The worldwide mobile commerce (m-commerce) market place is growing rapidly, enabled by an increasing use of micro-payments and retail integrations at point-of-sale (POS). While network operators are still the main payment processor, third-party systems are still being made available that can also process mobile payment (including micro payments).
The combination of these services makes it feasible for businesses to handle an extremely large volume of low value sales without needing an extensive chain of retail locations. In addition to purchases like ringtones, music tracks and games, the growth in micro-payments has come from the purchase of items like car parking and cinema tickets. The next major area of growth is anticipated to be in vending machines, where a vast reduction in the need to use and handle coins would bring large benefits.
Additionally, mobile is beginning in impact commerce at bricks-and-mortar POS through incentive and m-couponing programs driving sales and customer retention.
The panel will explore MEF’s digital DNA starting with the rise of the RINGTONE ECONOMY and then expand on the maturation of the phone as a multi-format payment and retail conversion device.
http://www.ctiawireless.com/events/event_details.cfm?calID=979
About Gary Schwartz
Over the past ten years, Gary Schwartz has played a leadership role in the mobile industry. Gary is the CEO of Impact Mobile, Inc., Chair of MEF North America and is the author of "THE IMPULSE ECONOMY" published by Published by Simon & Schuster, Aria Imprint.
Twitter @impulseeconomy
In 2002, Gary ran the first cross-carrier short code campaign in North America. In 2006, Gary founded the mobile committee for the Interactive Advertising Bureau (www.iab.net) and has worked to publish literature such as the Mobile Buyer's Guide helping extend the digital buy into mobile (for which he received an IAB award for industry excellence in 2009).
Additionally, in 2007, Gary started work to help establish a joint task force between the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and the IAB with the aid of the Media Rating Council (MRC) to develop global, auditable mobile measurement standards.
In 2010, Gary was elected as the Chair of MEF North America (www.m-e-f.org) with a remit to develop a mobile commerce practice to service brands, retailers and content owners (for which he received a MEF award for industry excellence). In 2011, in partnership with MEF and a number of industry groups including the X9 security standards body, Gary is working to develop m-commerce security and privacy guidelines.
Gary is the recipient of the Macromedia People Choice Award as well as the Dodge Foundation award for innovation. Gary is an Asia and Japan Foundation Fellow.
