New Payment Channels 2008

10.-11.03.2008, London/UK

This onference deals with new payment channels and how they alter the way cash is used. Dietmar G. Wiedemann, Projekt Manager SEMOPS, presents the current European e- and m-payment market. Dr. Key Pousttchi, Head of Mobile Commerce Working Group at University of Augsburg, discusses the question of "How technology influences consumer uptake of mobile payments".

[Program]

In February 2003 the four major mobile network operators Orange, Telefonica Moviles, T-Mobile and Vodafone founded the "Mobile Payments Services Association (MPSA)", later renamed to "Simpay". The aim of this alliance was the development and operation of a common mobile payment system on a pan-European scale. On June 13th 2005, the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine reported the exit of T-Mobile from Simpay. On June 24th 2005, Simpay announced the discontinuation of their activities. What are the consequences for the future of m-payment, especially in Europe? Dr Key Pousttchi, head of the Mobile Commerce Group at the Chair of Business Informatics and Systems Engineering, University of Augsburg, appraises this development as a chance for the origination of efficient and effective mobile payment solutions on a national level. "According to our research, national but all-embracing and user-friendly solutions have better prospects for a market breakthrough of payment with cell phones than the Simpay strategy had" he said in a first comment to the UniPressedienst. The research group is planning to set up an "International Competence Center on Mobile Payment and Banking" with major industry partners at the University of Augsburg towards the end of the year. [additional information]

The German "National Roundtable M-Payment" was founded in autumn 2004 by the German Federal Ministry for Economics (Bundeswirtschaftsministerium - BMWA) in addition to the MobilMedia initiative.  The German mobile network operators T-mobile, Vodafone, e-plus, O2 discuss here among themselves and with the German banks ways to common standards for mobile paying procedures.  The technical leading is with the University of Augsburg.  On 27.09.2005 the head of the German National Roundtable, Dr. Key Pousttchi, will explain the current state of affairs on the MobilMedia congress in Cologne. [Initiative MobilMedia-english summary]

The study "Mobile Business Processes in the Vending Industry" of the working group mobile commerce gained international recognition on the conference M-Business 2004 in New York: The authors Key Pousttchi and Christian Heinkele were awarded with the Best Paper Award in the category Case Studies. The study was developed in co-operation with Deloitte Business Consulting and a large operator of automatic vending machines.