25 million mobile phone subscribers in the US could be using their handsets as mobile wallets by 2011
The 'mobile wallet' is now a much more versatile application, say analysts

Mobile commerce on the agenda again

US punters show renewed interest in the mobile wallet

Robert Jaques

As many as 25 million mobile phone subscribers in the US could be using their handsets as mobile wallets by 2011, technology watchers have predicted.

Analyst firm In-Stat said that mobile commerce, the transaction concept touted in the 1990s that never took hold, is set to take off.

Advertisement

The "mobile wallet" is now a much more versatile application, according to In-Stat, that includes elements such as membership cards, loyalty cards and other forms of identification.

"In-Stat believes that the market can grow only by adopting a technology that offers the most versatility in providing transaction capability and content discovery," said In-Stat analyst David Chamberlain.

"There are several technologies that could enable mobile wallet operations via handsets, including near-field communications [NFC], RFID tags, barcodes and visual recognition. Standardisation efforts around NFC may give that system the edge."

According to a recently published In-Stat study, the attitudes of US users towards mobile wallets are at best lukewarm. Roughly one-third of respondents are 'interested', one-third 'indifferent' and one-third 'uninterested'.

The most frequently mentioned barrier to the mobile wallet is the fee for its use (72 per cent of respondents), followed by security concerns about losing the phone and privacy.

The In-Stat survey also found that the mobile wallet is most appealing to technology innovators and early adopters, as well as subscribers who already rely heavily on their wireless phones.

  • Have your say
  • Send to a friend
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Share

Tags:

Do you agree?

Related whitepapers

Related jobs

Most watched

eu flag

V3.co.uk weekly debrief, 6 Nov 09

This week, Europe decides what to do with illegal file sharers

Intel unveils its micro server platform

Small-enclosure systems take aim at hosting market

Analysis and Reports

Remote access - Three steps to getting connected

3.4 million UK professionals now work from home – is your company equipped?

Cost benefits of a global collaboration network

This white paper is a must read for organisations looking for evidence of the bottom-line benefits of high-definition video and voice communications

Poll

Impact of Information Overload poll

Impact of Information Overload poll

What is the biggest problem your firm faces as a result of the data explosion?

View poll results

Advertisement

White paper library

Keep up to date with the latest products, services and technologies from the world's leading IT companies; IThound.com brings you over 6,000 white papers, case studies and analyst reports.

Advertisement

Newsletter signup

Sign up for our range of FREE newsletters:

Existing User

Newsletter user login:

Enter email address to edit your newsletter preferences

Job of the week

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Hiring now on ComputingCareers:

Related IT jobs

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Advertisement

Spotlight

shackleton

Content management tools "barely being used"

Open Text chief predicts more consolidation in ECM market

Scott Totzke

Interview: Scott Totzke, VP global security, RIM

We ask the BlackBerry maker's head of security what CIOs...

Apple Magic Mouse

Review: Apple Magic Mouse

Multi-touch makes an appearance on Apple's latest mouse

clouds

Summit: Industry needs to come clean on cloud security

Trend Micro CTO warns of widespread data theft

Primary Navigation