Moo’s NFC business cards combine an aging format with an unpopular technology

Business cards are objects increasingly out-of-place in our technology-focused times. But don’t tell that to Moo, which is working on a way to keep business cards relevant by combining them with near-field communications (NFC).

With their internal NFC antennas, Moo’s new business cards can be programmed to link to webpages, portfolios, business information, or even just contact details. Others can then access the data just by tapping the cards to their cell phones.

Sounds good, but there’s one big problem: Most phones (including the iPhone) don’t support NFC, which means that Moo faces an uphill struggle with its new product out of the gate. (It’s probably a good thing the company doesn’t plan to sell these until early next year.)

While the use of NFC is new for Moo, combining business cards with a new bit of technology isn’t. The company already offers QR code-equipped business cards that work in a similar way to their newer NFC counterparts. But like NFC, QR codes have yet to really take off.

Still, it’s not hard to envision a time when an NFC business card would link to, say, a Flavors.me page.

Here’s the big question: With cellphones now near-ubiquitous, why even bother with business cards?

Photo: Moo