There are several ways to describe and define M-commerce, but it can be simply described as “electronic transactions, conducted using a mobile terminal and a wireless network.” (Tiwari, Buse, & Herstatt, 2006) Other people focus on the business aspect of the technology, defining it as “any transaction with a monetary value that is conducted via a mobile telecommunications network.” (Tiwari, Buse, & Herstatt, 2006) Although they might not fully apply to the way we use M-commerce today, these definitions give a legitimate insight into where M-commerce was and the direction in which it was going. A good combination of these definitions is as follows: “any transaction, involving the transfer of ownership or rights to use goods and services, which is initiated and/or completed by using mobile access to computer-mediated networks with the help of an electronic device.” (Tiwari, Buse, & Herstatt, 2006)
Some of the aspects that make up the factors that influence the definition of M-commerce include the way you access the telecommunications networks and the types of transactions which take place. For example, a laptop is technically a mobile device since you can take it with you wherever you go. However, it is highly limited by hardware, and lack of connectivity to broader wireless networks in comparison to mobile phones. On the other hand, mobile phones and other such devices have access to telecommunications networks, which cover a significantly broader span at any given place or time. When it comes to the transactions that take place over these networks, the entire process doesn’t have to take place over a mobile device. If any part of the transaction process takes place over a mobile device, it is considered M-commerce. If you were to buy a CD over a mobile device, and receive that CD in the mail days later, it would still be judged an m-commerce transaction. (Louis, 2001)
Mobile tools which are commonly used for m-commerce include cell phones, PDAs, and smartphones (such as the iPhone and Blackberry) to name a few. Some of the useful benefits and features which m-commerce has to offer include easy access to information at all times, location based services, personalization, mobile marketing, and swift data transfer to the mobile device. (Tiwari, Buse, & Herstatt, 2006)
