The UK government’s Technology Strategy Board is to make GBP1.5 m available to stimulate new solutions for mobile commerce to tackle the threat of theft and fraud. Through a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition, the body will fund organisations in order to develop m-commerce projects that demonstrate secure attributes and reduce the probability of fraud.
The organisers said the outputs from this competition should show how it is possible to design products and services that enable mobile commerce in a convenient and secure manner: "Whether they offer existing mCommerce functionality in a more secure manner, or offer new ways to enable business via mobile technology, the goal is to create innovative solutions that can be adopted by the market," the competition announcement said.
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Funding is open to single organisations from the private, public and third sectors, including charities. Up to GBP1m is available for phase 1 of competition and up to a further GBP500k may be available in a second phase to develop successful phase 1 projects.
According to the board, online retail sales are forecast to grow to USD327bn dollars in the US by 2016, with mCommerce sales growing by 47% between 2011 and 2015 to be 9% of the eCommerce market However, the report adds that 59% of consumers would buy more via their mobile if the experience was better. It says the poor user experience is holding consumers back, as is a fragmented payment system and a lack of trust in using a mobile device to make a payment. Apps that work in isolation are seen as a further obstacle.
The deadline for registration is noon on 9 January 2013 and the applications must be received before noon on 16 January 2013. More information on www.innovateuk.org
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