Author: JT

Mobile commerce heats up in Europe

| February 7, 2013

Mobile Commerce EuropeTAS Group and Payair team to introduce new mobile commerce solution

The TAS Group and Payair, both leaders in the mobile shopping and payments space, have joined forces to launch a new mobile commerce solution for retailers in Europe. Mobile commerce has been growing in several European countries over the past two years, with many consumers showing favor for using their mobile devices to purchase products rather than traditional forms of currency. The TAS Group and Payair believe that a new mobile commerce platform will help spread the reach of mobile commerce throughout the region.

Platform will include technologies and services from both companies

The new mobile commerce platform incorporates technologies and services from both companies. Payair’s mobile payment systems will be in place for the platform, while technology from the TAS Group that is used to manage payments and other such services will also be a prominent feature of the platform. Location-based marketing, CRM, and analytic data will all be used to ensure that the platform will be a major benefit for its adopters.

Mobile commerce transactions protected through cloud network

The mobile commerce platform is being designed to be safe for consumers to use. Consumers will simply register their financial information through a cloud computing network. The network will not store this data in any way and it is simple used for verification purposes initially. When a consumer makes a purchase using the new platform, they make a connection to the cloud network, which accesses their financial information to complete the transaction. Once payment has been rendered, the connection is severed.

Platform uses QR codes rather than NFC technology

Of note, the mobile commerce platform will not be making use of NFC technology. This technology has become a cornerstone for most modern mobile commerce initiatives, but has also attracted strong criticism from the parties interested in mobile payments. Instead, Payair and the TAS Group will be focusing on QR codes. The codes can be scanned to initiate a mobile transaction. Retailers using the platform will be able to link QR codes to all of their products, with each code being unique for each product that company is selling.

Mobile security in a poor state according to US FTC

| February 5, 2013

Mobile Security FTCMobile security attracts attention of FTC

Mobile security is a potential catastrophic problem, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection. The federal government has been pushing for more comprehensive mobile security measures to be put in place throughout the country. Mobile applications and the information they collect from consumers has, thus far, been the primary focus of the government’s mobile security concerns, with the FTC aiming to hold applications developers and companies responsible for the information that they collect.

FTC targeting companies collecting consumer information

The issue of mobile security has become more pronounced since the FTC filed a case against Compete, a search marketing firm. Compete uses technology to collect personal data from consumers using its services, without providing these consumers with information about how this data will be used. In the case,  the FTC has prohibited the company from collecting consumer information without the express consent of the consumer. The FTC also closed several cases against companies concerning the use of software that was being used to deliberately spy on consumers.

Google runs afoul of federal government

Google was also targeted by the FTC in late 2012 for circumventing the protocols of Apple’s Safari Internet browser to introduce users to targeted advertisements. The massive technology company was fined a record setting penalty of $22.5 million for breaching mobile security standards. FTC officials are likening the current state of the country’s mobile security practices to the “wild, wild west,” suggesting that many companies operating in the mobile space have little to no concern for mobile security.

Mobile security recommendations coming from the FTC

The FTC is currently developing recommendations concerning mobile security standards titled “Building Trust Through Transparency.” These recommendations are meant to help ensure the protection of consumer information, keeping this data safe from exploitation by marketers and similar groups. The initial recommendations will focus on companies collecting information from mobile consumers. In the future, the FTC will focus more closely on application developers, hoping to further bolster mobile security for consumers.