Deloitte, a professional services and consulting firm, has released the results a new survey concerning mobile commerce and the 2012 holiday season. Mobile commerce has been growing in popularity amongst consumers who are deeply involved in mobile technology. More consumers around the world are beginning to rely on their smart phones and tablets for more than just connectivity with friends, family, and the Internet. These consumers are turning to the mobile devices to make purchases for goods, a trend that retailers are beginning to respond to.

Survey predicts mobile consumers will have a large role to play during holiday season

According to the Deloitte survey, more than half the consumers that own and use a smart phone regularly are expected to use these devices for their holiday shopping this year. More than 5,000 consumers were surveyed by Deloitte over a 10-day period. The survey found that mobile commerce is, indeed, becoming a major part of the life of consumers, especially those that rely on their mobile device for a wide variety of services.

Majority of mobile consumers willing to spend more money

The survey predicts that 62% of shoppers using their mobile devices will do so at physical store locations. Approximately 58% of consumers will use their mobile devices to compare prices or look for more information on products. While this may be becoming a more common aspect of the retail industry, mobile commerce has significant economic implications that may be great news for this industry. According to Deloitte, 72% of mobile consumers are expected to pay more overall during their shopping than consumers that do not participate in mobile commerce. Each of these consumers is expected to spend more than $1,400 during the holiday season.

Mobile commerce expected to impact future holiday seasons

Mobile commerce is expected to translate into major gains for the retail industry, and especially for companies that are putting a strong focus on appealing to mobile consumers. The trend is expected to grow in the coming years, according to Deloitte, with the 2013 holiday season likely to see higher engagement throughout mobile commerce platforms than in previous years.

NFC technology can be used for more than mobile payments

NFC technology gets a great deal of attention for its uses in mobile commerce. The technology has been a cornerstone of mobile payments for some time, but can facilitate other services beyond this realm as well. As NFC technology becomes more popular, and more prone to criticism, those interested in NFC are looking for new ways to make use of it. Steve Gurley, president of Pyrim Technologies, is keen to encourage the use of NFC technology outside of mobile commerce, or at least raise awareness of its other capabilities.

Peer-to-peer communication facilitated through NFC

According to Gurley, NFC technology has three uses beyond mobile payments. The first is peer-to-peer communication. This capability is beginning to attract more attention, especially as technology giant Samsung begins marketing this aspect of their new NFC-enabled products. NFC technology allows for devices, such as smart phones, to share information without being connected by wires. Two such devices can share information to one another digitally, allowing smart phone users to share songs or contact details with each other.

Security could be controlled through NFC chips

Another use of NFC technology is secure card emulation. Hotels often rely on keycards to control access to rooms and some services, a practice that is growing increasingly common on university campuses around the world. NFC technology can make this practice more efficient, according to Gurley. By embedding an NFC chip into a card, access can be granted in a quick, efficient, and more secure manner, removing the need for traditional methods of security. NFC technology can also act in a wide range of read/write practices and facilitate the exchange of information easily.

NFC technology expected to continue playing a large role in mobile commerce

NFC technology is likely to continue playing a major role in mobile commerce, but will not be restricted to this industry for long. Already, the technology has become an emergent part of numerous industries, especially in those that put a high value on interaction with consumers. Marketing is currently the most popular platform for NFC technology, outside of mobile commerce.