The Christmas season is almost here, and many consumers are expected to rely heavily on their mobile devices to get their holiday shopping done. The holiday season has long been a major occasion for the retail industry, and this continues to be the case in the advent of mobile commerce. More consumers are making use of the smart phones and other mobile devices to purchase products. This has created a promising opportunity for some retailers, but it may cause some trouble for those in the United Kingdom. According to eBay, the UK economy stands to lose this year because of problems concerning mobile commerce and connectivity.
Slow connection speeds discourage consumers to participate in mobile commerce
Famed online retailer eBay claims that slow mobile connection speeds, caused by the lack of a universal 4G service, will cost the UK economy more than $150 million during the holiday season. The retailer believes that the average mobile download speeds throughout the country are not conducive to supporting consumers who want to make a purchase using their smart phone. The country’s first 4G network was launched earlier this week by Everything Everywhere, bringing high-speed connection to 11 cities in the UK, but this network has not yet matured enough to be considered viable for holiday shoppers.
4G connectivity could boost sales to nearly $800 million
eBay predicts that more than a third of all Christmas gifts will be purchased online using a smart phone, even from those that do not have access to a 4G network. If mobile networks were to improve the speeds they provide to consumers, establishing 4G connectivity throughout more of the country, eBay suggests that sales could rise from roughly $600 million to nearly $800 million.
Consumers continue to show interest in mobile commerce
Consumers in the United Kingdom have shown a great deal of interest in mobile commerce. Mobile commerce services have provided many of these consumers with a more convenient way to pay for the products that they love. If mobile networks do not take mobile commerce more seriously, especially in the realm of mobile connectivity, they may stand to lose during this year’s Christmas shopping frenzy.
HID Global aims to make NFC technology more secure through new service
HID Global, a leading manufacturer of secure identity solutions, has announced the launch of a new cloud-based platform that will add more security to NFC tags and other services based on the technology. HID Global believes that the new security platform will eliminate some of the risks inherent in using NFC technology and make it more attractive for companies interested in things like mobile commerce and marketing. It will also provide another layer of security for the transfer of digital information, such as documents and other important data.
NFC receives criticism for lackluster security
NFC technology is popular in both mobile commerce and mobile marketing because of its ability to engage consumers in a dynamic way. In commerce, NFC serves as a platform for transactions being made through a mobile device, such as a smart phone. The technology is capable of turning these devices into mobile payments platforms. Despite the popularity of NFC technology, it has managed to attract criticism for its lackluster security features. Because the technology is beginning to play a bigger role in society, HID Global is looking to help solve some of the security problems inherent with NFC technology.
New services provides authentication and identity certification to NFC tags
The new service from HID Global will help ensure that NFC tags are safe and free of exploitation. This will be done through the attribution of an authentication transaction environment. This allows for the system to distribute and maintain identity certificates for the NFC tags it accounts for, thus ensuring the integrity of these tags. HID Global will be able to determine whether or not the tags associated with the system have been compromised and determine how they were exploited.
Security continues to be a major concern in mobile commerce
NFC technology has garnered a great deal of attention for its abilities to engage consumers in a new way. The adoption of the technology has, however, been impeded by security concerns. In mobile commerce, a shortfall in the security of NFC technology could mean that a consumer’s financial information could be at risk of theft and exploitation. These concerns have served to slow the progress of the mobile commerce industry significantly.
