25-06-2012, 12:53 PM
MOBILE COMMERCE APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES: A DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT APPROACH
[attachment=25398]
INTRODUCTION
Mobile commerce (m-Commerce) is creating entirely new opportunities both for mobile devices and
services. M-Commerce means transactions using a wireless device and data connection, which result in
the transfer of value in exchange of information, services, or goods. An m-Commerce transaction is
defined [1] as any type of transaction of an economic value that is conducted through a mobile device that
uses a wireless telecommunications network for communication with the e-commerce infrastructure. MCommerce
differs partially from e-Commerce (electronic commerce) due to the special characteristics and
constraints the mobile devices and wireless networks have.
MOBILE DEVICES AND TECHNOLOGIES
The mobile devices of the future will be more powerful, less heavy, and comprise new interfaces to the
user and to new networks. However, a major problem, which has not been solved yet, is the energy
supply. The more features built into a device, the more power it needs. Consequently, the higher the
performance of the device, the faster it drains the batteries. Furthermore, wireless data transmission
consumes a lot of energy [3].
Despite the rapid development of mobile computing, the mobile devices exhibit some serious drawbacks
compared to desktop systems in addition to the high power consumption. Interfaces have to be small
enough to make the device portable. Thus, smaller keyboards or hand scribing are used, which are
frequently difficult to use for typing due to their limited key size, or current limitations of hand scribing
recognition. Furthermore, small displays offer limited capabilities for high quality graphical display.
Therefore, these devices have to use new ways of interacting with a user, such as, e.g., voice recognition
and touch sensitive displays [3].
MOBILE USER REQUIREMENTS
M-Commerce includes features and characteristics that are different from e-Commerce, and these should
be taken into consideration during the design and development of m-Commerce services and applications.
Table 1 provides examples of m-Commerce applications linked to their more salient features [7, 8].
M-COMMERCE SERVICES AND APPLICATIONS CLASSIFICATION
One way to classify m-Commerce services and applications is based on the functionality they provide to
the mobile users. This kind of classification results in two major classes: the directory and the transactionoriented
services and applications. The major categorization between these two classes of services is that
in the former a mobile user performs only read requests to the directory, whereas in the latter a user
performs read and write requests to the transaction server. It is necessary to note that an m-Commerce
application can be a combination of both classes.
The directory-oriented class of m-Commerce services comprises applications that provide information to
mobile users. This information can be location, content and user dependent, being localized and
personalized in ways appropriate to the specific mobile user. For example, a mobile user, being away from
home, needs up-to-date information regarding his current location, and local facilities that he can use.
Note that directory-oriented m-Commerce services can be offered via broadcast.
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY FOR M-COMMERCE
SERVICES
In this section we will suggest a new methodology for designing and developing m-Commerce services
and applications. This approach relies on the special needs and requirements of the mobile users as
defined in Section 3, the classification of m-Commerce services and applications presented in Section 4,
as well as the current technologies for mobile and wireless computing and their constraints, described in
Section 2.
The m-Commerce services and applications analysis and design can be incorporated in a modified Web
engineering (WebE) process [10] (see
Figure 1). This modified WebE process includes six phases: a) Formulation, b) Planning, c) Analysis, d)
Engineering, e) Service Implementation & Testing, and f) User Evaluation:
[attachment=25398]
INTRODUCTION
Mobile commerce (m-Commerce) is creating entirely new opportunities both for mobile devices and
services. M-Commerce means transactions using a wireless device and data connection, which result in
the transfer of value in exchange of information, services, or goods. An m-Commerce transaction is
defined [1] as any type of transaction of an economic value that is conducted through a mobile device that
uses a wireless telecommunications network for communication with the e-commerce infrastructure. MCommerce
differs partially from e-Commerce (electronic commerce) due to the special characteristics and
constraints the mobile devices and wireless networks have.
MOBILE DEVICES AND TECHNOLOGIES
The mobile devices of the future will be more powerful, less heavy, and comprise new interfaces to the
user and to new networks. However, a major problem, which has not been solved yet, is the energy
supply. The more features built into a device, the more power it needs. Consequently, the higher the
performance of the device, the faster it drains the batteries. Furthermore, wireless data transmission
consumes a lot of energy [3].
Despite the rapid development of mobile computing, the mobile devices exhibit some serious drawbacks
compared to desktop systems in addition to the high power consumption. Interfaces have to be small
enough to make the device portable. Thus, smaller keyboards or hand scribing are used, which are
frequently difficult to use for typing due to their limited key size, or current limitations of hand scribing
recognition. Furthermore, small displays offer limited capabilities for high quality graphical display.
Therefore, these devices have to use new ways of interacting with a user, such as, e.g., voice recognition
and touch sensitive displays [3].
MOBILE USER REQUIREMENTS
M-Commerce includes features and characteristics that are different from e-Commerce, and these should
be taken into consideration during the design and development of m-Commerce services and applications.
Table 1 provides examples of m-Commerce applications linked to their more salient features [7, 8].
M-COMMERCE SERVICES AND APPLICATIONS CLASSIFICATION
One way to classify m-Commerce services and applications is based on the functionality they provide to
the mobile users. This kind of classification results in two major classes: the directory and the transactionoriented
services and applications. The major categorization between these two classes of services is that
in the former a mobile user performs only read requests to the directory, whereas in the latter a user
performs read and write requests to the transaction server. It is necessary to note that an m-Commerce
application can be a combination of both classes.
The directory-oriented class of m-Commerce services comprises applications that provide information to
mobile users. This information can be location, content and user dependent, being localized and
personalized in ways appropriate to the specific mobile user. For example, a mobile user, being away from
home, needs up-to-date information regarding his current location, and local facilities that he can use.
Note that directory-oriented m-Commerce services can be offered via broadcast.
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY FOR M-COMMERCE
SERVICES
In this section we will suggest a new methodology for designing and developing m-Commerce services
and applications. This approach relies on the special needs and requirements of the mobile users as
defined in Section 3, the classification of m-Commerce services and applications presented in Section 4,
as well as the current technologies for mobile and wireless computing and their constraints, described in
Section 2.
The m-Commerce services and applications analysis and design can be incorporated in a modified Web
engineering (WebE) process [10] (see
Figure 1). This modified WebE process includes six phases: a) Formulation, b) Planning, c) Analysis, d)
Engineering, e) Service Implementation & Testing, and f) User Evaluation: