Online Shopping Set to Go Mobile

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,90483,tk,dn032202X,00.asp">http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,90483,tk,dn032202X,00.asp</a><br /><br />So what's this new-fangled "m-commerce" thing I keep hearing about? As I read this PCWORLD.COM article, I wonder if it's just a reprint from two years ago - we'd never know the difference, because the m-commerce ghost train is still off in the distance. Is 2002 the year it finally rolls into the station? And why do train analogies work so well at midnight?<br /><br />"Electronic commerce conducted via mobile devices such as phones and PDAs will take off over the next few years to become a $25 billion market worldwide by 2006, according to a study released Thursday by Frost & Sullivan. By that time, mobile electronic commerce, or m-commerce, will account for 15 percent of the world's online commerce, according to a summary of the study."

[Ed Hansberry]

All I know is, M-Commerce will be a huge flop if they keep trying to charge the consumer for the transaction. Most don't pay a "fee" every time they use a check or a credit card. You may pay a monthly fee to a bank if your balance is below a certain level, but that is usually whether you use 0 or 50 checks in a month.

Charging me .25 to buy a .75 coke isn't going to work. I'll find 3 quarters or do without before I pay that quarter.

I've already given up on electronic movie tickets. They tried to charge me $2 for the transaction. I'll rent another movie from NetFlix first before I'll pay a $2 "convenience" fee for my m-commerce transaction.

[Inventor]

I think that it would work best if you could get 'pre-paid' credits that you carry with you for your most used services. This way there would be only one service charge when you get your credits.

eg.
Walk into a 7-11 store and purchase $20 of "Pepsi" credits on the V-Com booth and place them into your PocketPC.

When you see a Pepsi machine anywhere in the city then just IRDA or bluetooth the credits to the machine. There would be no need for a service charge each time you use a service. Its also cheaper to operate the machine since you dont have to collect coins or repair machines that people break for money.

[HR]

The network computer is going to be huge and will kill the PC…

[Ed Hansberry]

The network computer is going to be huge and will kill the PC…

Larry Ellison - 1995. :roll:

[Brad Adrian]

For m-commerce to take off, it has to overcome some well-entrenched ideas and systems, especially in North America. Until buying something with a mobile device is at least as easy and quick as using a credit card, it will not enjoy widespread adoption. On the other hand, in geographies without such a well-established or utilized card system, such as in Europe or Latin America, mobile purchasing may fill a need which doesn't exist in North America.

[HR]

The network computer is going to be huge and will kill the PC…

Larry Ellison - 1995. :roll:
Just to remind everyone not to get caught up in the hype yet again. Just because you can do it, it does not mean someone wants it, not to mention willing to pay for it. M-Commerce will be there eventually, but it will take years.

Remember "The network is the computer"…