Mobile E-Commerce and the Wireless Worldwide Web: Strategic Perspectives on the Internet's Emerging Model

Abstract

Telecommunications, the Internet, and mobile computing are merging their technologies to form a new business called mobile commerce or the wireless Internet. As more companies make their Web sites accessible to wireless devices and offer services and software to support wireless connections, they urgently need to consider how well the existing infrastructure will support their applications. A well-thought-out strategy is key to any major network change, especially a wireless one, which can touch many different aspects of a business organization. Provided in this chapter is an overall description of mobile commerce, the Internet’s emerging model, and examination of its current state-of-the-art, opportunities and challenges, and future trends. It explains the requirements for operating mobile commerce and the numerous ways of providing this wireless Internet business. While the Internet is already a valuable form of business that already transformed the way the world is doing business, it is about to change again. This change is being driven by consumer demand for wireless devices and the desire to be connected to information and data available through the Internet. There are many new opportunities that have only begun to be explored, and this will become a large revenue source for those who capitalize upon this new form of technology. However, like other capital ventures, these new opportunities have their drawbacks, which may limit growth of the mobile commerce market if not dealt with. Mobile electronic commerce technology is changing our world of business, just as the Internet has changed business today.