By Emily Jacobs
A new SAP study has revealed that consumers in Australia are demanding better access to mobile services.
Sixty-six per cent of respondents would like to increase mobile transactions with banks, telecommunications providers, retailers and other businesses.
“Consumers are rapidly adopting a mobile-first approach to engaging with their preferred brands and service providers,” said Selim Ahmed, head of mobility for SAP Australia and New Zealand.
“The results of this research suggest that consumers are hungry for more mobile services to meet their needs for convenience and personalisation.”
The research showed that consumers are using their mobile phones for a growing number of mobile commerce services, with 47 per cent of consumers saying they use their mobile photos for other activities besides making calls and texting than ever before. Common uses included researching products, responding to promotions, customer service inquiries and submitting meter readings to utility companies.
However, the main deterrents to the greater use of mobile technology were the hassle of entering a lot of personal information (42 per cent) and security concerns (43 per cent). Lack of Internet access was also a concern, with 38 per cent naming it as a barrier to access.
Ahmed says innovation is needed to address consumers’ concerns.
“The data also validates that organisations must address privacy and security concerns to remain relevant. In Australia and New Zealand, we are seeing that businesses who are leading in mobile are building brand affinity, gaining market share and enabling new revenue streams.”
