Happy New Year! As you wrapped up your holiday shopping and bought all the new gadgets for your loved ones last month, did you wonder at all what new and exciting technologies are in store for 2013?  I always do, but I also know that with a new year comes International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow.  And when I say large, I mean LARGE – last year there were more than 3,000 exhibitors.  We are lucky enough to be at CES in Las Vegas, exhibiting and exploring all of the new and innovative technologies first-hand.

Last year, Information Week dubbed NFC technology the “sleeper hit” of CES. And while the payment capabilities of NFC received the most buzz and press at the time, reporter Art Wittmann was sure to note “NFC can be used for a lot of things, and payment is just one of them.” It is these “other things” that are now drawing attention, so  I think this year’s CES show will be more about showcasing new products and applications for the non-payment uses of NFC.

Take for example the news of LG’s new TVs that are expected to be introduced at CES, drawing a lot of attention and excitement.  LG has equipped the TVs with NFC technology, implementing something it is calling “Tag On” technology.  With it, users will able to transfer content between a TV and other NFC-enabled devices, such as a smartphone or tablet, by just tapping them together.   This is a great example of a lot NFC-equipped devices we are expecting to see in 2013 that will be great for device pairing and sharing.

NFC can be used in other environments, too.  How about at a conference itself?  One of the greatest pains of being a frequent trade show attendee is booking conference rooms for private meetings.  Conference organizers can place NFC tags located in a centralized location so you can use your NFC-enabled device to quickly book any conference room for immediate or future use.  Easier for you and easier for conference organizers.  This is one of the new NFC applications we are demonstrating at CES.

The other takes advantage of the NFC capabilities manufactures are equipping in PCs. We all know how we are supposed to have strong, unique passwords for all of our online accounts, and how difficult it can be to remember all of them.  What we can do is securely store website login credentials into the UICC (also called a SIM card) within our NFC-equipped mobile device.  Then, you can simply tap your phone to the PC’s NFC reader and it will allow you to pull up those login IDs and passwords into your computer for use as you need.  This is another example of a really cool way to use NFC that shows that it’s not just for payments, after all.

Are you at CES this week? If so, come and say hello at our booth, LVCC, South Hall 2 – MP25369, MP25739, and tell us what other innovative NFC products and applications you have come across. We’re keen to hear which products and applications are taking NFC beyond payments and into new and innovative territories…