In a new report -- as noted by "TechCrunch" (http://macte.ch/G4JaO) -- Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) says Apple's decision to forego NFC (near field communication) in the iPhone 5 has set the NFC market back by two years in the U.S. and Western Europe.

As a result, the research group has scaled back its growth estimates for these regions. Juniper says that Apple’s decision has reduced retailer and brand confidence in the technology -- which in turn has led to fewer NFC point of sale rollouts and campaigns, meaning fewer consumers are likely to encounter the technology.

In its research report, Juniper analyst Dr. Windsor Holden writes: “While many vendors have introduced NFC-enabled smartphones, Apple’s decision is a significant blow for the technology, particularly given its previous successes in educating the wider public about new mobile services.”