Reach of mobile commerce could be expanded thanks to iKaaz
With mobile commerce gaining more attention around the world, consumers are beginning to clamor for services that cater to them. Unfortunately, the majority of mobile commerce services that could be useful to consumers are based on NFC technology. This means that only mobile devices that are equipped with NFC technology can make use of these services. Because NFC-enabled mobile devices are still relatively rare, consumers have had trouble participating in mobile commerce. This may soon change, however, thanks to iKaaz, a mobile commerce organization based in India.
iKaaz seeks to give low-end devices NFC capabilities
iKaaz has high hopes for mobile commerce and Indian consumers have shown a great deal of interest in making payments with their mobile devices. Mobile wallets have become relatively popular in India and other parts of the world, but these applications have yet to enable a wide range of consumers to participate in mobile commerce. iKaaz believes that the low availability of NFC-enabled devices is somewhat problematic to this sector and is looking to solve this problem with simple technology.
NFC tags and readers will make mobile commerce more accessible
The company has developed two products that may make mobile commerce more accessible to consumers. The first is a simple that that can give any mobile device NFC capabilities. The tag allows low-end devices, such as feature phones, to participate in mobile commerce. The second product is an NFC reader, which can be used by merchants to conduct mobile payments from devices that are not equipped with NFC technology.
iKaaz begins testing products in India
Both products are currently in their pilot stages, but iKaaz believes they will be a big hit with consumers and businesses. While smartphones and tablets are becoming more popular, the majority of consumers in India and other countries still make use of low-end devices. Enabling these consumers to engage in mobile commerce could be a lucrative move for iKaaz and the mobile payments sector as a whole.
