Rumors are that Australia may set up an impartial NFC industry council. Like most of us who have watched (and waited, thank god I did not hold my breath) for NFC to finally arrive, it is encouraging that something other than ‘another pilot’ has been put forward as a solution. Of course, the problem with a ‘council’ is you need a general consensus to move things forward, but it is a different take that I for one welcome.
The main challenge is getting everyone to agree, and the big four banks are just one component of what is needed in Australia. In fact, according to research conducted by Sybase 365 earlier this year, the lack of coordination between key industry stakeholders such as mobile operators, merchants, payment processors, banks and developers is viewed as the key inhibitor to widespread adoption of mobile payments.
Perhaps a ‘council’ can solve this problem, and I certainly hope so.
Even where I live, in Singapore, where it typically only takes one of two companies to say do it; and it gets done, we still don’t have NFC. So the challenges Australia faces are still huge, with or without a council.
My main worry is, should a council be formed, how long would it debate on the issues before laying out an NFC model for the country? Let’s hope it would not take years (like the years of pilots we have had so far). That said, this is a great chance for Australia to take a lead in the region by getting all the stakeholders to agree on a standard and a way forward, and do something for the consumer for once.
As a consumer, I would love to see NFC realised. I’m looking forward to the day when I can swipe my phone at a retailer and get through my transaction quicker; who does not love that? The retailers in particular would, I’m sure.
The idea of one NFC device that I could use to pay for my tram ride in Melbourne, a winery in SA, and a retailer in NSW, sounds perfect. However, the way things are going now in Australia, we may well have a bunch of disparate NFC cards and schemes across the land, which that will still require me to carry a dozen or so cards in my already burdened wallet.
It does not have to be this way. Imagine, one NFC device, my iPhone for example (yes, I know it’s not NFC-enabled yet!), connected to my back-end payment instruments (Bank Account, Credit Card, etc) with all my various loyalty schemes (airline, hotel, etc). I could ditch at least two dozen or so cards in my wallet and simplify my life (a bit).
The idea is good idea for the consumer, but then so is high-speed broadband. I already have a fiber cable to my house in Singapore, but my house in Australia will have to wait until at least 2021. Hence my concern for NFC in Australia, even with the formation of a council, is that the country will yet again lag behind the rest of the world, digitally speaking.
Tarik Husain is business development director for mCommerce at Sybase 365. For more information go to http://blogs.sybase.com/mobilecommerce/