An estimated 2.5 million point of sale terminals equipped to read Near Field Communication chips were shipped worldwide last year, double the prior year's figure, according to research from Berg Insight.
The growth was driven by a transition from trials to full deployments of NFC readers in preparation for widespread mobile payment systems.
Berg Insight forecasts that the global installed base of NFC-ready POS terminals will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 49.4%, from 3.9 million units in 2011 to 43.4 million units in 2017. This corresponds to an increase in the penetration rate from 8%in 2011 to 53% in 2017.
The penetration rate is projected to be highest in North America where an estimated 86% of the terminals will be NFC-ready by 2017.
“Mobile wallet services will create an unprecedented opportunity for retailers to interact with consumers in real time while their purchasing decisions are being formed, for instance by delivering personalized offers in real time while consumers are inside the shop,” said Lars Kurkinen, telecom analyst at Berg Insight, in a press release.
