Mobiles, m-transactions and the developing world
by Helen Keegan
Vodafone, in partnership with Nokia and Nokia Siemens Network have just published a new policy report entitled ‘The Transofrmation Potential of M-Transactions’. This report is Vodafone’s 6th policy paper, of which three focus on the social impact of mobile phones, details new independent research from some hotshots who know about this stuff. One of the conclusions the research team draws is that a new regulatory framework is needed to encourage financial transactions by mobile phones and transform access to financial services in developing countries. And that the suggested changes will have a widespread impact on both the economic development of countries and the financial security of millions of people currently without access to banking services.
One of the things I keep banging on about to naysayers of mobile is that it’s all to easy in Europe and the US to get obsessed by web 2.0, online social networking, fancy shmancy web services and everything being internet and lap or desktop centric but IMHO, everything will be going mobile as there’s a concerted effort to make mobile stuff accessible and affordable for emerging markets in particular. And we keep our mobiles with us all the time and few of us lug laptops around with us in our handbags (ok, occasionally I do, but that’s out of necessity, not choice).
What with wind-powered and solar-powered mobile phones and solar-powered street lighting with built-in wi-fi from the Starsight team, the planet will be truly connected in the not too distant future. Add in the ability to complete financial transactions on your mobile phone, then things will certainly be rockin’ ‘n rollin’.
