Tag: nfc technology

Nokia fights to find traction with new products

| December 10, 2012

 

Mobile Commerce Nokia ChinaNokia finds some stability in China

Finnish mobile device maker Nokia has been having trouble in numerous markets recently. The company may be a well known name in the field of mobile technology with its wide range of products and impressive smart phone portfolio, but it has experienced a difficult year in regards to its latest projects. Many of the company’s latest smart phones have been the subject of aggressive hype, but consumers have responded poorly to these products when they reached the market. China is one of the countries where Nokia has been seeing some success, but the Chinese market may not be enough to revitalize the company.

Growth in China may be due to mobile commerce

The Chinese market accounts for one-third of the world’s smart phone shipments. Mobile technology is in very high demand with consumers, especially those that are becoming more interested in mobile commerce. Nokia is one of the few smart phone makers that develops devices that are equipped with NFC technology. Much of mobile commerce revolves around the use of NFC technology, which is capable of transforming a smart phone into a mobile payment platform.

Consumers  not yet won over by high-end Lumia phones

While the demand for mobile commerce has been growing among Chinese consumers, Nokia has had trouble establishing a strong foothold within the country. In the third quarter of 2012, Nokia likely sold fewer than 500,000 devices from its Lumia line in China. Less than 100,000 of these are estimated to be high-end Lumia devices, such as those equipped with NFC technology, like the 820.

China Mobile deal could help boost Nokia performance

Nokia is expected to see some major gains in China due to a new deal with China Mobile, the country’s largest mobile network operator. Per the deal with China Mobile, Nokia will begin selling a localized version of its high-powered Lumia 920 smart phone, which is equipped with NFC technology. This deal with China Mobile could increase the sale of high-end mobile device in the country by as much as 50%.

Komercni Banka uses QR codes to expand mobile commerce in Czech Republic

| December 8, 2012

 

QR Codes Komercni BankaKomercni Banka eyes QR codes for new mobile commerce services

Komercni Banka, a leading financial institution in the Czech Republic, has launched a new direct banking service that offers some mobile commerce capabilities to mobile consumers. Unlike other mobile commerce services that revolve largely around the use of NFC technology, Komercni Banka has chosen QR codes as a platform for this new initiative. QR codes are most often used in marketing, but have proven capable of powering mobile commerce in recent months. The financial group believes that QR codes are ideally suited to meet the needs of Czech mobile consumers.

Codes begin breaking away from advertising

QR codes are beginning to break away from the field of mobile marketing, where they have been used extensively over the past years. The codes have shown that they can be powerful engagement tools, but have seen limited use in the field of mobile commerce. Retail companies like the United Kingdom’s Tesco have used the codes in the past for virtual “pop-up” stores, where consumers could scan  the codes to purchase products that were later mailed to their homes.

Consumers can use mobile platforms to make payments

Komercni Banka customers will be able to make payments using QR codes generated by the financial institutions. The codes can be scanned using a generic QR code scanning application or the Mobilni Banka 2 platform developed by the financial group. Users of the bank’s platform will be able to use QR codes to pay bills and issue payments to any company they choose. The new service may be well received among the growing number of mobile consumers in the Czech Republic.

QR codes may be a viable alternative to NFC technology

Mobile commerce continues to  gain momentum around the world, especially where mobile technology penetration is high. Most mobile commerce initiatives rely heavily on NFC technology, which is still rare amongst mobile devices. In order to make mobile commerce more inclusive to a wider range of consumers, organizations like Komercni Banka have been adopting alternatives, like QR codes, which have proven somewhat effective in the past.