NFC stands for “Near Field Communication”. It is a technology that allows devices to communicate wirelessly with each other when they are very close together, usually within less than 10 centimeters. NFC is commonly used in smartphones, credit cards, and security pendants such as RescueTag.
Inside the RescueTag pendant, a so-called RFID chip is embedded. You may already be familiar with this technology from anti-theft systems in retail stores or access control systems at workplaces: a card is held up to a reader and access is either granted or denied.
Data can be stored directly on the RFID chip itself. In our case, this is a single data record. When you hold a smartphone with NFC enabled close to the RescueTag pendant, the embedded RFID tag (roughly speaking) receives a command via its antenna to transmit the stored data.
The technology is secure because the short operating distance makes unauthorized access difficult. With RescueTag, NFC enables access to emergency data without requiring additional devices or an internet connection.