e-Vend.net has announced an mCommerce system for vending machines in the US.
mCommerce is becoming a tangible reality in the consumer packaged goods arena. Just one example is e-Vend.net’s new 1-800-CELLPAY service, which will soon allow a cashless option for purchasing vending machine snacks and beverages in the US.
A customer will dial the posted telephone number on their mobile phone and make her selection; the charge will then appear on her phone bill or in an account set up over the Internet. In Australia, Coke has teamed up with Telstra, the country’s largest telecom carrier, to conduct similar trials to target mobile vending machine consumers.
Aside from the convenience to consumers, e-Vend.net has also stressed the customer service capabilities this new technology will bring to the vending machine industry. David Goodman, president and CEO of e-Vend.net, says, This alternative payment system, when used in conjunction with the e-Vend.net operating model, enables vending operators to offer unprecedented levels of customer service and convenience, while improving operating profit.
The potential for mCommerce is undeniably huge. Datamonitor estimates that worldwide mobile phone subscriptions will be in excess of 1 billion by 2004. However, the success of e-Vend.net will rest largely upon consumer willingness to use this new technological option as they and manufacturers alike become more comfortable with the implementation of new technologies that affect everyday life. Datamonitor explores these technologies in a new report to be issued this month, entitled New Tools, New Rules: The Impact of New Technologies in Consumer Markets.
If the world of eTailing provides any lessons, e-Vend.net and vending machine operators alike will need not only to create awareness among consumers but also to ensure customer trust in the security of these virtual transactions. Which, as the dotcom world knows all too well, is easier said than done.
