Category: Mobile Payments

NFC may play a role in Apple’s future with mobile payments

| September 4, 2014

Apple could finally embrace NFC technology in the near future

Investment firm Morgan Stanley believes that Apple will finally embrace NFC technology through a platform called “iWallet.” This is not the first such prediction to be made concerning Apple and NFC, but past forecasts regarding the pairing have failed to live up to reality. Apple has avoided NFC largely because of its concerns regarding the technology’s security and capabilities, but this avoidance mostly involved Apple’s use of NFC in mobile payments.

NFC has come under fire in recent years due to technical problems and security issues

NFC currently forms the backbone of most mobile payments services throughout the world. The technology allows for digital information to be transmitted over short distances, making an ideal commerce tool. The technology does, however, have some security issues that have been exposed through high profile attacks on mobile services that make use of NFC. These security issues have made many consumers leery of mobile payments and has even lead some large companies, such as Google, to remove NFC support from some of their leading mobile initiatives.

Apple may be growing fonder of NFC technology

nfc mobile paymentsApple’s wireless endeavors have largely focused on iBeacon, which debuted last year and represents a sort of combination of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology. Morgan Stanley predicts, however, that Apple is growing more confident in the abilities of NFC and the company could include the technology in future devices. As NFC sees more use, it is becoming more advanced and secure, making it more attractive to companies that have opted to take a cautious approach to the mobile payments space.

Apple would focus on security if it does choose to integrate NFC into future mobile devices

If Apple does embrace NFC technology, Morgan Stanley predicts that the company will focus on security. The company may choose to incorporate an NFC chip into future devices that works alongside a secure element that will store consumer financial information. The NFC chip would transmit this information when a payment is authorized by the device’s owner, using a fingerprint or other biometric information to authenticate the owner.

JD.com finds success through engaging in mobile commerce

| September 3, 2014

JD.com IPO raises $1.78 billion from US investors

American investors may be strongly interested in Chinese Internet companies, thanks to the recent success of JD.com’s IPO. JD.com is an e-commerce organization based in China, which launched an initial public offering recently to great success. The IPO raised some $1.78 billion for JD.com, which exceeded the company’s expectations by a significant margin. The warm reception that JD.com has received may bode well for other Chinese companies that are preparing to launch their IPOs in America.

Chinese retailers engaging mobile consumers are attracting the attention of investors

Like other companies that have placed a priority focus on e-commerce, JD.com has been working to engage the mobile audience in China. More consumers are becoming reliant on their mobile devices, using smartphones and tablets to interact with one another and shop online. Companies like Alibaba and JD.com have taken notice of this trend among consumers and are positioning themselves to become powerful forces in the mobile space.

Alibaba’s IPO may benefit from efforts in the mobile commerce space

Mobile Commerce - China and the USAlibaba is on the verge of launching its own IPO in the U.S., hoping to generate a great deal of interest among investors. Alibaba has been working to establish a strong presence in the mobile commerce space and has managed to find significant success in this endeavor in recent years. Engaging the mobile space may help Alibaba’s forthcoming IPO performance. JD.com has also been working to engage mobile consumers more effectively and this effort may have had a significant impact on the company’s IPO in America.

Investors are eager to involve themselves in companies that have a mobile commerce focus because of the promise of return

Investors have been showing interest in companies that engage a mobile audience because of the growing popularity of mobile commerce. The advent of mobile technology sparked a major shift in commerce, which is becoming more noticeable as consumers begin to rely more heavily on their mobile devices in daily life. Investors are eager to support companies that are finding success in the mobile space and reap some of the benefits in doing so as well.