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There’s Loose Change in a Mobile World

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This article originally appeared in NXNE magazine and was co-authored by Marlon Rodrigues and Sabaa Quao.

2012 is “The Year Of Mobile”, they proclaimed. Again.

Every year for the past decade was supposed to be the break-out year for mobile devices. The soothsayers and market optimists can’t be faulted for their declarations — through the recession, mobile device sales and service contracts were among the few products that did not face a market slowdown.

Mobile is clearly more than a casual social utility; it’s a primary way in which we expect to make contact with the world. People will pay for mobile – and this gradual consumer shift from fixed to mobile ups the ante for mobile enablers of all stripes: the developers, designers, financiers and marketers.

Mobile offers potent commercial potential: rich, flexible displays for merchandising, always-on connectivity and a payment infrastructure. Since processing transactions is no longer just the domain of electronic banking, and since operating close to a transaction generates the greatest value –and since the technology already exists to participate – what are we waiting for?

The keys will lie in the user experience. Sure, concerns about bombarding the end user with offers will arise, as will the usual complaints that a mobile device is too small a window to meaningfully promote and merchandise a product. But there’s nothing to be gained from not trying. Let’s get on with it.

-- Marlon will be speaking on two panels this week at NXNEi:

We hope to see you there, please use promo code NXNERocks for 15% off your ticket!