Appendix G: E-Commerce and M-Commerce Related Technologies

G.1 E-commerce and m-commerce

The use of the Internet continuously increases as more and more households become connected to the Internet. A growing number of people use the Internet for sending and receiving electronic mail, for finding and retrieving information on the World Wide Web (Web), and also for shopping and purchasing. Thus, the Web has become a huge virtual market, without borders, providing consumers with enormous offers and merchants with incredible opportunities for revenue. At present, many of the purchases made are of CDs, books, electronic components and computer hardware, software delivered on material support, airline tickets, hotel reservations , and also digital goods (e.g., information on demand, access to databases, and on-line software downloading). This business framework is commonly called electronic commerce, or simply e-commerce.

At the same or greater rate of increase as the Internet is the usage of wireless mobile networks, which allow subscribers to establish mobile voice communications, text, and data transfers. At present, an example of such a network is the Global System for Mobile Communications, commonly known as GSM. In the near future other wireless mobile networks will be implemented ”namely, the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS). The UMTS is part of the third generation (3G) mobile communication system. 3G provides enhanced services compared to those offered today by the GSM network, together with a whole range of mobile Internet services. Mobile applications refer to added value services offered by the wireless mobile network operators to their subscribers in addition the basic service of voice communication. They allow clients to use the keypad and the display of their mobile phones or mobile Internet access devices to ask for services and to receive the appropriate responses. Mobile commerce, simply referred to as m-commerce, is such a service, which allows subscribers to order and purchase goods while they are roaming. Among the preferred purchases bought while roaming are on-line content (like entertainment and news), fast food, products from vending machines, and services like paying for parking or public transportation tickets. In this appendix, we outline some technologies in relation to the GSM network. This type of wireless mobile network will be used for exemplification purposes in our explanations .