Actions taken in 2010 will be key to deciding which mobile network operators, which banks, which industry suppliers and which service providers become the leaders in the field, according to a new research report by Sarah Clark, editor of Near Field Communications World.

Significant barriers to growth still remain before NFC can move from the pilot stage to full scale commercial roll-outs, the report explains, but all the elements are now in place to allow these final obstacles to be overcome in the year ahead.

And, during 2010, leading mobile network operators, banks, retailers, transport operators and others will be seeking to finalise their NFC business plans ready to launch commercial services in a number of countries from as early as January 2011.

NFC: The Road to Commercial Deployment is based on extensive interviews with leading industry players around the world, on research undertaken for The NFC Report and on information gathered during the writing of Near Field Communications World over the course of the last year.

It explains in detail what barriers to growth exist and how they will be overcome during 2010, and examines how the market will then develop around the world from 2011 to 2014. ‘NFC: The Road to Commercial Deployment’ provides answers to key questions on the future development of the market, including:

• When will the first commercial deployments take place — and where?
• How will the NFC market evolve over the course of 2010 and beyond — and what actions will the leading players take?
• How will the business case for NFC be resolved — and what business models will succeed?
• Which NFC services will become available first and how many will there ultimately be?
• How will the issue of a lack of NFC handsets be overcome and which suppliers will take the lead?
• What strategies for success will mobile network operators, banks, suppliers and key potential NFC service providers adopt — and who will become the dominant players in each market?

‘NFC: The Road to Commercial Deployment’ will be officially launched on 11 January 2010. But, for readers of Near Field Communications World, advance copies are available today.

The report is priced at £797 (approximately €897/US$1,297), and customers who order now get a digital (PDF) copy right away, with a printed copy of the report being dispatched to them on publication day. Visit www.thenfcreport.com/road for further information or to place your order.

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