M-commerce and the e-wallet: Innovation and mobile devices

Explore ONE of the problems associated with mobile technology or their suppliers, from 1 to 4 below:

1.What is meant by a location based service?

According to Wikipedia (2009), 'a location based service (LBS) is an information and entertainment service, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device'. For example, online game or SMS is one of the LBS applications that operates on handheld devices. However, LBS creates a privacy issue because it needs to track the location of the handheld device in order to provide the services at a particular spot.

2.Visit A location-based service (LBS) is an information and entertainment service, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device Web site and search for information on WAP or SMS access to booking airline services. Do the same for WAP or SMS services in banking. How do both industries compare?

Both Airline and Banking are service industries. However, what can be doing in the airline services might not be applicable to the banking services. The information delivered by the airline company is normally less sensitive and personal like the schedule of the flights or airfares. Most of these information are public. The worst case is the itinerary of a person is disclosed. This should be far less harmful than disclosing a person's financial information.

3.Visit the W3C website and find the status of the VoiceXML project. When do you think it will affect business on the Web and what will its impact be?

The second draft of VoiceXML 3.0 was just published by W3C on 4 June 2009 (W3C n.d.). The W3C Speech Interface Framework is a suite of markup specifications. When the VoiceXML is standardised and mature, we can actually use our cell phones with the voice browser to do the following:

• Accessing business information, including the corporate "front desk" asking callers who or what they want, automated telephone ordering services, support desks, order tracking, airline arrival and departure information, cinema and theater booking services, and home banking services.
• Accessing public information, including community information such as weather, traffic conditions, school closures, directions and events; local, national and international news; national and international stock market information; and business and e-commerce transactions.
• Accessing personal information, including calendars, address and telephone lists, to-do lists, shopping lists, and calorie counters.
• Assisting the user to communicate with other people via sending and receiving voice-mail and email messages.

As a result, the voice data can be browsed and transmitted freely over the Internet. The e-commerce and m-commerce will become much more popular and increase the volumne of the transactions as users (even the peolpe with hearing and speaking impairments) can place their orders by phone calls or voice mails and the business organisations can manage these requests based on the infrastructure.

4.According to Nokia:

The Nokia One Mobile Connectivity Service provides easy and secure access to email, calendar, directory and more from a mobile phone, PDA, PC or fixed-line phone - take your corporate applications mobile.

Why is a company like Nokia – http://www.nokia.com – described as having end-to-end expertise?

References

Nokia Siemens Networks n.d., End to End Expert, Insight, viewed 19 June 2009, <http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com/jp/Insight/end-to-end/>.

W3C n.d.,"Voice Browser" Activity, viewd 19 June 2009, <http://www.w3.org/Voice/>.

Wikipedia 2009, location based service, last updated, 10 May, Wikimedia Foundation Inc., US, viewed 19 June 2009, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Location-based_service>.