阅读理解OnaPC(个人电脑)havingtofilloutaformandtypeinacreditcardnumbertobuysomethingisonlymildlyannoying.Onacellphoneitcouldmakeyouwanttoskipthepurchaseentirely.Thisiswhyinvestorsst
阅读理解
OnaPC(个人电脑)havingtofilloutaformandtypeinacreditcardnumbertobuysomething
isonlymildlyannoying.Onacellphoneitcouldmakeyouwanttoskipthepurchaseentirely.
Thisiswhyinvestorsstartups(初创企业)andmajorcorporationsarepouringmoneyinto
servicesthatmakeiteasiertousecellphonestobuygoodsandtransfermoney.Theaimistoturn
phonesintovirtualcreditcardsorcheckbooksenablingthekindofclickandbuycommerceandonline
bankingthatpeoplehavecometoexpectontheirPCs.Butshrinkingdown(缩小)thoseservices
presentsseriouschallenges.
Theservicesmustworkonmanydifferentphonesandthroughmanycellphoneserviceproviders
whichusuallycontrolthebillingrelationshipswithcustomers.Thataddscomplexitytothealreadytricky
businessofsafelyandsecurelytransferringfundsamongfinancialinstitutionsandmerchants.
Mobilepaymentsystemshavebeentriedbeforewithonlymodestsuccess.Drivinganewflurry
(一阵兴奋)ofdealmakingindustryanalystsandexecutivessayisthesuccessoftheiPhone
BlackBerryandothersophisticated(尖端的)devices.Thesephonesmakecomplexinteractionseasier.
Nowtheraceisontodevelopnewpaymentsystems-andtogetseveralpercentagepointsinfees
fromeachtransaction.They'reseeingthatreturnscouldbesohuge.Obopayastartupthatletspeople
transmitmoneytooneanotherviatextmessageraised$35millionfromNokia'sinvestment.Alsoa
mobilepaymentsstartupcalledBokuannouncedthatithadreceived$13millioninventurecapital
financing.
Whenpeoplecanusetheirphonenumberstomakeapurchasetheyare10timesaslikelytofollow
throughonatransactionaswhentheyhavetotypeincreditcardandbillinginformationsaidDavid
MarcuschiefexecutiveofastartupcalledZong.
Mobilepaymentcompaniesalsoneedtogetcooperationfrommerchantswhichmustaddapayment
optiontotheirmobilesitesorapplications.
Butthepotentialopportunitytogetfeesfromthegrowingnumberofmobiletransactionsistoo
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