MoBank App Takes Shopping to the IPhone in the UK

iPhone and iPod Touch owners in the U.K. will be able to use their devices to buy and pay for goods using a new application from MoBank.

By Mikael Ricknäs

Fri, July 03, 2009 — IDG News Service — iPhone and iPod Touch owners in the U.K. will be able to use their devices to buy and pay for goods using a new application from MoBank.

The company has done a soft launch, but will start to push the application more aggressively on Monday, according to CEO Steve Townend.

MoBank customers will, for example, be able to book and pay for movie or concert tickets, order fast food or buy new shoes. Convenience is the big advantage: "You can do what you want, when you want," Townend said.

iPhone users need to download the application from the AppStore and register a credit or debit card to pay using a personal identification number, he said. iPod Touch users need a Wi-Fi connection for the application to work.

The app's store has been developed with the mobile phone in mind, rather than an Internet site being brought to the mobile phone without any modifications, according to Townend. So, to make it easier to navigate, users won't have a lot of choices, he said.

However, just like with regular e-commerce, most goods are delivered to the buyer's door, although tickets will have to be picked up at box offices.

The PIN is encrypted and stored on MoBank's servers, rather than on the device, according to the company Web site. The company is also close to using voice recognition for what it considers to be "vulnerable" transactions, Townend said.

The company wants to expand its platform support all kinds of smartphones and topping its list are Android and BlackBerry phones, according to Townend.

The MoBank CEO is also a big fan of contactless payments. That market is being held back by a lack of phones that support Near Field Communication, the technology that makes it possible for users to pay by waving their handsets in front of readers. However, using a sticker with an NFC chipset may be a quick fix, Townend said.

"We have been working on putting what we call an NFC sticker on the back of the phone," said Townend. The sticker would come with value stored on it, similar to a gift card or voucher, according to Townend, and when the user has spent all the money, MoBank would have to send a new one.

"It's only a temporary measure, but it gets people using it and gets us known for innovating those things," said Townend, who expects to launch the service in six to 12 months.

A similar service was launched by MasterCard and Blaze Mobile in March.

MoBank

Loading...
Mobile MarketSpace
Making Consumer TwoFactor Authentication Cost-Effective
Offering your customers the security of two-factor authentication can help you boost your online business. Learn more »
Solve Five Key IT Security Challenges
Get a high level of security with minimal user impact. Learn more »
Tokenless Two-Factor Authentication In Action
Learn how this technology works, how to implement it, and compare it to other two-factor authentication solutions available on the market today. Learn more »
Mobile Security Landscape
This paper examines the current mobile security landscape, including myths surrounding the risks and threats, and how organizations can establish a solid mobile security strategy. Learn more »
Research: Microsoft Mobile Solutions
This paper compares the Research In Motion BlackBerry solution with the Microsoft(R) mobile solution by analyzing features of the user experience and the administrator experience. Learn more »
Five-Step Mobility Management Plan
This complimentary Aberdeen report details how best-in-class companies are using a 5-Step Mobility Management approach to take control of their burgeoning mobile infrastructures. A must read for IT executives looking to cut mobility TCO and support costs, reduce security risks and increase mobile user productivity Learn more »
Getting Started with LogMeIn Rescue
In this brief demo, you will see LogMeIn Rescue's key features and discover how they can help you support more users on PCs, Macs and smartphones, and solve more issues than ever before. Learn more »
Legacy Tools: Not Built for the Helpdesk
This paper explores the challenges of supporting this workforce with legacy tools such as RDP" and VNC" and identifies best practices that you can use to choose helpdesk tools. Learn more »
 
SPONSORED LINKS
 

Mobile Security: The Essential Ingredient for Today's Enterprise

White Paper: Legacy Tools: Not Built for the Helpdesk

Learn how to maximize the mobile web opportunity

Return on Information: Google Enterprise Search pays you back

Cut Costs & Green Your IT Operations with PC Power Management

White Paper: 4 Customer Service Myths

White Paper: Managed Security for a Not-So-Secure World

Global Research: CIOs Weigh In On Virtualization

5 Key Virtualization Management Challenges

Secure Email and Web-Based Communication from Evolving Attacks

WagerWorks Takes Fraudsters Out of the Game using iovation

Seven Design Requirements for Web 2.0 Threat Protection

Increase UPS efficiency without sacrificing protection.

Learn how advanced forecasting tools can deliver significant business results for global corporations.

Lower IT Costs with Oracle Database 11g Release 2

Ready to virtualize tier one applications? Check your virtualization maturity.

Seven Ways ITIL Can Help You in an Economic Downturn

Tips for successful virtualization management.

Unified Communications: Thoughts, Strategies and Predictions. Join the discussion

Read the RSA report: Security for Business Innovation

Build your 1st app FREE with Force.com

TDWI checklist helps define data readiness for analytics. Download report.

eZine: A Roadmap to Reducing IT Complexity

Reduce risk, gain agility. See how Progress can help your business.

Virtualization Technology as a Business Solution

White Paper: 5 Best Practices for Smartphone Support

Five-Step Mobility Management Plan

White Paper: Visibility and the New Normal of Mobile Work

Maximizing website Return on Information with high-quality search

See how AT&T can help protect your network.

Webcast: Unleashing the Power of Customer Data

White Paper: Improve Agility with Operational Responsiveness

Taking a Seat at the Executive Table: The Reality of Virtualization

White Paper: Next Generation Remote Infrastructure Management

Keeping Your Members Safe from Online Scams and Predators

The Total Economic Impact of Network Security Intrusion Prevention

Generation Remote Infrastructure Management - Changing the Paradigm

Cloud-Based Email Management: Opinion Shifts In Favor

eBook: How Can You Make Your People Productive Anywhere?

Achieving Business Agility with Application Grid

Taking the Service Desk to the Next Level

Learn about The Information Technology Infrastructure Library.

Top Five CIO Challenges

Streamline IT Costs. Boost Performance with WAN Optimization.

Webcast: Looking to the Cloud for Email and Collaboration Services

64-page prescriptive guide to security, compliance, and IT operations.

A Clear View Toward Virtualization

Virtualization Technology as a Business Solution

The rules of infrastructure management just changed.

A Clear View Toward Virtualization

 
 
RESOURCE CENTER