Tag: nfc technology

NFC technology to be used for mobile payments test

NFC Technology Dutch Banks Mobile PaymentsDutch banks have partnered up in order to give near field communication transactions a trial run.

Three Dutch banks have partnered together in order to run and observe a pilot program that will use NFC technology that they may then implement in order to provide their customers with mobile payments options.

This new test will involve the participation of two other large companies as well.

Both the wireless carrier called KPN, and the credit card giant, MasterCard, will be joining up with the three banks in the Netherlands in order to run the trial period. This will help them to investigate the use, success, and potential adoption rate that can be expected from a mobile wallet that is based on NFC technology in the country.

The banks involved in this NFC technology pilot program include ING, ABN Amro, and Rabobank.

The NFC technology mobile payments pilot program is expected to begin during this upcoming summer. It will involve the participation of a select group of individuals in Leiden, Netherlands. These people will be offered a mobile wallet that uses the near field communication tech in order to allow them to make payments using their smartphones.

The test itself will be conducted by Mobile Payment Netherlands, which is a venture that is backed by the three banks that are involved in this trial period. The test group of individual participants will include 1,000 people who already have accounts with at least one of the three participating banks. They will be given the opportunity to use their NFC technology enabled smartphones in order to make payments when they are purchasing products and services from various locations around their city.

The Mobile Payments Netherlands initiative through the three banks that have partnered together in this effort are what is left of the so-called “Sixpack” of Dutch banks and carriers that had initially come together in 2011 in order to build a solid infrastructure for smartphone transactions within the country. Last year, that original group fell apart, but it has partially rebuilt itself in this latest project through the smaller number of participants.

Each of the Dutch banks will be performing their own assessments of the NFC technology based pilot program in order to be able to create their unique individual strategies for mobile payments.

Call for expansion of mobile commerce goes out to the MENA region

Mobile Commerce MENA RegionMobile commerce demand growing in Middle East and North Africa

Mobile commerce is growing in demand in the Middle East and North Africa region, often known as MENA, as more consumers get their hands on smart phones and tablets. These consumers are calling for new ways to purchase products online using only their mobile devices. Thus far, interest from the regimeaon’s telecommunications and retail companies has been limited, with some companies suggesting that they see only modest potential for success. Mobile commerce experts are suggesting that these companies could be missing out on significant opportunities.

Mobile payments may be the future of personal financial transactions

Mobile commerce specialists consider mobile payments as the future of personal financial transactions throughout the world. More consumers are making use of smart phones and tablets, using these devices to shop online and make purchases. Outside of the MENA region, mobile commerce has seen major success in the retail sector, with much of this success being found in Asian markets. The growing popularity of NFC technology is also driving interest in mobile commerce, despite some of the security concerns that have been raised about the technology in recent months.

Benefits of mobile commerce have yet to be shown in MENA region

Retailers in the MENA region have shown some interest in mobile commerce, but many have found it difficult to engage mobile consumers due to the limited support mobile commerce has received from the region’s telecommunications giants. Making mobile payments possible for a wide range of consumers has, thus far, been a difficult task in the MENA region as it requires telecommunications companies to expand and update their mobile service networks. Such updates are both expensive and time consuming and some companies have not yet been convinced of the gains they could see through an aggressive adoption of mobile commerce.

Pilot projects help raise awareness

There are several mobile commerce pilot projects currently taking place throughout the MENA region. Some of these projects have found success with consumers and retailers on a small scale. Many of these pilot projects are designed to raise awareness of mobile commerce rather than produce significant gains for retailers and telecommunications companies.