech: InfoPoint, AssetPoint, LocationPoint, VisitorPoint and AuditPoint are all now features of Ban.gl