Written by Stephen Vagus

Author: Stephen

New mobile commerce service set to launch in Taiwan

Stephen | December 11, 2014

Gemalto partners with Chunghwa Telecom to launch new mobile service for consumers

Gemalto, an international digital security firm, has announced that it has partnered with Chunghwa Telecom, the largest telecommunications operator in Taiwan, to launch a new mobile commerce service. The service will be based on NFC technology, allowing users to participate in contactless payments from their mobile devices. The launch of this new service is being supported by MasterCard and four of Taiwan’s leading banks.

Mobile commerce continues to gain momentum in Taiwan as mobile device ownership rises

Mobile commerce has become quite popular in Taiwan, largely due to the growing smartphone penetration. More consumers than ever are beginning to use their mobile devices to conduct the business of their daily lives. Shopping online from a mobile device is becoming a common practice among consumers in Taiwan, and a growing number of people want to use their mobile devices to make purchases in physical stores. As such, the demand for new mobile commerce services has been on the rise.

Consumers can use mobile service to pay for goods and services, including public transit

Taiwan Mobile Commerce The new service will be making use of Gemalto’s UpTeq Multi-tenant NFC SIM, which can be used to give most mobile devices NFC capabilities. The services will allow Cunghwa Telecom’s customers to pay for goods and services, including the fare associated with public transit systems. These payments can be made by swiping a mobile device near an NFC reader, which will collect information and authenticate a transaction.

Gemalto will work to make NFC-based mobile payments more secure than they have been in the past

NFC technology has formed the backbone of mobile commerce for several years. There have been security concerns regarding the use of this technology, however, as mobile commerce has become a popular target for some malicious groups. NFC can be exploited to access consumer financial information, but Gemalto has extensive experience in security matters and ensuring that this information is not compromised. The company may be able to help make the new mobile commerce service secure and popular among consumers in Taiwan.

Starbucks to launch new mobile commerce service next year

Stephen | December 9, 2014

Company announces plans to make new services available nationwide in 2015

Starbucks is planning to launch a new service for iPhone users next year. The service is called Mobile Order & Pay and has already been made available in Oregon as part of a pilot project. Next year, the company plans to make this service available throughout the U.S., allowing customers to place orders from their iPhone before they even set foot in a Starbucks store. The service is part of the company’s ongoing mobile commerce mission.

Users of the new service will be able to place and pay for orders before they set foot in a Starbucks store

Starbucks has established a strong place in the U.S. mobile commerce space. The company has been seeing a significant portion of its business come from mobile consumers in recent years and has been building new services that cater specifically to these consumers. Many people can already pay for their orders using a mobile device in Starbucks stores, but the new service will allow them to place orders before they arrive at these stores. Mobile Order & Pay will inform users when their order will be ready and these orders can be paid for in advance.

16% of Starbucks’ in-store transactions come from mobile devices

Mobile Commerce - Starbucks Approximately 16% of Starbucks’ in-store transactions are made through a mobile device, according to Adam Brotman, the company’s Chief Digital Officer. Brotman notes that Starbucks has been actively working on mobile services in order to engage consumers more effectively and the company’s endeavors have been paying off thus far.

Mobile Order & Pay service may be available for the Android platform at some point in the future

The Mobile Order & Pay service will initially only be available for iPhone devices. The service’s availability on other devices may be expanded in the future, if the demand is high enough. Many Starbucks customers already use their iOS devices to purchase products, but a growing number of Android users are beginning to do so as well. Android devices hold a strong place in the mobile commerce space, but lag behind iOS devices when it comes to mobile payments.