Some Generic Information about M-Commerce

Some Generic Information about M-Commerce

M-commerce can be divided into three types i.e. premium content, remote payment and point-of-sale applications. Of those, premium content will be the most important, generating more than three-fourths of all m-commerce revenues.

Type of M-Commerce

1. Premium content
this is where special or expensive content is offered to the phone subscriber on his phone. It depends a lot on the phone technology that is 3g (third generation) or 4g (4th generation). 3G phones are available in almost every country however there are only a few countries like Japan and South Korea with 4G technologies enabled. These services include like video and music. Mobile phone companies also offer premium content like stock exchange information.

2. Remote payment
this is largely similar to ecommerce on the web. It basically refers to the online payment of money whereby the one paying is in a different location from the one receiving. This is supported in m-commerce through secure payment connections.

3. Point-of-sale
this refers to commerce in which the mobile device is used as a point of sale. This is possible if the device can access the online store. These devices are not the typical mobile devices but are capable of accessing higher content. They are usually WAP enabled and can access xml and java components as well.

Advantages of M-Commerce

Any transaction with a monetary value that is conducted over a wireless telephone network
M-Commerce increases customer satisfaction, cost savings, and new business opportunities
M-commerce is available anywhere with relatively small devices that are mobile phones and PDA’s
Mobile commerce can be highly personalized and user has control over data. Personally owned smart phones reduce IT training and help desk resources.
Enhance customer seller relationships because communication is easier.

Limitations of M-Commerce

Less functionality for mobile Internet over mobile phones and existing generation of handhelds than for mobile computers (laptops and next generation handhelds).
Small screens of most devices still limit types of file and data transfer (i.e. streaming videos, etc.)
No real standards in M-commerce. There is a lot differentiation in M-commerce solutions offered.
Technology constraints of mobile devices (memory, processing power, display capabilities, input methods)

Applications of M-Commerce

1) Finance and Applications

Many applications in the service industry, such as banking, travel, stocks, and more can be conducted with wireless devices. Shopping can be done from mobile devices, too.

2) Intra business Applications

Large number of Intra business applications, including inventory management, sales force automation, wireless voice, job dispatching, wireless office, and more are evident inside organizations.

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