Dial M for m-commerce

M Scalemand Mudit Agarwal

Mobile commerce is a concept, which promises to change the very way we live and interact. It shall transform the way we transact and do business. The synergy of mobile and Internet technologies provide a matchless combination of speed and convenience. So what else is new and how is it good for me as a business executive, you may ask?

Here goes - If you are a busy executive on the move and your travel plans depend upon a number of unforeseen contingencies, M-Commerce enables you to plan and dynamically reschedule your travel reservations online, anytime. It enables you to keep updated with all the vital information that may be crucial for your informed decision-making.

You do not need to plan your entire tour and expenses in advance and carry an assortment of debit and credit cards. The Authentication Key stored in the memory of your mobile handset will enable you to undertake the necessary transactions. It shall provide a seamless two-way link whereby you can access your banker for credit facilities as and when required.

People are now talking of 2G/2.5G or even 3G. Exciting possibilities are likely to unfold as UMTS, i.e. Universal Mobile Telecommunications System; a third-generation broadband mobile network enables high-speed data and multimedia applications on mobile platform.

Wireless Internet Applications will enable you to interact online and access personalized information. Welcome to 4G! By virtue of it you shall have customized news update, customized music and customized entertainment. Even on move, you shall be updated with real time analysis, just in time for the vital business decision!

Before you land, you shall be updated on the weather/ traffic conditions, the best route you can choose and the schedule of events planned for the day in addition to the Latest News Headlines. You can interact with your office / clients, send important messages, access relevant information and read your e-mail. Obviously, if you are in a hurry, m-platform shall navigate you so that you are not caught in a traffic jam.

If you are a stock trader, you shall have the vital statistics from across the stock exchanges customized to your need. All the information and all the analysis you need and only as much as you need. And if you need to trade, just trade online, anytime on the same mobile phone. On an outing you can choose a restaurant of your choice nearby and you can select the movie and the theatre you may want to visit. You may as well book an advance seat. Just imagine you enter a restaurant and the owner welcomes you with your name, directs you to a table especially reserved for you and offers you a drink/ cuisine of your choice.

With more than five hundred million mobile users worldwide and with a high penetration rate, the potential of m-commerce is truly limitless. Whether you be a service provider or a client, an employee or a customer, whether you be in a bank, a restaurant, a store, a shopping mall, or the airlines industry, you will not be left untouched by this revolution in waiting. So, game for 'M' now? Be there or left behind…