Released on: March 31, 2011, 10:30 am
Author:
QueryCLick LTD
Industry: Internet & Online
Mountain View giant Google is said to be considering a move into mobile phone credit card payments, according to sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal.
Reports suggest that the search engine is poised to forge bonds with MasterCard and Citigroup so that Android users will have the ability to pay for purchases with the help of 'near-field communications' technology (NFC).
At the launch of the Nexus S, allusions were made to such a move, and fans of
Android are welcoming the development. NFC mobile payments are also rumoured to be
making their way to Apple devices in the near future, with many expecting subsequent
iPhones to be equipped with NFC chips, while Orange has already joined forces with
Barclaycard with the aim of offering contactless payments.
If the reports are true, Google could be set to open a new round of iPhone versus
Android debates, claims SEO company Queryclick.com. A
spokesperson said: "It's a slow burning battle, but Google's Android and Apple's
iPhones are set to continue squabbling for top position in the hearts of smartphones
fans for years to come.
"While Apple may have had the initial advantage, technology geeks quickly embrace
the flexibility and functionality of the Android operating system. New moves like
this are exactly the kind of thing Google can use to its advantage, and if it beats
Apple to the punch with contactless payments, it could cement its place at the
top."
The Nexus S is currently the only NFC ready phone on the market, although Samsung is
slated to be releasing the Galaxy S II with this functionality in the summer. Apple
CEO Steve Jobs has already announced NFC technology will not be included in the
iPhone 5, stating his belief that the technology is still at too early a stage of
its evolutionary process.
Creating the ability for users to utilize their mobile phones as credit cards could
offer a number of other benefits for the Mountain View moguls. It is not the only
company looking for ways to gather information about customers based on the way they
interact with their phones, but Google could enjoy the ability to collect valuable
data should its plans go ahead.
According to Queryclick, this could prove itself a real boon for the search engine. The search engine optimisation experts explained: "Eric Schmidt has already spotted the massive advertising potential offered by data collected by mobile phones and there's no doubt that if this deal goes ahead, Google will find itself with a wealth of information to play with.
"From locational data to shopping history, mobile phones will reveal a lot about
their users, and the kind of ads that might play well with them."
Contact:
QueryClick Ltd (SC342868)
50 Albany Street
Edinburgh
EH1 3QR
tel: 01314479079
fax: 01317770321