Tag: mobile technology

NFC technology expected to become more common in coming years

| November 29, 2012

 

NFC technology poised for market boom

NFC technology is becomiNFC Technology Growthng more commonplace as consumers become more comfortable with the services it can provide. The technology is well known for its use in mobile commerce, wherein it is able to facilitate mobile payments from smart phones for physical products. The technology also has uses in marketing and information distribution and is quickly becoming an ideal way for companies to stay engaged with mobile consumers. Despite the growing popularity of NFC technology, relatively few consumers can engage in the services it provides because of the lack of NFC-enabled mobile devices.

NFC-enabled devices currently in low supply

In order for consumers to make use of NFC-based services, they must have a device that is equipped with an NFC chip. This chip allows a device to interface with a payments terminal, NFC tag, or other service that relies on the technology. Currently, the availability of NFC-enabled mobile devices is low, with the majority of such devices encompassed in the Android platform. The iOS platform does not support NFC technology despite growing demand coming from consumers. The lack of NFC-enabled devices has made it difficult for mobile commerce and other NFC-based services to gain traction with consumers.

ABI Research predicts 2 billion NFC-enabled devices by 2017

According to ABI Research, the availability of NFC-enabled mobile devices is expected to grow exponentially over the next few years. This is due to telecommunications and technology companies heeding the demands coming from consumers and working to meet their needs. The research firm expects more than 2 billion smart phones will be equipped with NFC technology by 2017. Shipments of NFC-enabled devices are expected to pick up as well as these products exit their trail phase and companies deem them commercially viable.

New devices expected to make NFC technology more familiar with consumers

With the availability of NFC-enabled devices on the rise, more consumers are expected to gain access to the wide array of NFC-based services that are being offered to them. There may be some challenges that companies and consumers will have to overcome, especially in the realm of mobile commerce, but NFC technology is expected to become a staple of mobile technology and service in the near future.

Digital commerce becoming more important

| November 26, 2012

 

mobile digital commerceDigital commerce is quickly becoming a major factor for businesses all over the world

Digital commerce (mobile, social, etc.) is becoming a major factor in the world of business. Several industries are seeing the impact of digital commerce and are working to appeal to consumers with smart phones and other mobile devices. Indeed, digital commerce is expected to become a major part of engagement strategies for businesses that want to stay relevant with tech-savvy consumers. Thomas Idea, a leading interactive agency, suggests that companies all over the world will have to adopt digital commerce or risk being left behind by consumers that are becoming more reliant on mobile technology.

Thomas Idea takes note of the digital commerce trend

Thomas Idea has seen the trend of digital commerce gain significant momentum over the past year and believes that this momentum will only continue to grow into the future. The agency notes that one of the most promising sectors of the digital commerce space is in-store mobile applications, services that help making mobile shopping more convenient for consumers. Consumers often turn to mobile commerce to make their shopping experience easier, thus companies appealing to this interest.

Retailers being encouraged to provide mobile services to consumers

Thomas Idea notes that many consumers use mobile applications to compare prices and research products, as well as connect to social networks. Companies that help facilitate these interests could see their favor increase amongst tech-savvy consumers, who are becoming a significant economic force in and of themselves. The agency notes that U.S. retailer Walgreens’ uses an application called Aisle 411 that allows consumers to find the products they are looking for from 7,900 of the retailer’s stores. Using the app, consumers can track down these products to their exact location in the physical world.

Personalized campaigns could be major success

The agency notes that personalized promotions will become more important for businesses in 2013. Digital commerce platforms enable retailers to fine tune their sales campaign to focus on the specific interests of particular consumers, while also still appealing to a broad demographic. If companies can find ways to engage mobile consumers, they could see major economic gain in 2013.