Author: Stephen

New mobile security guidelines introduced by PCI Security

| February 23, 2013

New Mobile Security GuidelinesPCI Security publishes guidelines for mobile security

The PCI Security Standards Council, a global forum for the development of payment security standards, has published new guidelines to help educate the world’s merchants on the issue of mobile security and how it relates to mobile commerce. Consumers have been growing more interested in mobile payments in recent years, creating significant demand for merchants to adopt mobile commerce systems. As these merchants become more accommodating of consumer demand, security is becoming an increasingly important issue.

Guidelines expected to help merchants make mobile commerce more secure

The new guidelines from PCI Security are meant to help merchants understand the complexities that exist in the world of mobile security. The guidelines may help merchants better protect their customers as they become more accepting of mobile commerce. PCI Security has put strong focus on mobile transactions that make use of payment card data, rather than transactions made directly through a bank account. Connecting a payment card to a mobile device is becoming more common, as consumers consider this a more convenient and secure way to participate in mobile commerce.

Mobile security will help secure growth of mobile commerce market

According to a recent study from Juniper Research, a leading market research firm, mobile transactions are expected to reach $1.3 trillion globally by 2015. This is four times higher than the current level of mobile transactions volume. The firm suggests that this steep increase in mobile commerce is due to businesses becoming more interested in ensuring they can accommodate the needs of mobile consumers. In order for this growth to become a reality, however, businesses will have to adopt better security features to protect consumers.

Evolving threats may make it difficult to ensure security

Mobile security continues to be a major area of concern in the realm of mobile commerce. PCI Security’s new guidelines are expected to help merchants adopt better security standards for their payment systems, but the constantly changing security landscape may make it difficult for businesses to stay up-to-speed with the most current threats that exist in the mobile space.

Mobile commerce applications gain more popularity in the UK

| February 21, 2013

Mobile Commerce UK GrowthData shows UK Android users are enchanted by mobile commerce apps

There was a time when mobile games and other entertainment applications were exceedingly popular among Android users. New data from Nielsen, a leading information and analysis firm, shows that this is no longer the case, at least in the United Kingdom. According to Nielsen, mobile commerce and banking applications are now the most popular apps with Android users. Seven of the top 15 major applications in the UK market have to do with mobile commerce in some way, with some of the most used apps coming from Tesco, Amazon, and Quidco.

Consumers show strong interest in shopping from their smart phones and tablets

Mobile commerce has grown to become a very powerful force in the mobile space. Consumers all over the world have been showing interest in using their mobile devices to purchase products of all kinds. Mobile commerce is especially popular in retail, where companies like Tesco have been working to engage mobile consumers for years. According to Nielsen, Tesco’s application saw more than a 145% spike in new users between May and October of 2012. Those using the application spent 45% more time engaged with the retailer during the same period.

Banks and telecoms account for many popular applications

Many of the mobile commerce applications that have become popular with UK consumers come from the country’s banks and telecommunications companies. Banking applications have been included in Nielsen’s data because mobile commerce does not exclusively refer to the practice of purchase a product using a smart phone or tablet. Rather, mobile commerce is any form of commerce conducted through the use of a mobile device, banking and shopping included.

Mobile games win in consumer engagement

Despite mobile commerce applications becoming so popular among Android users, many consumers are still showing strong interest in mobile games. Nielsen’s data shows that mobile games accounted for the most time spent on smart phones and tablets among consumers. While these applications may have been beaten out by mobile commerce in terms of growth, they are still soaking up the majority of a consumer’s time through engagement.