Recap from Mobile Commerce Summit - Part 3

Are you ready for some passionate discussion? Here we go -

There was another hot topic at this years Mobile Commerce Summit, but it's one that you won't find listed on the agenda and was not covered by any of the panelists. The subject - alternative forms of NFC.

Until now most discussions about NFC have revolved around downloadable applications, embedded chips, and carriers. However, the recent buzz is about finding alternatives and the most prominent is the use of an NFC chip that can be affixed to the outside of the handset (i.e. an NFC sticker.)

This is essentially the same technology that has been used for years in NFC debit/credit cards, but the fact remains this is a new use-case and an interesting idea. Now, this is probably the best time to state that I'm neither an opponent or proponent of the idea. I'm simply going to share the information that I was able to glean.

Pros:
* This solution has an existing infrastructure and is not reliant upon carrier participation or revenue sharing.
* Branding opportunities. Your logo would be on the NFC sticker which is then placed on the back of the phone.

Cons:
* Not a true mobile wallet. A person could not have numerous chips on the outside of their phone.
* Perception of being a security risk.

Again, this concept is somewhat new and therefore was not a part of the formal discussion, but I can tell you that it was being passionately debated in the shadows.

Please let me know your thoughts, but as always I will not publish anonymous comments. It's important to know both your opinion and the motivation behind it.