Dear Readers,
Let me start this editorial by wishing all our readers a very happy, if belated, New Year. If some of the early January blogs from companies involved in the contactless payment industry are to go by, 2013 is to be the year of widespread adoption of contactless and mobile payments. eMarketer even went so far as to say that m-commerce sales were expected to rise 55% in 2013 with mobile accounting for 15% of all retail e-commerce experiences. Hurrah!
Unfortunately not everyone thinks so. UK research company ICM put it fairly bluntly "Mobile wallet adoption in 2013? 'Don't bet on it', they say (http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1cc ). They were pretty damning in why 2013 will not be the year for mobile payments, citing everything from retailers to the users of mobile phones themselves. However, while the likes of Google and MasterCard may agree, they were more circumspect when asked about such things as this year's CES in Las Vegas. Peter Hazelhurst, who heads up Google Wallet admitted that "This is an evolving process. It's not as if suddenly everyone has it. People have to learn new behaviours like using coupons stored on their phone or tapping an NFC-enabled phone to pay". Ed McLaughlin, chief emerging payments officer at MasterCard was a little more bullish, "It's not when will it happen -- it's happening," McLaughlin said. "This is what a technology transition feels like. Consumers are going to find things that make their lives easier ... and they're going to adopt that." (http://bit.ly/VLwElp ) So, what we should take away from that is that 2013 will be a year when companies take a deep breath and keep chipping away at the mobile payment mountain. Oh, and be prepared for even more competition from alternative payment methods. Competition from companies such as Index, headed up by ex-Google Wallet team members (http://tcrn.ch/WU5uaI). It may be a tough market to crack, but everyone wants their shot at it.
The good news when it comes to NFC is that it was very much in evidence at this year's CES. Albeit not so much on show in its payment form but in its ability to pair up with other NFC enabled devices. An NFC-enabled mobile will remain the key to a connected future but if some of the consumer white goods manufacturers at CES have their way, a connected future may be inside your own home. Everything from washing machines to refrigerators, fromTVs to audio equipment, seemed to be NFC connected (http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1cp ).
Allure Energy Inc. went one better and described how NFC would allow you take control of your entire home environment (http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1c7). The video that accompanies the article shows a tired woman (well, not really tired - she still seemed to have a bounce in her step!) arriving home to soft lights and music - all courtesy of proximity-based NFC technology and a central NFC-based, home computer-type hub controlling her environment. All I can say is that she doesn't look like she has kids. If you have kids, you know how often the TV remote gets lost. Try losing the hub that controls your entire home! Still. It's encouraging to see NFC technology being adopted across a wide range of appliances.
What will really move (no pun intended) NFC this year, though, will be public transport. Each UK local county seems to be introducing some kind of Oyster-type payment card on its public transport offering (http://bit.ly/11lOZLM , http://bit.ly/13mU6tC , http://bit.ly/TKwH2i ) and there are even reports of China gathering speed in issuing more and more smart cards to enable inhabitants to pay more easily for public transport. Latest report say that 440 of approximately 600 cities in China have set up smart card payment systems for public transport (http://bit.ly/VLvsOH).
Which nicely brings us to our last two topics, both of which have a connection to public transport: The first topic concerns the transport and ticketing industry. Transport Ticketing 2013 is Europe’s largest transport ticketing and fare collection event. Back for the 5th time, the event brings together more transport operators, local authorities and passenger transport executives than any other. The event attracts the entire ticketing ecosystem to help visitors and transportation companies offer their passengers a more cost effective, efficient and easy to use service. With over 200 operators already in attendance, organisers are want to remind our readers that now is the time to confirm their place. Click the banner on the top right to go to the site. The event runs from 28th - 30th January 2013, London, UK.
Our final topic concerns January's -- drumroll, please -- INTELLIGENCE! Once more Samsung (supporting the OSPT Alliance) is offering a Samsung Galaxy SIII if you can go to this page on the Contactless Intelligence site, read a bit of text, answer five simple questions, note the answers in a pre-prepared form and hit the 'send' button. What could be easier? And let's face it - the way things are going, not only will you need an NFC-enabled phone to pay with or catch a train in the future - you may need it to switch on your lights and television!
So enter the INTELLIGENCE now! Please.
Until next week.
Regards,
Steve Atkins
Contactless Intelligence
This week on C-ITV
The January Intelligence has begun! Win a Samsung Galaxy SIII http://wp.me/P1Jrjn-1c0
GURU POST: The promise of NFC and the importance of Trust. http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1an
Samsung takes to Las Vegas strip with NFC tiles http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1d5
Sony, LG embrace NFC for entertainment and appliances at CES 2013 http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1cp
Mobile wallet adoption in 2013? 'Don't bet on it', says ICM. http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1cc
Allure let's you make changes to your home environment thanks to NFC technology http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1c7
NXP takes Identive’s Cashless Betalen™ mobile payment solution – for lunch… http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1bs
Payments & m-Commerce
Beam Money Launches Wallet App For iPhone http://bit.ly/11lOGjP
Can Corporate Mobile Payments drive Merchant Acceptance? http://bit.ly/11lOAJ5
Bluefin, Vokal partner on m-payments services http://bit.ly/11lOtxc
Former Google Wallet Team Members Ready Their New Startup, Index, For Launch http://tcrn.ch/WU5uaI
Peter Hazlehurst, Google Wallet, "Why we're a long way from 'blink to pay'" http://bit.ly/VLwElp
Comparing business cases of Kenya & the US in terms of mobilewallet infrastructures http://bit.ly/VLwbPU
TIM Brasil teams up with Caixa, Mastercard for m-payments http://bit.ly/TKtWhl
Ideal Launches Cashless Express Card System For Smaller Locations http://bit.ly/Zf9tAo
Future of shopping is mobile and contactless says ATCM http://bit.ly/Zf9kgm
Payair, Swedish fishing organization partner on m-payments http://bit.ly/Zf8BvF
SBI Launches Prepaid Mobile Wallet Mobicash Easy http://bit.ly/Zf7UCz
Mobile payment startup PicPay lets Brazilians make purchases via a QR code http://tnw.co/Zf7OuA
How secure are RFID contactless payments? http://bit.ly/UsN16C
Wincor Nixdorf joins digital wallet wars http://bit.ly/136J4Zj
Mobile Banking for U.S. Corporate Customers: Catching On Slowly http://bit.ly/X08DIe
PayPass Locations Double in Europe in 2012, Adding Impetus for NFC Launches http://bit.ly/X08ynJ
China's Mobile Payments Will Reach Over CNY700 Billion By 2015 http://bit.ly/10bg9pa
AT&T’s new platforms to tempt devs: Digital Life, Mobile Payments, Connected Car http://bit.ly/10bgbNV
NFC & Mobile
NFC security monitoring solution launches in Tonga http://bit.ly/TKvDLC
Incipio announces NFC-enabled iPhone wallet http://bit.ly/TKuzrp
MegaFon adds low cost NFC phone http://bit.ly/10bePmh
Seoul hotel provides guests with NFC keys http://bit.ly/10beEY0
Ingenico trials NFC phone payment at Milan university http://bit.ly/Zf838W
PS4 uses NFC to crack down on used games http://bit.ly/Zf7k7y
5 Reasons You Want NFC On Your Mobile Device http://bit.ly/UsMVM7
The Year Ahead for NFC: Commercial Launches at Hand http://bit.ly/YWoKWw
Turkcell uses Timwe's technology for NFC service http://bit.ly/YWoHtR
The future of NFC: why Apple should join the party http://bit.ly/YWogja
Transportation, Ticketing, Access, Security & Loyalty
UK: New fleet of buses lined up for West Midlands - plus our own Oystercard http://bit.ly/13mU6tC
UK: New Oyster style smartcard introduced for bus users in Coventry http://bit.ly/11lOZLM
China: More citizens use smart cards to pay for public transport http://bit.ly/VLvsOH
UK: Public transport gets smart http://bit.ly/TKwH2i
At Disney Parks, a Bracelet Meant to Build Loyalty (and Sales) http://nyti.ms/10bgyIe
Ballarat commuters prepare for myki launch http://bit.ly/10bgqZb
Scotland: Trundling closer to a rail network smartcard http://bit.ly/Zf980o
Australian Myki debacle: We're stuck with a ticket to deride http://bit.ly/Zf8PTn
Myki: disaster from touch on to touch off http://bit.ly/YWpDyf
Metrolink fares hike to help fund new trams and smartcards http://bbc.in/YWpjj0
Other News & Opinion Articles
Mcommerce sales expected to increase 55.7% in 2013 - study http://bit.ly/11lOWzk
Would You Pay Extra to Pay with NFC? Neither Would We. http://bit.ly/11lOLEg
US: Ingenico Partners with Shift4 to Provide Merchants with a Processor-Neutral, Secure P2PE Platform http://bit.ly/VLu5iY
UK: Berlin-based Payleven reveals portable CHIP & PIN terminal http://bit.ly/VLtTjN
NFC Forum Forges Links with Global Certification Forum, IATA, and Wi-Fi Alliance http://bit.ly/TKuN1I
Global Near Field Communication Chip Market 2011-2015 New Report http://bit.ly/Zf8b8r
Survey: Despite initial missteps, mobile payments will boom in 2013 http://bit.ly/YWoUgt
New report: Payment and Transport: Vectors of Development for Mobile NFC? http://bit.ly/YWoarK
Google Wallet’s 2012 Struggles Could Mean Trouble Ahead http://bit.ly/YWo43r
Your Smartphone Will Replace Your Car Keys by 2015 http://bit.ly/X08h46
Hyundai wants your NFC-enabled smartphone to be your car keys http://bit.ly/YWnItz
NFC Tag Campaign Company Tapit Plans Expansion with $2.4 Million Series A Funding http://bit.ly/YWnOBy
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