Mobile commerce, or m-commerce, the ability to pay for goods and services by using a mobile phone, will be easily accepted by mobile telephony consumers, according to a new study announced today by Nokia. The study shows that many more people will be willing to use their mobile phones for m-commerce than presently use eCommerce to make purchases over the Internet. The study confirms that mobile operators can expect future revenue growth from m-commerce.
The study conducted by MORI, Britain's largest independent market research agency, found that roughly eight-times as many people would use m-commerce as compared to the number of people actually using eCommerce today. The study also showed that nearly 90% of people interested in using m-commerce services will also be willing to pay extra for the convenience of making purchases with m-commerce.
MORI interviewed over 11,000 people in six markets from October 2000 to January. The range of markets studied was global -- Great Britain, South Korea, Italy, USA, Brazil and Finland.
Nokia undertook the study to provide an end user perspective on m-commerce, which will likely be rolled out to some markets in the near future. In particular, Nokia aimed to gain insights into people's attitudes towards potential m-commerce services and applications, as well as insights into people's fears and obstacles preventing m-commerce usage. Finally, Nokia hoped to bolster the business case by showing that potential demand for m-commerce already exists in the marketplace.
The study revealed that mobile-phone users view m-commerce as complementary to alternative remote-commerce channels such as the Internet. They tend to favor "local" transactions, where m-commerce provides a unique application for electronic transactions. Their choice of payment method depends on the size of the transaction and billing arrangements, but most are willing to pay extra for m-commerce services. This suggests that consumers see real value and benefit in using their mobile phones as tools for shopping.
The study demonstrated that convenience and control will play a pivot role in acceptance of m-commerce. Study participants saw m-commerce as a way of avoiding carrying cash or waiting in queues, as well as a way to grain greater control over expenditures and enjoy unlimited purchasing possibilities. Future m-commerce users are unlikely to view specific goods and services as exclusively "m-commerce products". They will think in terms of situations, such as being lost or having a car breakdown, where they are willing to pay more for services available via m-commerce.
"It is clear from this study that the market sees m-commerce as a natural extension of eCommerce," said Reza Chady, Global Head of Market Research, Nokia Networks. "While it is a new concept to many people, they are already expecting to use this method of payment in the future, which makes us feel confident that the potential mass market for m-commerce is huge."
Specifically, the study found that initial adoption of m-commerce is likely to be on a similar scale as today's usage of eCommerce, which is already somewhat mature. Also, 24% to 54% of respondents across the markets stated they would be willing to carry out a transaction of more than USD 25 using a mobile device.
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