Mobile Commerce

Category: Mobile Commerce

Retailers pushed to prepare for mobile commerce

Stephen | October 25, 2012

Credit companies pressure US retail industry to upgrade point-of-sale terminals

U.S. retailers are facing a deadline from American Express, Discover, Visa, and MasterCard, to make upgrades to their point-of-sale terminals to make them more compatible with mobile commerce. The deadline is set for October 2015, giving retailers plenty of time to invest in NFC-enabled terminals, but few retailers have shown enthusiasm in diving into the world of mobile commerce. Some retailers claim that mobile commerce is not yet at the point where it can be considered viable.

Mobile commerce is gaining modest ground in US

Despite concerns regarding security and efficiency, mobile commerce is growing in the U.S., backed heavily by financial groups and the telecommunications industry. These parties are investing heavily in NFC technology and the infrastructure needed to make mobile commerce a success. Part of this effort is encouraging the retail industry to make updates to its point-of-sale technology to foster the expansion of mobile commerce.

New terminals may mean better financial security

Retailers are tasked with upgrading their sales terminals to be equipped with NFC technology so as to better serve consumers with NFC-enabled smart phones and mobile devices. These devices can be used to make payments for goods and services, but only if they have an NFC terminal to interact with and finalize the purchase. Sales terminals are also expected to make up the bulk of the security features the mobile commerce industry needs to thrive. As such, these terminals may help placate the fears consumers have been having regarding the safety of their financial information.

Retailers still unconvinced of the popularity of mobile commerce

The retail industry has been disinclined to throw major support behind mobile commerce and prepare for the widespread use of NFC technology because of the relatively high upfront cost associated with such an initiative. Though there have been signs of mobile commerce catching on with some consumers, many retailers claim that there is not enough evidence to justify dumping funds into upgrading technology that is able to meet the needs that consumers have now.

Google Wallet wins support from MetroPCS

JT | October 24, 2012

MetroPCS now supports Google Wallet

Google Wallet has finally won the support of MetroPCS, a mobile service provider in the U.S. The company is one of many service providers that offers the new Samsung Galaxy S III. Like others in its industry, however, MetroPCS did not support Google Wallet, meaning that consumers with the powerful new smart phone were unable to make use of Google’s mobile commerce platform. That has changed, now that Google has struck a deal with one of the few companies that still do not support its platform.

Google continues work to improve mobile commerce platform

Google is keen to get as much support for the Google Wallet as possible. The mobile commerce platform has been available for little more than a year now, but has not yet entered the mainstream. Google has been working to resolve many of the issues that plagued Google Wallet when it was first launched last year, going so far as to introduce a new cloud computing structure that provides more security for the platform.

More Galaxy S III users now get access to Google Wallet

Google Wallet has proven somewhat popular amongst consumers and fans of the technology company, but many have been unable to use the platform because of two big problems. The first is the fact that many network operators do not support Google Wallet, thus making the platform unavailable to consumers in these networks. The second, and perhaps most serious problem is the limited availability of NFC-enabled mobile devices. The Galaxy S III was expected to bring NFC technology to more consumers around the world and help expose them to mobile commerce. The smart phone accounts for only one NFC-enabled device, however, in a market that is thriving due to diversity.

Google to clash with Isis

The support of MetroPCS is considered a significant victory for Google’s mobile commerce plans. Google Wallet will soon clash with Isis, an as yet unreleased mobile commerce platform that has already garnered a great deal of support from financial institutes. Isis is backed by AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile, giving the platform immediate access to a wide range of consumers.