A Look Back at Mobile World Congress 2017

Just back from a busy and productive member meeting and have had some time to reflect on how strong NFC technology has been showing this year.   Barcelona in late winter is synonymous with MWC 2017 — or Mobile World Congress 2017, and it was great to see all the new NFC offerings being launched there. MWC is the world’s biggest and best mobile industry event comprising a massive exhibition, conferences, networking opportunities, partner programs and awards.

MWC 2017 by the numbers is staggering:

Attendees: 108,000
Countries: 208
Media attending: 3,500
Companies: 2,300
Speakers: 322

MWC 2017 Innovation Theme Supported and Highlighted by NFC

This year, the theme at MWC 2017 was how mobile is the force behind every emerging innovation. With the amount of near field communication (NFC) news issued during MWC 2017 it is clear that the MWC sub-theme in Barcelona could have been NFC technology innovation.

Below is a sampling of the NFC-related news launched this month at MWC 2017 with a short blurb from the news story and a hyperlink to the entire article.

NFC, IoT And Security – The Big Three At MWC

 No one can argue that near field communication (NFC is gaining traction and is being adopted by consumers. The market is predicted to top $21 billion by 2021, driven in part by the ever-increasing availability of NFC-enabled smartphones, the launch of the big name ‘Giant Pay’ mobile payments platforms and an expanding global contactless infrastructure.

MWC: The Promise of NFC

Barcelona is buzzing with all things mobile as global executives flock to the Mediterranean city for the annual Mobile World Congress. One of the topics of conversation popping up on stage in the seminar rooms, and being put into practice on the show floor with NFC Tap-n-Go points throughout the passageways connecting the conference’s eight mega-halls, is the promise of near field communication technology.

Mobile World Congress 2017: Much More than Mobile Phones

 Although the Mobile World Congress (MWC) has typically been a showcase for handset makers to show off their latest mobile devices, the event has evolved into something much larger this year. Produced by the GSMA (Groupe Speciale Mobile Association), MWC is the world’s largest gathering for the mobile industry.

Tour D’Europe: Identity, Mobile and Yubikey Neo

 YubiKey NEO (US $50) is an innovative USB device featuring NFC (near-field communication, a wireless communication method). With a tap of their YubiKey NEO to an NFC-enabled Android device, users can quickly and easily authenticate themselves to supported services. YubiKey NEO gives mobile online security a better user experience while providing stronger security and reducing risks.

MWC: Low Power and Security is Key for NFC Wearable Designs – ARM

ARM is pushing for the wider use of the near field communications (NFC) wireless protocol in wearable devices, at Mobile World Congress

Asia is the next stop when Mobile World Congress Shanghai takes place this year from June 28 – July 1 . . . where you can expect more NFC-enabled mobile devices and solutions innovation and announcements! Check out all the NFC Forum events and watch the NFC Forum video.