A lot of people have NFC capable devices, like android phones &c, but can they actually make use of these receivers fresh out of the box?

e.g. if I have an NFC business card, your phone can read it, out of box, but does your phone need an app to actually open your contacts?

Or if I've written an URL to to a tag, will a phone know to open it in a browser without an app?

Are there a range of functions which do work, after which you need an app for more complex functions? And if so, what's the simplest way to make someone else be able to function with your tags?

Edit:
Just to give quick answers to anyone who looks here for answers here's what I've found so far:
* Phone Numbers
* vCards
* URLs
* WiFi login (reads it and gives a prompt to connect)

If you discover another use that doesn't need an app, please come back and reply to this post and I'll add it,