Lot of hype has been built around the potential of mobile applications but
without the proper mobile infrastructure and due to limited network access and
coverage they may be meaningless. Similarly, network protocols are doubtful with different
carriers adopting various next-generation technologies. Lack of common mobile
platform standards to deliver m-commerce content is another major issue.
Quality issues continue to plague most mobile devices. Some problems arise due
to the physical characteristics of mobile devices, while others are
service-related. Small displays on mobile phones, tedious data entry, slow data
transmission speeds and lack of compelling services are major obstacles to the
user acceptance. Other issues related to mobile devices include:
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The technology used by phones may be complex to understand
by the consumers.
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Some devices allowing the Internet access are expensive.
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Many mobile carriers restrict Internet access to a select
group of sites.
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Lack of sophisticated filtering and display techniques
since automatic transformation of existing Internet content is not appropriate
for mobile devices.
Consumers are also worried about the breach of privacy and
transaction related security issues while using the mobile Internet. One of the
privacy concerns is the ability of mobile operators to know users' location. All
mobile operators have tracking systems, which can provide location data within a
few meters. This functionality could be misused adding to consumers'
inconvenience. Moreover, in a similar way like PCs with Internet access, mobile
devices are also prone to viruses. Hence, mobile service providers must provide
a secure environment for device users.
Public Key Infrastructures is one of the best security methods to achieve
complete transaction confidentiality, user and provider authentication, data
integrity (data has not been changed during transmission), and
payment/transaction authorization via digital signatures to ensure
non-repudiation. It requires various encryption techniques during data
transmission in order to achieve complete security.
Security of transmission and the data transmitted can also be achieved using
Wireless Transport Layer Security for secure remote sessions between consumers
and merchants or local payment protocols. Similar to PKI, strong end-to-end
encryption will also help in achieving complete security.
To create successful m-businesses, organizations need to fully understand mobile
user experiences. They have to develop an effective mobile strategy that can
lead to:
- Maximization of value to the business.
- Decreasing time to launch a new product in the market.
- Growth in scale to meet current and future needs.
- Minimizing product developments costs.
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