Contents



Part A: What is M-Commerce? 2


Part B: Terminologies & Standards 2


Part C: Features & Advantages of M-Commerce 3


Part D: Services 3, 4


Part E: Limitations of M-Commerce 4


Part F: Conclusion 4


Part G: References 5














What is Mobile Commerce?

M-commerce (mobile commerce) is the buying and selling or transaction of goods and services through wireless devices such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
OR
Simply, any e-commerce done through wireless devices (e.g. mobile phones) over any network especially the internet.

Some Terminologies & Standards Used in M-Commerce

     GPS:          
Global Positioning System
A system of satellites and receiving devices used to locate positions on the Earth

     PDA:          
Personal Digital Assistant
It’s a handheld wireless computer.

     SMS:          
Short Messaging Service
Enables us to send simple text messages.

     EMS:          
Enhanced Messaging Service
Enables us to send simple melodies, images, sounds, animations and formatted text.

     MMS:          
Multimedia Messaging Service
Enables us to send multimedia messages.

     WAP:          
Wireless Application Protocol
It is an international standard for mobile internet access.

     Smart Phone:
Internet-enabled cell phones
A combination of a mobile phone and a PDA.

     GPRS:
General Packet Radio Service
One of the latest advancements in wireless data. It is used in GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) for transferring data in packets.
Features & Advantages of M-Commerce


Mobility
Users can carry cell phones or other mobile devices anywhere.

Reachability
With a cell phone a user can be contacted anywhere anytime.

Convenience
These devices can store data and have advance features and are easy to use.

Instant Connectivity
Users can connect instantly and easily to the internet through their wireless devices anytime anywhere.

Location-Based Services
By knowing interests of a user sellers can send user-specific or location-specific advertising messages.


Mobile Services

Some services offered in m-commerce are:-

Entertainment
•     Music
•     Games
•     Graphics
•     Video
Communications
•     Short Messaging
•     Multimedia Messaging
•     Advertising Messaging
•     E-mail
•     Video – Conferencing
Transactions
•     Banking
•     Shopping
•     Auctions
•     Booking & Reservations

Information
•     News
•     Sports
•     Jokes
•     Directory Services
•     Maps
•     Traffic and Weather
•     Stock Exchange




Limitations of M-Commerce

     Limited storage capacity of devices
     Hard to browse sites
     Small size of mobile devices (screens, keypads etc.)
     Insufficient bandwidth
     Power consumption limitations
     Poor reception in some places (like tunnels)




Conclusion

Within a few years, there will be well over a billion mobile phone users worldwide and the majority of mobile phones will be connected to the Internet. So there is going to be great transformation in the way business in conducted. Every one will go towards m-commerce.












References

Web pages accessed on Tuesday, May 31, 2005:-


(Yong Rao. “Mobile Commerce”. Writing at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Saturday, March 27, 2004)



(Sep 10, 2003.)

(Carl Adams. “M-Commerce”. Writing at the University of Portsmouth. December 4, 2001)


(Thursday, January 08, 2004.)