I have been very interested in hearing and seeing more from RIM with their NFC implementations. It was disappointing that the two new BlackBerry Torch models do not have NFC but all of the new models in the Bold and Curve lines have it. RIM has given us a bit of a taste of what NFC, which they are calling BlackBerry Tag, will mean to end users. First they told us about URL’s, then payments with MasterCard, and how they will open doors. They even gave us a taste of how it will let you tap to share multimedia or adding BBM contacts.
RIM just sent an email to their enterprise edge email subscribers titled “The Power of Tap”. It gives a few clear ideas of what RIM has in store for NFC:
- Transfer files within the Files application
- Share a URL from the browser
- Share photos and videos from the media applications
- Share voice notes
- Share Documents To Go® documents
Personally I am pretty excited about NFC. I have a dream that I will be able to unlock my apartment door and login to my computer using NFC. I am sure that is still a bit off but would’t it be cool? Or say you could connect to a Wi-Fi network by tapping your phone against the router…
Check out what RIM sent out below:
The Power of the Tap
This summer, Research in Motion® (RIM®) announced the release of five new BlackBerry® smartphones based on the BlackBerry® 7 Operating System (OS). Particularly exciting is the release of the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 smartphone and BlackBerry® Bold™ 9930 smartphone, which are the first BlackBerry smartphones to include built-in support for Near Field Communications (NFC). RIM combined NFC technology with BlackBerry Tag, introducing users to the power of tapping and opening up a world of many new and exciting capabilities.
Soon you will be able to tap your BlackBerry smartphone to:
- Transfer files within the Files application
- Share a URL from the browser
- Share photos and videos from the media applications
- Share voice notes
- Share Documents To Go® documents
BlackBerry smartphones and MasterCard
Recently, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and BlackBerry® Curve™ 9360 became the world’s first SIM-based smartphones to receive MasterCard® PayPass™ handset certification. The certification was granted because BlackBerry smartphones meet the functionality, interoperability and security requirements of MasterCard. With more and more retailers and advertisers using NFC technology, this new flexibility and mobility will create an entirely new and increasingly unique shopping experience.
Is it secure?
At RIM, we always pair new mobility solutions with protection. When NFC technology merged with BlackBerry devices, we made sure that we did not sacrifice security. RIM developed a number of ways to keep your BlackBerry smartphone and your accounts safe and secure, including:
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By default, prompting for user confirmation when a user attempts to send or receive payment information using BlackBerry Tag (can be disabled by the user or managed through a security policy)
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Disabling tapping to prevent unwanted tagging from pockets or lost or stolen devices
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Using AES-256 encrypted transport protocol over Bluetooth® to share data
Learn more about BlackBerry smartphones’ NFC capabilities here and about how BlackBerry smartphones have been recognized by MasterCard here.
