Alcatel-Lucent Ventures has launched “tikitag”, a consumer service based on NFC technology.
The tikitag service enables the launching of online applications by simply touching an on Near Field Communications Technology (NFC) device such as a cell phone to an item tagged with an NFC chip. As of Oct. 1 consumers can start using tikitag by purchasing a beta tikitag starter kit that consists of an NFC reader, 10 NFC tags, and access to the tikitag community site, through third-party e-commerce Websites. Beta pricing is 49.95 USD.
The corporate incubator Alcatel-Lucent Ventures has leveraged innovations within Bell Labs to bring this service to market. Tikitag, based on NFC, aims to enable consumers and third-party application developers to increase the value of everyday items by connecting them to online content or applications. A flexible API will enable third parties to customize and embed tikitag functionality into their offerings. The market for NFC is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Market consultancy Strategy Analytics projects that by 2012 around 250 million NFC-enabled phones will be sold worldwide.
