Technology

Wireless and mobile computing are expected to dominate the Internet industry in future (Mariga 2003, p. 20).  A powerful way for sellers to communicate with consumers  mobile technology is meant to enhance e-business by lowering costs, as it reduces time transaction time, allowing mobile consumers to reach sellers faster than before (Mariga, p. 26).  As it is, electronic commerce helps firms reduce their service costs and simplify as well as streamline business processes (Mariga, p. 29).  With mobile technology, electronic businesses can increase their revenues, seeing that the number of mobile users goes on increasing around the globe.  By the end of the year 2007, there were 3.3 billion mobile phone subscribers around the around (Using Mobile Technology 2008).  Hence, e-businesses benefit from a huge increase in the number of potential consumers with mobile technology.
   
In fact, e-businesses with the goal to expand must definitely start mobile websites to reach out to the ever-increasing number of mobile phone subscribers (Silk 2010).  As Paypal has recently opened up a platform for payments to allow application developers to create applications for mobile commerce, e-businesses need not even worry about teaching new payment methods to their existing customers by going mobile (Adhikari 2009).  What is more, like all other companies, e-businesses may enjoy immense benefits from mobile marketing.  Silk explains the benefits of mobile marketing thus
       
There are currently more than 270 million cellphone users in the U.S., and 82 percent of them never leave home without their devices, according to a recent study from Synovate.
             
With that many people walking around with mobile phones, it is time to get smart about mobile marketing efforts and engage customers via their favorite outlet.
             
In recent years, restaurants -- especially the pizza industry -- and retailers started using mobile technologies to drive sales. By simply adding an interactive SMS messaging campaign to existing marketing campaigns, they found a new way to engage with customers.
             
Think about it. By simply adding a mobile call to action to a print or TV ad, major corporations can reach consumers directly and offer special discounts, mobile ordering, or fun options like signing up for in-store sweepstakes.
             
Mobile also provides another outlet for building subscriber lists that can be used in the same way as email or direct mail lists. The bonus of mobile, though, is that it goes to the cellphone -- and globally, there are twice as many users of SMS as there are active email  users. Not to mention that SMS is typically read within fifteen minutes of receipt. (Silk)

Taking advantage of the efficiency of SMS, e-businesses that do not have mobile websites could reach out to potential consumers with special offers and coupons, etc. to attract them to their websites.  Indeed, mobile technology is bound to cut advertising and marketing costs for e-businesses.  Moreover, mobile technology allows e-businesses to know  using global positioning technology  where their customers are located.  Thus, an e-business with an offline presence could also attract its customers to its shops located near potential customers by sending them special offers or coupons for those locations.  Messages sent to customers using mobile technology may be further personalized, as individual-based target marketing is enhanced given that mobile phones are generally used by single individuals (Clark 2001).  As a matter of fact, mobile technology is believed to enhance the overall customer relationship management experience (Atkins, Ali and Shah 2006, p. 1).
   
Like all other businesses, the success of e-business depends on the speed and reliability of information that passes to and from internal and external stakeholders (Atkins et. al., p. 1).  Mobile technology does not only improve the process of information delivery but also enhances the quality of service as e-businesses are quick to receive and respond to messages sent by their stakeholders (Atkins et. al., p. 4).  Besides, these businesses are able to manage their human resources more effectively by going mobile, thereby saving on human resources costs as well (Mobile Business 2000).  Offices can be made portable as employees can be reached any place in the world.  Furthermore, e-businesses that go mobile are better able to manage their relations with other businesses as the systems of distribution and scheduling are improved, thereby streamling the supply chain in addition to the value chain (Mobile Business).
   
Undoubtedly, e-businesses can save both time and money and increase efficiency by going mobile.  The need for face-to-face interactions is reduced with mobile technology (Mobile Business).  As time is money for companies, suppliers as well as customers, everybody is bound to prefer mobile business for its efficiency.  What is more, as e-businesses save on costs of e-marketing by going mobile, they are able to utilize their saved funds on improvement of their mobile services.  According to a recent study, mobile phone subscribers are expected to increase purchases through mobile technology once the process has been rendered less cumbersome, goods have been made easier to find, and their mobile devices are able to support credit card transactions ensuring security (Needle 2010).  As e-businesses cut their human resources costs and generally become more efficient through mobile technology, using their saved revenues on the enhancement of the mobile business experience by contributing to the evolution of mobile commerce technology to satisfy consumers is expected to help them attain competitive edge.  As an example, an e-business may choose Motorola as a partner for improvement of its mobile business, as Motorola is already involved in projects to enhance mobile commerce (Motorola 2008).
   
Regardless of whether an e-business chooses to work with renowned mobile phone companies such as Motorola to improve its mobile business experience, or simply builds a mobile website with a secured payment system, the facts remain that mobile technology is expected to evolve beyond expectations in the near future and e-businesses that use this technology are sure to grow tremendously.  Mariga writes that it is possible to envision entire shopping centers on the mobile phone (Mariga, p. 21).  E-businesses that get together to create such platforms for consumers are certain to gain through competition as well.  As mobile commerce is still in its infancy, however, it is impossible to measure such gains at this time.  Even so, business experts are all agreed that mobile technology would, indeed, help businesses reduce costs and increase profits by reaching out to the ever-growing number of mobile subscribers around the world.  As time equals money in the business world, all stakeholders of a business are expected to benefit from mobile technology.  Hence, mobile business is sure to be preferred over Internet business in the future.  Then again, only those e-businesses that make an effort to improve the mobile business experience  understanding that mobile business is different from Internet business  are expected to gain a competitive edge through mobile technology (Mobile Business).  After all, customers have various expectations that only responsive e-businesses would be able to meet.