Near Field Communication

Mobile phones are closer to becoming smart wallets, following agreement among mobile operators on an approach to near field communications (NFC).

NFC is a short-range wireless technology like RFID tags, which are used to track stock by retailers. If you use an Oyster on London Underground you will get the idaea real quic

The tags inside phones could have personal information stored in them and so could act as car keys, money, tickets and travel cards says the BBC.

Mobile firms representing 40% of the global mobile market back NFC.

There are two elements to NFC technology, which is sometimes called "contactless" applications - a tag, which is inside the phone and can store data and transmit it wirelessly, and a reader, which can access the information stored on tags.

A mobile equipped with NFC technology could, for example, buy a concert ticket over the phone which would then hold those details, together with the details of the phone user, on the tag inside the handset.

An RFID device at the concert would then "read" the concert ticket details on the tag when the phone is passed close to it.

NFC technology could also be used to exchange data between phones, such as photos and music. Not to mention corporate and brand messages. How fast do you really want to issue financial information... here is your chance....

Mobile phones are seen as powerful tools for NFC technology because they are able to download new pieces of information - from topping up a travel card, to new songs, ticket information and electronic keycard data etc.

Now all you Public Relations folk..... don't get too excited. You may need to be a tiny bit creative to use this form of communication.