CorFire Market Watch, 05-21-2012
Mobile Usage Hot Trends: Mobile Apps, Multi-screen & Mobile Video
Mobile apps or mobile Web? If the goal is to reach as many makes and models of devices, then mobile-optimized websites are a natural first choice. If it’s about building “experiences”, then mobile apps — front and center on our smartphones— may have some advantages. It’s often a confusing decision for marketers to make, and the right choice depends on what brands want. However, new numbers from Nielsen boost the argument that apps are gaining some serious traction (despite an increased focus by brands on the mobile Web and excitement about the improvements promised by HTML5).
Comparing 2012 to 2011, the research company discovered U.S. mobile subscribers are moving to smartphones and downloading more apps.
PCI offers new guidance to merchants on mobile payment acceptance
The PCI Security Standards Council has released a customized fact sheet to help merchants understand how they can securely accept payments using mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets.
The new fact sheet, "At a Glance: Mobile Payment Acceptance Security," is aimed at providing merchants with recommendations on partnering with a point-to-point encryption solution provider so they can securely accept payments and meet PCI DSS compliance obligations, the group said in an announcement.
The PCI SSC is an industry organization founded in 2006 by the major card brands in the U.S. to address data security and to create and administer standards for merchants and payment service providers. It is made up of more than 600 participating organizations around the world.
Will Devices for Mobile Payments Pass PCI Test?
Consider merchant acquisition. The opportunities for banks to offer on their own, or partner with providers, devices that attach to smartphones are so great that even the folks who are charged with producing security protocols for mobile payments are impressed.
"This provides a whole new payment channel for acquiring banks, not only for existing customers and existing merchants, but to reach a new portfolio of merchants that didn't have access before this," says Troy Leach, the PCI Security Standards Council's chief technology officer.
Mobile payments already exceed cheques
If you believe the pundits, mobile payments are years away from being mainstream. But that’s not at all an accurate assessment of the state of the industry.
As of today, it appears that around half of the developed world has made a mobile payment of some sort in the last 12 months according to this criteria – at a minimum an in-App purchase made from a mobile or iPad would qualify. Put that in perspective, more people made a mobile payment in 2011 than wrote a cheque in developed economies like the US, UK and Australia!
U.S. Lags in Mobile Payments and Online Banking, Study Says
As the world increasingly shifts more activity to mobile phones, the U.S. is a laggard even among its most avid users of smartphones. Aite surveyed 4,200 consumers in 14 countries during the first quarter of this year.
Based on their use of smartphones, extreme mobile users “aggressively change how they shop for products and services, how they interact with their banks and bank accounts, and how they pay for goods and services,” the report says.
India has the most avid users, with about 60% of smartphone owners identifying themselves as such. The U.S. only has 20%. (Across countries, nearly 70% of the most avid users tend to be in the 18 to 40-something bracket, so-called Gen X and Gen Yers.)
CTIA Wireless Industry Indices Report: Now Available
Since 1985, CTIA has conducted an in-depth analysis of industry wide data drawn from member and non-member wireless service providers. This data reflects the results for companies serving 95% of wireless subscribers as of December 31, 2011.