Mobile phones poised to become multifunctional

Abu Dhabi: Mobile phones may soon be able to perform a myriad of functions, replacing even credit cards, according to delegates at the inaugural NFC Academy Conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short-range, high-frequency wireless communication technology that enables the exchange of data between devices.

Phones equipped with the technology can be swiped across readers to make payments and perform other transactions.

Telecom operators and government officials said they were studying the possibility of using NFC to facilitate e-government services.

Using the technology, citizens could potentially apply for official documents such as visas or even marriage certificates from the comfort of their own home, experts said.

Even voting could be conducted via mobile phone, they added.

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Darwish Ahmad Al Zarouni, Director-General of the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA), inaugurated the conference. He told Gulf News that EIDA would cooperate with Etisalat and du if they chose to adopt NFC technology.

The conference was organised by Wise Media as part of the Citizens ID Forum, an international symposium on electronic identity documents that concluded yesterday at the Beach Rotana Hotel in the capital.

NFC: Practical uses

-Make payments via mobile phone (instead of payment cards such as credit cards).
– Access security-controlled buildings. n Access e-services (for example, apply for visas and vote in elections). How does it work?
– If an NFC-enabled phone is to be used as a debit/credit card, the mobile operator has to make an arrangement with banks.
– Banks provide the customer’s identification data (such as PIN), which the operator then stores on the SIM card.
– For some transactions, the customer will still be required to enter his or her PIN.

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