¶ … Cell Phone as an Electronic Wallet
Rapid advances in technology in recent decades have brought about a dramatic change in the way people work, transact and communicate. Yet, it is widely believed that there is still ample scope for technology to make life even more convenient and efficient. For instance, the cell phone is already showing the promise of functioning as an electronic wallet. It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate that using the cell phone, as an electronic wallet, will in fact add a great deal to convenience and safety, especially in the area of replacing plastic credit, debit and smart cards.
paid card; convenience; efficiency; safety; security; electronic; identification; business; bank; credit card company; consumer; transaction; identity theft; fraud; charge back; commissions.
Introduction
Advances in Information Technology and Communication in recent decades have brought about a dramatic change in the way people live, work and play. Consider, for instance, the manner in which the Internet and the mobile phone have significantly changed the communication landscape or the way that ATMs and plastic cards have replaced bank tellers and the need for cash. In fact, it is now hard to imagine a world where one is unable to stay connected with family, friends, and business associates round the clock, irrespective of geographical location. Similarly, long queues to pay bills or withdraw cash are now pretty much inconceivable in a day and age when shopping, banking, and even tax returns can all be done online.
Indeed, the impact of modern technology on human society and life is reflected in the fact that 64% of all Internet users say that their daily routines and activities would be affected if they could no longer use the Internet (IT Facts, 2004, para 2). In a similar vein, it can be inferred that the 175 million U.S. adults who currently use the convenience of a debit card to pay for their purchases or the 180 million (62% of the population) who use cell phones (Mobatech, 2003, para 6) would express a similar sentiment about the convenience of card payment or mobile communication.
Still, it is widely believed that there is ample scope for technology to make life even more convenient, efficient, and secure through better integration of voice and data devices. For instance, the cell phone is already showing the promise of functioning as an electronic wallet. It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate that using the cell phone, as an electronic wallet, will in fact add a great deal to convenience and safety, especially in the area of replacing plastic credit, debit and smart cards.
Current trends in consumer usage of Information Technology
The conveniences afforded by modern technology have naturally benefited both businesses and consumers alike, since the use of such technology results in greater efficiencies. Indeed, the benefits offered by the wired and wireless world has resulted in 79.5% of the U.S. adult population accessing the Internet at work, home or from other locations (IT Facts, 2004, para 9).
The widespread penetration and usage of the Internet has also naturally led to the growth of e-commerce. For example, a study done by Internet Retailer found that $70 billion worth of merchandise was sold online in the U.S. In 2003 (Love, 2004, para 1). This astronomical figure is not surprising given findings that 55% of Internet users buy tickets for movies, plays, and sporting events online; 44% say that they do banking and bill paying through the Internet; and 33% claim to use the Internet to purchase everyday items (IT Facts, 2004, para 5).
The figures cited above are, in fact, expected to continue to grow with increasing penetration and usage of the Internet, accessed through PCs and various types of wireless devices, including the cell phone. One indication that this expectation of further growth will materialize is the more than tenfold expansion of online banking between 1996 and 2003; a trend that still continues. This is evident in a recent study by TowerGroup Research, which found that 22 million customers logged onto their bank accounts in March 2004, representing a nearly 30% increase from 2003. Further, the same study estimates that the use of online banking will continue to grow with 42.5 million customers or 37% of all U.S. households registering to bank online by 2007 (IT Facts, 2004, para 10).
If Information Technology has changed the way the average citizen lives, works, and plays, it has also resulted in enabling business processes to grow increasingly more efficient. This is certainly true of the financial services industry, which has benefited vastly from...
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now