swipe your Smartphone to pay bills

The day is not far when credit cards will be completely vanished. Yeah! You got it right, such a technology is being developed that will enable people to pay bills by swiping their mobile phones.

Reportedly, Barclaycard and the biggest mobile network of England, Everything Everywhere (which includes Orange and T-mobile), have made a partnership to bring the system to 40,000 cash registers (tills).

Mr Gerry McQuade, the officer of Barclaycard, said in his statement that this was the beginning of revolution in how bills were paid for purchase. He further added that it was a cultural shift that was important as the launch of credit card or cash machines and their effort was to make something that had been talked for many years a reality.

The joint venture of Barclaycard and Everything Everywhere claims that this is the biggest revolution in payments since cards were introduced.
As per report of the sources, the negotiations with different banks and mobile handset producers (which include Apple, Nokia and Blackberry) are going on.
It has been reported that the system worked by installing chip and antenna in the handset.

The function of the tiny chip is to tie the handset to the owner and their credit card or bank account and the work of antenna is to send a radio signal to a till scanner which recognises the handset, authorises the payment and then that much amount is reduced from the owner’s account.

The Mobile Store launches 'Dial-a-phone' service

With scores of new handset players coming to India and selling mobile phones getting tougher each passing day, retail store owners mulling new ideas to reach out to potential  customers.

In lines with this kind of initiatives, Essar Group company The mobile store (TMS) has launched an innovative plan of delivering desired mobile phones at customer's doorstep. TMS has also floated a helpline number--1800-209-6363 -- in this regard on which prospective buyers can make a call and ask to deliver their phones at home. Buyers need to enter their credit/debit card details with the IVR system to make the purchase complete.

Though TMS has taken a hint from the success of pizza delivery mechanism to promote their sells, and infact mentioned in their note that they would like to create similar experience like pizza delivery for mobile phones in India, they need to understand the difference of the products they deliver.

Consider this. A pizza costs Rs 300 to Rs 500 on an average. And a pizza company knows the pizza better than the customer. And its for one time use. The customer could afford to loose Rs 500 in case the pizza is not up to the mark.

But in case of a mobile phone, which would cost a customer more than Rs 3,000 (average cost) and a customer knows what he wants in a phone, in all probability he would like to have a -touch-and-feel of the product before he decides to buy it. And in most casses before going to buy a phone, people used to check upon few handsets and then make their choice. So, this will make the business proposition of TMS little difficult to gain feet. Calling the TMS helpline to deliver a phone only sounds possible when the customer has already decided which handset to buy. But in that case and in most probability, he must have decided about the handset checking out at the stores and not by looking at the promos of the device. In that casse he might prefer to buy it directly from the  retail store and it could be again The Mobile Store.

However, we'll keep a track of this service model and will come back to you with more insights.

Top 5 mobile phones trends for the year 2011

Today we are on the verge of a time when app-capable non-PC devices will out ship PCs. The mobile sector will be the main growth driver, with mobile voice revenue advancing at a 8.1 percent CAGR in India during the 2010-15 period (in contrast to 2.7 percent for Asia-Pacific as a whole) and mobile data service revenue growing at a 27.3 percent CAGR during the same period.

Here are the five mobile phones trends for 2011.

1. More personalized mobile marketing:
  

Thanks to the popular portable smart devices and advances in wireless technologies, mobile marketing is increasing quickly. Short message is regarded as one of the most efficient modes of mobile marketing. While mobile advertising boosts communication with consumers, the messages without a required permission from users cause privacy violations. But the adoption of more translucent and permission-based marketing will increase the credibility of mobile as an effective marketing tool.

2. 2. Mobiles will turn into "electronic wallets" replacing credit cards:

The day is not too far when you'll be purchasing your goods using your phone as a credit card. Mobile micropayments will soon make us pay from mobile-turn-electronic wallets. One of the key advantages of mobile payment is that it will make the transaction much quicker and secure than the credit card readers or any written form. Recently, Google made an announcement that in its next release of Android 2.3 or "Gingerbread", there will be support for NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. Nokia's C7 handset also has an NFC chip included, which will be activated in 2011. Adding to it, Apple?s next iPhone is also likely to come with NFC. NFC is a short-range high frequency wireless communication technology which enables the exchange of data between devices over about a 10 centimeters distance.

