Google hiring Tech Account Manager with NFC experience, first NFC apps appear in Android Market

Google is looking to hire a Technical Account Manager, who must be in cahoots with the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, among other talents:

"At least 5 years of hands-on experience in Internet products and technologies, and knowledge of one or more of the following: NFC/RFID technologies, different chipset ISO specifications, integration with POS readers & systems and payment processing, technical implementation of merchant loyalty, coupon or incentive programs."

Google is working on serious mobile commerce partnerships for this year. Rumor has it that the folks from Mountain View have inked an exclusive deal with PayPal, which in turn is also aiming to get ahead in the upcoming mobile payment revolution. It is certainly going to be a lucrative field with all major players struggling for dominance - Google, Apple, Nokia and the carriers. Google was first to out an NFC-equippped smartphone, with a mobile OS natively supporting the technology, in the face of the Nexus S with Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

The first NFC apps are already appearing in Android Market. One of them is Japanese, which is explicable, considering how wide-spread is the NFC infrastructure in the Land of the Rising Sun. It is called Taglet, and allows you to get information, like a website address, from an NFC tag. the video demo below shows how it is helping the exchange of contacts info between a Nexus S, and another Android phone that doesn't have built-in NFC hardware:



The other is called EnableTable, and is US-based, allowing for an eating establishment to send "come again" coupons to the customer's Android phone. The coupon is sent to the handset when the customer waves it, or places it over the NFC tag embedded in the restaurant's bill holder. They stay organized on the phone for when the visitor comes back, or until they expire. It does sound like less hassle than what the check-in applications or Groupon offer:



source: ReadWriteWeb & AndroidCentral