Tag: nfc mobile commerce

NFC-based mobile commerce shows signs of life

| May 6, 2013

Mobile Commerce NFCReport highlights growing mobile commerce initiatives

The Mercator Advisory Group, a market research and analysis firm, has released a new report concerning global mobile commerce initiatives. The report, titled “Global Mobile Retail Payment Initiatives 2013,” aims to shed light on NFC-based mobile commerce and how it is being used in the retail industry. NFC technology has long been a pillar of the mobile commerce field and the technology continues to see strong support in several industries despite the security and efficiency concerns that surround it.

NFC continues to receive criticism

The report notes that there are a growing number of pilot projects concerning NFC-based mobile commerce emerging around the world. In the telecommunications sector, companies responsible for the making of smartphones and tablets are beginning to give their new devices NFC capabilities in order to accommodate the interests that consumers have in mobile commerce and close proximity data sharing. While the report shows that NFC technology is seeing strong progress around the world, the technology continues to be criticized by several of the companies and organizations that are most involved in mobile commerce.

Mobile security concerns surround NFC technology

NFC technology is used to facilitate mobile transactions. This is done by transmitting a consumer’s financial information. This information can be intercepted with relative ease or otherwise stolen from a mobile device by exploiting the capabilities of NFC technology. Companies like PayPal, which has a strong interest in mobile commerce, suggest that NFC technology is simply not secure enough to keep a consumer’s financial information safe. Moreover, the technology may not be adequate of supporting a massive mobile commerce network, leading to efficiency problems.

Small retailers show strong support for NFC-based mobile commerce

While NFC technology may be receiving some dubious attention, the technology is showing promising signs of adoption from small retail businesses. These businesses do not have the same financial clout of their larger counterparts, but must still accommodate the interests of consumers. As such, mobile commerce is gaining ground with these retailers, and NFC technology has been the best solution available to them.

Mobile payments find new advocates in Germany

| April 7, 2013

Mobile Payments Germany PartnershipDeutsche Telekom finds new partners to expand mobile payments throughout Europe

Deutsche Telekom, one of the largest telecommunications companies in Europe, has found two new vendors to support its deployment of NFC-based mobile commerce systems. These vendors are B+S Card Services and Intercard. Together, the vendors form a network through which NFC-based mobile payments can be made more available to consumers. In Europe, the demand for comprehensive mobile commerce services is increasing rapidly, pressuring Deutsche Telekom to reach out for partners in its continued efforts to make mobile payments more common.

NFC-based mobile payments to be major focus

The telecommunications company has been an advocate of mobile payments for some time, favoring solutions that make use of NFC technology. This technology is responsible for facilitating mobile payments as it allows for digital information to be transmitted over short distanced. Indeed, NFC is one of the pillars of the mobile commerce world, helping it take form and expanding its acceptance throughout the world. Deutsche Telekom has been developing several NFC-based mobile commerce platforms in order to meet the growing needs of consumers.

Infrastructure to be expanded in Germany

The vendors will help bolster the infrastructure required to process mobile payments at point-of-sale terminals and vending machines. These efforts will be primarily focused on the German market initially. Expansion of this infrastructure is likely to happen within the next few years, as mobile commerce becomes more common in several industries. These efforts are just a portion of the overall plan of Deutsche Telekom, which has been branching into several fields of mobile commerce to find ways to promote mobile payments among consumers.

NFC may be becoming less popular in mobile commerce

NFC technology has been the subject of criticism for some time, mostly due to its lackluster security features. Some companies claim that NFC is just not capable of providing the security necessary to make mobile commerce common among consumers. Along with the current lack of NFC-enabled mobile devices, the technology is quickly becoming a less prominent focus on the mobile commerce field.