Wayfinding with NFC: Navigating the Future of Connectivity with NFC Forum and Identiv

October 14, 2024

Near Field Communication (NFC) technology has become an integral part of modern life. From making secure contactless payments to unlocking doors and enhancing customer experiences in specialty retail, NFC’s capabilities continue to expand. To ensure users can engage with these technologies easily and with confidence, the NFC Forum has developed the Wayfinding Mark System — a global identifier that shows consumers where to tap and engage with NFC-enabled devices and products. As a proud Board Member of the NFC Forum, Identiv is applying these marks across key verticals, including healthcare, smart packaging, smart home devices, and specialty retail to transform how these industries connect with NFC.

NFC and Wayfinding: Simplifying Connectivity

The NFC Wayfinding Mark System was created to increase ease of use, guiding consumers where to tap their NFC-enabled devices for seamless interactions. With multiple variations, such as Directional, Simplified, Charging, and Instructional, the system covers a wide range of user needs, from newcomers to seasoned NFC users. This is especially critical for industries where user precision and confidence are vital to success.

1. Healthcare: Precision and Trust for Patients and Providers

NFC plays an essential role in the healthcare industry, where security, accuracy, and speed are paramount. Simplified Wayfinding Marks guide healthcare professionals and patients, ensuring they can quickly and easily access critical information, whether through scanning medical devices or accessing secure patient records.

At Identiv, we incorporate NFC in healthcare for:

Medication authentication: NFC-enabled smart packaging helps healthcare workers easily verify the authenticity of medications, ensuring only legitimate products are used and enhancing patient safety.
Patient monitoring: NFC connects wearables and medical devices to patient data, enabling real-time access to health information for more informed and timely medical decisions.
Equipment verification: NFC technology helps hospitals verify medical equipment, making sure devices are authentic and safe to use in real-time.

The Simplified Wayfinding Mark helps simplify these interactions, guiding users to tap the right place, ensuring security, and reducing potential errors.

2. Smart Packaging: Building Trust with Consumers

In the pharmaceutical, food, and retail sectors, smart packaging enabled by NFC is enhancing both supply chain visibility and consumer interaction. With the Instructional Wayfinding Marks, Identiv simplifies consumer access to product information, enhancing trust and transparency.

Identiv’s expertise in smart packaging allows for:

Product authentication: Consumers can tap an NFC-enabled package to verify authenticity, ensuring they are receiving genuine, unaltered products — crucial in industries like pharmaceuticals.
Tamper detection and status updates: NFC tags can inform users if a product has been opened or tampered with during shipping, boosting confidence in the supply chain.
Interactive experiences: Smart packaging also enables brands to offer enhanced consumer experiences, such as connecting buyers to detailed product information, video tutorials, or promotional content.

With Instructional Wayfinding Marks, we make sure that users know exactly where to tap for the desired information, making smart packaging intuitive and accessible.

3. Smart Home Devices: Connecting the Future

As smart homes grow increasingly connected, NFC provides a seamless method for users to interact with and control various devices. Directional Wayfinding Marks help users intuitively tap the correct point to pair devices, control smart appliances, or even initiate security protocols.

In the smart home space, Identiv’s NFC-enabled solutions include:

Device setup and control: By tapping a phone or smart device to an NFC-enabled product, users can easily pair devices, adjust settings, or even control home automation systems.
Enhanced security features: Smart locks, home monitoring systems, and secure access points can all be paired or unlocked via NFC, ensuring fast and reliable security.
Energy management: NFC-enabled home systems allow users to control lighting, heating, and more with a simple tap, optimizing energy use for greater efficiency.

Identiv integrates Directional Wayfinding Marks on smart home devices to ensure ease of use, creating seamless user experiences with minimal friction in setting up and using smart home products.

4. Specialty Retail: Elevating Customer Engagement

In specialty retail, NFC enhances the shopping experience by creating personalized, interactive touchpoints that increase customer engagement. Identiv brings Simplified Wayfinding Marks into retail environments to guide consumers through a range of interactions, from secure payments to exclusive in-store offers.

Identiv’s expertise in specialty retail includes:

Contactless payments: Consumers can quickly and securely pay for products by tapping their phone or NFC-enabled card, with clear guidance on where to tap for fast transactions.
Loyalty programs and personalized offers: Retailers can use NFC to offer personalized promotions, discounts, or loyalty points directly through an NFC-enabled tap, turning a one-time purchase into long-term engagement.
Product information and reviews: Shoppers can tap on NFC-enabled tags to receive instant information about products, check reviews, and even access limited-time offers.

With Simplified Wayfinding Marks, we ensure consumers have an effortless, enjoyable retail experience, guided toward the right tap point for each interaction, enhancing both brand engagement and consumer trust.

NFC Certification: Trusted Ecosystem Guaranteed

NFC’s power lies in its ability to work reliably across devices and industries, and the NFC Forum Certification Program ensures this by testing and certifying products that meet strict standards. Identiv aligns with these standards, applying the NFC Certified Product Mark across its solutions in healthcare, retail, and IoT to deliver secure, high-performing products that our customers can trust.

Identiv Leading the NFC Wayfinding Charge

Identiv is at the forefront of applying the NFC Wayfinding Mark System across key industries like healthcare, smart packaging, smart home devices, and specialty retail. By leveraging this system, we ensure that our customers and end-users benefit from intuitive, reliable, and secure NFC interactions, enhancing trust and driving innovation in how we connect with the world around us.

Learn more about NFC Forum’s Wayfinding and Certification Marks in their blog post. If you’re ready to get started with your own custom solution that incorporates the Wayfinding Mark System, get in touch with our experts today.