Week # 8 - Mobile Computing and Commerce and Pervasive Computing

Chapter's objectives:


Describe the mobile computing environment that supports m-commerce (devices, software, services).
Describe the four major types of wireless telecommunications networks.
Define mobile commerce and understand its relationship to e-commerce.
Discuss the value-added attributes, benefits, and fundamental drivers of m-commerce.
Discuss m-commerce applications in finance, shopping, advertising, and provision of content.
Describe the application of m-commerce within organizations.
Understand B2B and supply chain management applications of m-commerce.
Describe consumer and personal applications of m-commerce.
Understand the technologies and potential application of location-based m-commerce.
Describe the major inhibitors and barriers of m-commerce.
Discuss the key characteristics and current uses of pervasive computing.
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Using a wireless device has become pretty much part of everyone's life.
From cell phones to laptops, blackberries and other devices - it seems like we can't do without them nowadays.
I have been very attached to my Dell laptop computer and have been using it
everywhere - in the coffee shop, at school, in the library, even outside on my deck.
Using a wireless network at my own home has allowed me to even do my homework from other locations in the house, not necessarily in my office.
It's been great !
I can save all my documents on my laptop, do my homework, check my email...

Checking my e-mail through my mobile phone has been an advatage as well,
because sometimes I just have to check my e-mail account quickly without having to turn on my laptop if I am outside the house. It's very convenient when there's no wireless network where I am at.

I haven't been really shopping through my mobile devices, but I have used my phone to search the internet for driving directions, and to download ring tones for which I had to pay, so it's basically considered as shopping via your cell phone.

I can definitely understand how MCommerce is described as an extension of E-Commerce; it actually expands M-commerce because of the following reasons:
MC is available at any place, any time.
MC is Convenient for users and the use of mobile computing devices is becoming even more functional and easy while the devices themselves are becoming even smaller and easier to carry around.

Mc is highly interactive as it allows users to immediately respond and take action.
Mc is more personalized because the mobile devices are personalized compared to public devices such as computers at libraries and internet-cafes etc’.
MC offers Localization – which means that it allows sellers to offers services that are relevant to the location of the customer at the same moment.

All above advantages allow MCommerce to open new windows of opportunity in the E-commerce field. In addition to that, the marketing culture today supports excellence in service, and M-commerce enables that because of increased availability
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Article of the week:
This is an article from BusinessWeek about the slow penetration of MCommerce into China, and
it demonstrates why it is important that there will be a proper infrastructure for MCommerce.
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/may2007/gb20070510_194701.htm?chan=search