PayPal aims to make mobile payments more iOS friendly
PayPal has high hopes for mobile commerce and the company has been working to make mobile payments easier for everyone over the past two years. The company has taken note of the growing popularity of smartphones and tablets, as well as the fact that many consumers prefer to shop using these mobile devices. In order to make mobile payments more universally available, PayPal has been working to develop alternatives to NFC technology, which has long been a cornerstone of mobile commerce.
New SDK allows iOS developers to craft mobile commerce applications
This week, PayPal has launched a new software development kit (SDK) for the iOS platform that will allow developers to create mobile payments systems for the operating system. Last year, Apple launched the iPhone 5, which had been speculated to include some form of NFC technology for the sake of mobile commerce. When the iPhone 5 was officially released, it did not actually support NFC technology, which garnered Apple a significant amount of criticism from consumers. Many claimed that the company would be unable to compete in the mobile payments arena because it had abandoned NFC technology. Apple, however, claimed that the technology was neither secure nor practical enough to facilitate mobile commerce. PayPal shares in this belief.
Developers demand ways to bring mobile commerce services to iOS consumers
The new SDK opens up a new avenue for mobile payments to come to the iOS platform without having to rely on NFC technology in any way. PayPal CTO Jame Barrese notes that the company listened to the demands of developers who wanted the ability to create mobile commerce solutions for iOS devices. Using the SDK, these developers will be able to implement PayPal’s payment system into a mobile application designed for iPhones and iPads. Consumers can use these applications to make mobile payments.
Mobile commerce expected to reach new heights this year
PayPal is quickly becoming a very powerful force in the world of mobile commerce. The company expects to see mobile sales grow to new heights this year as more consumers favor making purchases from their smartphones and tablets. Mobile payments are expected to continue growing in prominence as new services, such as PayPal’s new iOS SDK, become available to developers, who can use these services to craft effective mobile commerce applications.
Retail industry beginning to see an impact from mobile payments
The retail industry has come to a crossroad wherein it must discover the best way to engage consumers from around the world. Technology has played a major role in bringing the industry to this crossroad, especially as the Internet came to determine how successful many retailers would become in the future. The advent of mobile technology sparked evolution within the retail industry, and now the rise of mobile commerce is having the same effect. The future of the retail industry is beginning to look almost entirely dependent on mobile technology and retailers that shirk the mobile space may be setting themselves up to fail in the near future.
Retailers must focus more on mobile engagement
Mobile payments are quickly becoming more common around the world. Branding Brands CEO Christopher Mason notes that the retail industry is becoming more acclimated to the mobile space, largely due to the demands coming from consumers. Despite some interest from retailers, however, Mason suggests that most in the industry lack appropriate enthusiasm when it comes to mobile payments. Mason notes that of the 500 retailers in the world, only 40% have mobile consumer interfaces, which means many of these retailers are not providing an enjoyable experience to mobile consumer, who may soon determine the fate of these retail companies with the power held in their mobile wallets.
Wal-Mart takes note of the popularity of mobile devices
Wendy Bergh, senior director of mobile and digital strategy for Wal-Mart, notes that much of her focus in recent years has been on in-store experiences and how they can be improved through the use of mobile applications. Bergh suggests that applications are an ideal way to get consumers into physical stores, by offering these consumers discounts and services that are exclusive to physical stores and the applications used therein. Wal-Mart is currently developing a scanning application that will allow consumers to find products and purchase these products directly from their mobile device.
Mobile payments may soon dominate retail industry
Mobile payments may soon come to dictate the future of the retail industry. Consumers have shown some reluctance in participating in mobile commerce, largely due to security concerns. Many of the concerns that consumers have, however, are being addressed through the development of new mobile payments services that are more secure than their predecessors. As mobile commerce becomes more secure, it is becoming increasingly likely that consumers will favor mobile payments over traditional forms of commerce.
