According to a report by research firm Berg Insight, technologies such as near field communication (NFC) have a great potential to open a new mobile segment, but some consumers are still reluctant to adopt it.
The industry has several issues, both technical and pedagogic, to resolve before the technology can be successfully implemented. For this reason, the report says a long term plan should be applied to introduce the technology slowly before the mobile phone can become a terminal to communicate with other intelligent devices.
The report reveals that certain consumer groups have trouble adjusting to the new technologies, but in future consumers will not be willing to handle several devices and cards. However, in countries like Japan, the technology is well-established and enjoys great success.
According to Sabine Ehlers, associate analyst of Berg Insight, "[Swedish] contactless services are already available to over 50 million users that can shop, travel and get information just by waving their phones over readers".
Europe however, is approaching NFC with some trepidation. The uncertainty of business models and the revenue for network owners has led to caution about this technology.
This issue is discussed further in Berg's report on contactless mobile services.
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