2.1.2 Why is NDEF used? What advantages does NDEF provide?

The concept of NDEF is to create a universal format for how to store data across all NFC tags. This allows NFC devices such as smartphones to have a standard for how to read data across each NFC technology type despite varying memory structures and features.

The advantage of using NDEF is that any NFC-compliant device is able to read and write to an NDEF formatted tag allowing for excellent interoperability with a large number of devices and tags in the market.

NDEF should be leveraged for applications in which any of the following is desired:

• Compatibility with NFC-enabled devices in the market
• Display of information (text, URL, contact information, and so on) in an easily readable format

NDEF may not be an ideal choice for some applications such as:

• Proprietary closed-loop applications
• Applications in which raw unformatted data should be transferred over NFC