According to a study by Juniper Research, NFC adoption is expected to pick up at a very fast pace and by 2015 NFC transactions could hit $74 billion.

It sounds like a pretty optimistic forecast, since NFC is still a relatively new technology with limited application in the real world and very few retailers or other businesses have embraced it. However, according to the study this is all set to change within just a couple of years.

Juniper estimates that adoption will be very rapid and that NFC will eventually be used for a wide range of services, ranging from banking, payments to coupons and much more.

"Our report demonstrates the spectacular growth we see across all segments of the mobile commerce market. Four of these segments (money transfer, physical goods, NFC and coupons) will more than treble in transaction value over the next three years, whilst digital goods, banking and tickets will still on average, double over the same period," said author David Snow.

The only major issue identified by Juniper is security, and this has more to do with perceived risk and the usual suspicion towards new technologies than legitimate security concerns. Juniper also stressed that banks will have their work cut out for them, as they will have to introduce new SMS services and ensure interoperability with existing money transfer services. Interestingly, mobile coupons are expected to see the highest growth rate, although they are still the smallest commerce segment.

So here’s a Fudzilla tip for app developers – if you think you have what it takes, it might be a good idea to take some time and learn more about NFC. Although small players won’t get a crack at the banking business, NFC could still hold a lot of potential even for independent developers. Think about local companies, city councils, parking, public transport, ski resorts, sports venues and just about any other business or institution that could put NFC technology to good use.