A new report from analyst firm Juniper Research has found that just over 2 billion mobile phone or tablet users will make some form of mobile commerce transaction by the end of 2017, up from 1.6 billion this year.
According to the report, mobile consumption of services such as banking, money transfer, and purchases of goods and services was surging as consumers were either migrating from desktop usage or becoming first-time e-commerce users through their smartphones or tablets.
It found that in a number of developed markets, mobile devices would account for over half of online transactions within five years.
The report, “Mobile Commerce Markets: Key Sector Strategies, Opportunities & Forecasts 2014-2019,” also observed that while contactless payments had yet to gain traction outside Japan and South Korea, Apple Pay was expected to provide NFC with real momentum.
It also stressed the opportunity for mobile to offer consumers in emerging markets first-time financial inclusivity through the provision of mobile wallets, enabling services beyond payments such as savings and micro-insurance.
Meanwhile, the report highlighted the potential of social networks in accelerating mobile commerce adoption.
According to report author Dr. Windsor Holden: ?Brands and retailers should certainly seek to integrate their offerings with players such as Facebook and FourSquare. Integration offers reach, allied to the potential to target specific user demographics.?
The report also recommended the integration of operator billing capabilities with websites to monetize digital content amongst a wider user base.
Other findings from the report include:
? Consumers concerns around transaction security remain the primary inhibitor on service adoption.
? While growth in the number of mobile digital content purchasers in developing markets is relatively low, the value of customers is increasing markedly as they transition from ringtone purchase to rich media content typically monetized through in-app purchase.
