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200 Million Mobile Phones in USA Today
There are more than 200 million mobile phones in use in the U.S. today, many of which come preloaded with technology to enable some form of Internet interactivity—instant messaging, e-mail or web browsing (which includes e-retailing); 15% have all three capabilities. At least 100 million phones in use today in the U.S. are “download capable,” according to investment bank Piper Jaffray & Co., meaning they are able to connect to a wireless carrier-based site or Internet-based site to purchase and download digital products such as ringtones, images and games.
Most of the major wireless carriers operate sites on their networks—as opposed to on the Internet—on which users can purchase digital content, paying for it via their mobile service accounts. Further, carriers have begun adding shopping portals, or decks, to their user interfaces. Mobile phone users access the shopping area which enables them to link to m-commerce sites—either wireless carrier-based versions of sites or Internet-based mobile-enabled sites—of retailers that have agreements with the carriers. There shoppers can buy not just digital content but merchandise as well.
To “close the deal,” more wireless carriers and mobile shoppers have been signing on with a flowering m-commerce technology: mobile payment software and systems. Companies such as Obopay Inc., Click&Buy and UnWired Buyer Inc. already have come to market with mobile payment software that enables users to store payment and contact information in a secure account, then use that account to complete purchases via mobile phones.
Ahorre August 10, 2006 11:01 PM
Small Business Marketing - Internet Business Marketing - Internet Business Opportunities