Tag: the netherlands

ING brings more security to mobile payments with voice recognition

ING introduces new feature for its banking app that will make mobile payments more convenient

Dutch bank ING has introduced a new service that will allow its customers to make mobile payments using their voices. The service is being incorporated into its mobile banking application and is meant to serve as a more convenient way to make payments without having to enter a password. The service is designed to highlight the convenient nature of mobile payments, which are becoming more popular in the Netherlands as well as other parts of the world.

Voice activation will bring more security to banking app

ING customers can use the new feature of their mobile banking application to speak a short phrase, which will be used to activate a mobile transaction. Users will pre-record the phrase for the application and this phrase will be stored as a file on their mobile device. ING believes that voice activation will add another layer of security to mobile payments, as a person’s voice can be as unique as their fingerprint. This is due to differences in vocal cavities and how different mouth movements can affect the sound of the voice.

Speech recognition is becoming more popular in the mobile commerce space

ING Bank - Mobile PaymentsNuance, a biometric company, is providing the speech-recognition technology that ING is using for the new service. Similar technology is used by several other organizations in order to determine the identity of consumers. The U.S. government, for instance, use speech recognition technology in cases where agencies are handling tax issues. This technology is largely used to reduce the prevalence of fraud and has been relatively successful in doing so in recent years.

Biometric technology could help mobile commerce appeal to consumers

Making mobile payments more secure has become a major priority for banks around the world. These banks have become heavily involved in the mobile commerce space, but consumers have voiced their concerns regarding their financial information. Biometric technology is expected to put many of these concerns to rest, which may make mobile payments significantly more attractive to consumers throughout the world.

Mobile commerce gains strong momentum in the Netherlands

Mobile commerce is favorable for Dutch consumers

Mobile commerce in the Netherlands has begun to gain significant traction. Dutch consumers have become quite enamored with the concept of mobile commerce, largely due to their growing reliance on smartphones and tablets. Consumers are beginning to shop more through their mobile devices, thus leading to an increase in the demand for comprehensive mobile payments services. A new study released by Blauw Research highlights the growth that momentum that mobile commerce has gained among Dutch consumers.

Mobile sales grow 67% in first half of the year

According to the study, mobile commerce in the Netherlands grew by 67% during the first half of this year. Dutch e-commerce is valued at approximately $550 million and mobile sales accounted for 11% of this value. This growth is expected to maintain its momentum well into the future, powered by more consumers putting a greater deal of value on their mobile devices and the mobile-centric services that they use.

Netherlands Mobile Commerce GrowthTablets favored over smartphones

The study shows that tablets are beating smartphones in terms of mobile sales in the Netherlands. Consumers appear to favor tablets because they provide a better shopping experience. Their larger screens enable more convenient navigation and more websites are optimized for tablet use over smartphone use. Notably, 80% of mobile sales, even those made from tablets, were made by consumers at home rather than in physical stores or while outside.

$1 billion in sales expected by the end of 2013

The study predicts that more than 3 million mobile shoppers will be recorded in the Netherlands during the second half of 2013. By the end of the year, mobile commerce sales are expected to reach more than $1 billion. The holiday season is likely to augment these predictions to some degree, especially as consumers begin considering mobile shopping more convenient than other forms of shopping that they have been conducting for the past several years.