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The Mobile-To-Mobile Enterprise: What It Means for Manufacturers

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Near field communications technology promises to dramatically change the mobile e-commerce model. Savvy manufacturers should start thinking about how else they can leverage this short-range wireless exchange technology.

Creating a structured enterprise mobility plan that includes in-house wireless networks and support for a myriad of mobile devices is essential in today’s business climate. But manufacturers can’t stop there. There are emerging wireless technologies and mobile applications that will completely change how people purchase products, as well as how companies collect consumer data.

Take Google Wallet, an Android e-commerce application that essentially turns your phone into your credit card, storing a virtual version of your existing card on the phone. Just tap your phone on a Google Wallet-enabled reader and your payment is made.

Of course, it will be a while before our pockets are completely cash free and carrying credit cards is a thing of the past, but it is worth considering the technology behind this shift in how we pay, as it could also directly influence what products manufacturers produce and how they are marketed, sold, and serviced.

Near field communication (NFC) technology involves the short-range wireless transmission of data to provide a mobile-to-mobile transfer of cash, for example, or to facilitate an airport check-in where the passenger’s identification and boarding pass are already loaded on a smart phone.

In addition, Indian firm United Tecsta recently created an NFC warranty tag that stays on a product for its lifetime and contains product warranty information, such as sale date, price paid, warranty length, etc. If you bring the product back to the store, the NFC-enabled RFID tag sends an SMS message to the manufacturer’s server, which automatically replies with an SMS containing warranty information. Manufacturers can also leverage the technology to keep a database of complaints and claims about a particular product or model.

But wait, there’s more. Like the nifty airport check-in application, NFC technology can be used for retail check-in services that identify exactly when an individual enters a particular store. Already, companies like Shopkick are using the technology to bridge the virtual mobile world and the physical retail world. Shopkick entices consumers to visit a store by delivering a special promotion to their phone, for example. The technology also verifies the customer’s presence once he or she is actually in the brick and mortar building.

Now the retailer knows that Sally Smith, who is interested in the big shoe sale and bought a dress last week, is back. A good salesperson would seek out Sally and personalize her shopping experience. Sally, on the other hand, could be getting updates on new styles in stock and alerts if her shoe size is available here—or at a different store location.

A savvy apparel manufacturer would accumulate data on Sally’s shopping habits and perhaps use that information to figure out how to innovate product or services in the future.

As a result of NFC, new mobile-to-mobile opportunities are upon us. The question is, how are you going to use it to your business advantage?

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