NFC: Security at Hand 2015 Update

NFC is known around the world as the enabling technology for easy payments, ticketing and access control.  It is quickly becoming a key part of the growth of the Internet of Things as well.  Qualcomm recently announced that it will include NXP’s NFC solution in the Snapdragon processor platform which powers mobile devices, wearables, and automotives.  A new Semico Research report, NFC:  Security at Hand 2015 Update, reports growth in these markets will fuel a 25.7% CAGR in NFC from 2014 to 2020.

"The smartphone market for NFC got a huge boost in 2014 with the introduction of the iPhone 6/6 Plus and Apple Pay," says Adrienne Downey, Director of Technology Research.  "Between that and the adoption of EMV payment standards, we should finally see adoption of NFC take off in the United States as it has already in the rest of the world.”

Key findings of the report include:

• Wearables will show the highest CAGR at 167% from 2014-2020. 
• Contactless smart cards make up over half of the NFC market at almost 1.8 billion units in 2015.
• Smartphones will grow to represent almost 37% of the market by 2020.

Semico Research's recent report, NFC:  Security at Hand 2015 Update, provides an overview of NFC and competing technologies, profiles on NFC chip manufacturers, and insight into the various applications NFC included in the forecast:

• Desktop, notebook and tablet PCs
• Video game and handheld consoles
• Other consumer (toys, headphones, headsets, and wireless speakers)
• Smartphones
• Wearables (Smart watches, medical)
• Routers
• ATMs and payment terminals
• Smart cards
• Vehicles and key fobs

Companies mentioned in this report include the following:  Activision, ams, Apple, Broadcom, CSR, Dialog Semiconductor, Disney, EM Microelectronic, EMVCo, Gentag, Hasbro, Infineon, INSIDE Secure, Intel, Keyssa, LEGO, Marvell, Maxim, Mediatek/Mstar, Nintendo, Nordic Semiconductor, NXP, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, Thinfilm, and Toshiba.