NZ tests mobile e-commerce

By RICHARD BRADDELL

Mobile e-commerce, which is still hardly in its infancy, will change the way we do business and our lifestyle, says the head of a company using New Zealand to test a mobile e-commerce terminal.

Ian Clark, the chief executive of mCom Solutions, says the hand-held terminal will be launched in New Zealand before a wider launch in three months because the local market is eftpos savvy.

At present, mobile eftpos is best known in taxis which use dedicated network systems.

But that, and the nature of services on offer, will change as small handheld devices like the one mCom is launching become more common.

Such devices will enable pizza deliverers to use cellular's locational ability to find customers' homes, and alert them when delivery is imminent.

London-based Mr Clark says the terminal, which is little larger than the cellphones of eight or nine years ago, has a six to 12-month start on competitors.

In addition to mobile eftpos, it also enables voice calls and short message services.

The device was developed by an Australian firm now owned by mCom, and is made in Australia.

It will be distributed by ANZ Bank-owned Eftpos New Zealand and has been certified by ANZ for use by its merchants.

In its present incarnation, it operates on Vodafone's GSM network. More advanced terminals with potential for video will be introduced once wider-bandwidth GPRS mobile systems and the like come on stream.

The company plans to introduce a CDMA version that would be capable of operating on Telecom's new digital network, which is under construction.

But Mr Clark says that terminal will be targeted to the American market.