Various outlets are reporting the news that three of the UK's mobile operators have filed a Form C0 (used for merger notifications) with the European Commission to set up a joint venture company to provide mobile advertising and wallet services.
There's a discussion of the venture on The Guardian's website.
I'll be curious to see if this venture gains any traction, as Google wallet has hardly taken the US by storm.
ReplyDeleteLike others, I'll be interested to see how this venture is viewed by data privacy groups, as the idea of sharing my personal data for 'coupons from advertisers' sounds more than annoying and vaguely instrusive and menacing, in particular when it involves devices who can pinpoint my location very closely in urban environments. I'd prefer not to provide them with even further data points in which to profile me on a Saturday afternoon.
As you say, it would be interesting to see what others think.
DeleteAccording to BBR Online Banking Portal (http://onlinebanking.banking-business-review.com/news/future-belongs-to-mobile-banking-federal-reserve-150312) , the US Federal Reserve has reported that in a recent survey it found that one out of five US consumers are using their mobile phone to access bank accounts, credit card and other financial accounts. In the survey an additional one out of five indicated that they would like to use mobile banking in the future. It is anticipated that one out of every three mobile users will use mobile banking by 2013. This is all interesting given Nokia’s planned withdrawal from the mobile money market.
ReplyDeleteI certainly already use PayPal from my mobile device, or at least use my mobile device for eCommerce but, although I've used NFC for payments linked to my phone some time back, it was just a trial, which has run its course — I'd very happily use it again, though, as it is just so convenient.
ReplyDeleteThe organization Speed Matters, which promotes affordable high-speed internet for Americans, has sent out emails urging individuals to write the US Congress to stop the proposed merger between Verizon Wireless and the largest cable companies. They include Comcast, Time Warner, Bright House and Cox. Their fear is that the merger would be a death knell for consumer choice and industry competition in that the concentration of their power in the industry would constitute a virtual monopoly. The organization claims that the deal includes a joint operating entity to develop exclusive, proprietary technologies to crush competition. Due to growing opposition to the deal the FCC has temporarily suspended its regulatory review.
ReplyDeleteThe American Consumer Federation has also written the FCC to place a hold on the proposed merger until it can examine allegations of Comcast’s violations of its earlier merger with NBCUniversal and its exemption of its own Xfinity service to Xbox from its 250 gigabyte monthly data cap. The monthly data cap exemption favors its partner Microsoft and appears to be a violation of net neutrality. The full article can be found at the following URL: http://www.speedmatters.org/.