NFC-enabled devices to pass half a billion in 2014

Contactless technology is now 'at the point of no return'.
ABI Research reckons the installed base of NFC-enabled devices will pass 500 million in 2014, rising on the 285m mobile and consumer electronics gadgets to ship this year.
The rise is attributed to OEMs continuing to implement the contactless solution into their new handsets, while operators are said to be dragging their heels and slowing down the process with a lack of support.
John Devlin, practice director, ABI, said: "NFC has reached the point of no return. It all hinged on handsets; and next year we will see half-a-billion devices in the hands of consumers as it becomes more widely integrated.
"Up until this point banks and other service partners were holding back from committing to MNOs and it has always surprised me that they did not drive this forward themselves and invest to take charge of this market's potential.
"Put simply the OEMs have innovated and made use of the simple abilities that NFC offers to increase interaction of people, devices, and their immediate environment. This is not just in mobile; tablets, PCs and peripherals, speaker docks, televisions, cameras, gaming and domestic appliances are all increasingly incorporating NFC."

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...in-2014/020968