Verizon and Yale demo NFC lock at CES 2012

Being able to unlock a door with a smartphone may soon become commonplace, thanks to new developments in near field communication (NFC) technology.

US telecoms company Verizon and lock company Yale were demonstrating the technology at CES 2012 in Las Vegas.

By using a special application installed on an Android phone with NFC capabilities the software is able to unlock a door when the phone comes within a few centimetres of it.

In a demonstration we were told that the system works by downloading a special key to a users phone that is then stored on the device. Even if the phone doesn't have signal, it can still be used to open the lock it has been given a key for.

A special piece of software running on a computer can add and revoke access to certain locks and certain users and in the event of a phone being stolen access to a door can be removed. In the demo we were shown there was also a physical key lock and a keypad to enter a special code to gain access.

We were told that the system could be used in businesses, hotels or at home. Verizon and Yale wouldn't be drawn on how people or companies would pay for the system - be it through a one-off payment or a premium subscription.

We were also told that a release date for the system is still some way off.