Moo.com has launched a new app on the Google Play store that enables users to add digital information to its soon-to-be released Near Field Communication (NFC) business cards.
The app, designed for NFC-enabled Android devices running version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher, allows users to add custom URLs, contact information, map links, social networking profiles and data from other apps to a personalized business card ordered from Moo.
The app works alongside Moo’s updated Luxe Business Cards, which adds what the company is describing as a “third side” to a physical card using an NFC chip. Although the app is live in the Google Play store this week, unfortunately the NFC business cards aren’t being launched officially until April.
Once users have ordered a compatible card though, they’ll be able to change the data stored on it through the new NFC by Moo app. Once they’ve specified the exact information that they want to share, sending it involves simply tapping or lightly placing the card on top of the recipient’s NFC-enabled device.
The idea is that all of this data is then transferred automatically without the receiver having to manually copy or input the information.
Provided the new business cards are cheap enough, the addition of NFC will go a long way to giving the traditional contacts card some much-needed added value. A firm called intelliPaper is trying a similar solution using a USB drive embedded in an everyday piece of card. It’s arguably a slightly more reliable option, but does involve tearing the card to pieces before sliding it into your USB slot.
Moo.com launched an open beta for the new NFC-enabled business cards in September last year, giving the first 150,000 customers a chance to try it out in the real world.
Most notably, it followed the news that the London-based print company had bought Flavors.me, a personal identity site created by the web product incubator Hii Def.
There’s no word yet on whether the NFC by Moo app will eventually be released on other mobile platforms such as iOS – although given that the iPhone 5 doesn’t include NFC, that might be a very long wait.
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