3. Apps vs. HTML5, the war will go on:

According to Forrester, it's not a question of "either/or" when it comes to a choice between apps vs. the mobile Web, but both. While for regular users of services like banking and brokerage apps will be on demand, the Internet will remain the retreat for more occasional information and needs. However, despite great opportunities offered by the new HTML, apps and app stores continue to rule mobile content, as the availability of basic functions of an app even without a stable data connection makes it more appealing for customers.

4. Mobiles will join the 3D bandwagon:

Being integrated in almost any device, 3D technology is the talk of the town today. As of now, a few mobile manufacturers have started experimenting with 3D technology, but they still have to go a bit further to create a sophisticated 3D mobile device. This year, the market is likely to see more such experimentation. In India, Spice Mobility has already introduced a phone with 3D capabilities. LG has also tossed its hat into the ring. It showcased its 3D mobile concept at CES 2011.

5. The concept of Green Mobiles will get momentum:

In a bid to appeal to the environmentally conscious consumers, some mobile vendors are developing handsets that are eco-friendly. Following its "GreenHeart" mantra, Sony Ericsson has made Sony Ericsson Elm, a handset made from recycled plastics and free of hazardous chemicals. It comes with a low power consumption charger, reduced packaging and some eco-aware apps. Another interesting fact is that it comes with an e-manual on the phone instead of a printed guide. We have other mobiles like LG's GD510 that comes with the facility of solar charging. Given this move, we expect other vendors to go down a similar route.

Stay in touch with samsung mobile phones

We all know the significance of mobile phones these days and how important they have become important in our lives off late. Right from the trendiest and brightest smart phones to the most stylish and sophisticated touch screen mobiles, Samsung brings you a array of ergonomically designed phones.

There are two forms of phones namely, Conventional and Smart phones. When we talk of conventional ones, these are affordable and are offered with lot of features such as: Bluetooth, text messaging and a powerful camera for capturing anything. Though, there are offered with unique features giving lot of choices to the customers. The other kind of phones offered is Smart Phones. Samsung mobile phones are pure genius with your choice of Windows mobile OS or Android, QWERTY keyboards with Turbo Scroll, intuitive touchscreens, robust multi-media capabilities, and powerful cameras that capture incredible photos and video.

Equipped with all the features, samsung mobile phones are handy and come in a large variety of designs leaving the customer in big dilemma. Since, these high end phones are easy to handle that is why in any form of travel or related, these don’t invite much of damage. Offered with wide functionality and lifetime service, they are the best choice in the long run.

Following are some of the features of samsung mobile phones:
• Outstanding connectivity
• Long life service
• Sleek design
• Handy
• Light in weight
• Ergonomically designed
• Simple and reliable handset

Attractive in nature, these samsung mobile phones have been selling like hot cakes right from their inception. As their additional feature, considering that they are compact in size, they can be carried with much ease anywhere. Offering full-house connectivity with varied multimedia effects, Samsung are one of the best models in the market and are receiving appreciation for their qualitative features. on being affordable in nature, these are easy purchase for any pocket. Now samsung mobile phones available in dual sim. The latest dual sim mobile series is samsung D880, B5722 (complete touch screen phone), C6112, Fizz, SGH-D880, SGH-D780, SCH-W339 and SCH-W619 (2ON).

These multi-utility phones are provide best of the service with durability in abundance. Rated as the among the best service provider, these new models are known for their features, performance and design. With availability of features such as SMS messages, email, Internet access, gaming, Bluetooth, infrared, camera, MMS messaging, MP3 player and radio. Accompanied by a rechargeable battery, these cello phones provide the power source for the various other phone functions. One can indeed recommend latest samsung mobile phones in all terms in order to meet all the demands of clients.