Ans :
The following are the key drivers of m-commerce:
• Popularity of mobile devices: Hand held devices are quickly
overtaking the traditional desktops and laptops and are becoming the
primary channel for access.
• Wireless bandwidth advancements: Mobile devices can now
leverage enhanced bandwidths offered by 3G (Third generation) and
4G networks in addition to Wi-Fi and Wi-Max technologies.
• Location based services: M-commerce also offers unique ability to
get the offers and promotions based on the current location of the
subscriber.
• Convenience and afford ability of mobile devices.
Technology Enables
The following are the main technology components which help perform the
commerce transactions using mobile devices:
• GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) offers band width between
9.6 kbps and 115 kbps via GSM network and enables simultaneous
receiving and transmission. It is essentially a packet switching
wireless protocol which enables continuous connectivity for mobile
devices.
• W AP (Wireless Application Protocol) is a protocol that involves
Wireless Markup Language (WML). Like HTML, it provides support
for text and image presentation, Ector mobile devices.
• W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) offers
2 Mbps bandwidth approximately.
• UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) also
known as 3G network which offers 2 Mbps approximately for both
up-linking and down-linking.
• Satellite based communication provides wide coverage over various
geo locations.
There may be variations to the bandwidths indicated above.
Attributes of M-Commerce
The following are the attributes of m-commerce:
• Ubiquity: Transaction service access from anywhere in real-time.
Weather and stock updates are examples.
• Convenience: Mobile devices enable access from anywhere and
any time.
• Interactivity achieved through responsive user experience.
• Personalization: Possible to personalize the experience based on user
identification and preference as well as location. Flashing relevant
advertisements and recommendations are examples.
• Context-aware localization: Using GPS (Global Positioning System)
and triangulation techniques it is possible to identify the location of
the user and push relevant promotions and offers. Directory services
are an example.
