Ericsson, Telenor Offer Solution for Wireless E-Commerce

Ericsson and Telenor Mobil are teaming up to offer an e-
commerce solution for wireless phone users.

The first service to be launched makes it possible to buy cinema tickets using
a mobile phone as the e-commerce terminal, with the cost charged directly to a
credit card, bank account or an e-commerce account. The solution can be easily
adapted to the purchase of a variety of other services and products, the
companies said.

In April, mobile phone users in Norway will begin testing the solution. The
ticket service gives the user a menu on the mobile phone display, showing
information about movies that are being shown. The user orders and pays for
tickets, receives a confirmation number for the purchase, and can arrive at
the cinema at show time to pick up the tickets.

To make use of this service–and others to be developed–users will be
equipped with a new GSM mobile phone that supports the SIM application toolkit
feature and Telenor Mobil’s SIM card, a new type of card with extended memory
and security features.
The solution is open for evolution into the new Wireless Application Protocol
(WAP) standard.

The service offers three alternatives for payment: credit card, bank account,
or an e-commerce account. All necessary information about a card or account is
registered and linked to a GSM subscription. Payment is handled by the
service, which takes care of transferring money from the user’s bank or credit
institution. This means that the mobile phone can be used as a “wallet,”
complete with credit card, bankcard and/or cash.

Ericsson and Telenor Mobil are co-operating with Filmweb, a company that is a
content provider on behalf of the Norwegian film and cinema business. Filmweb
is responsible for the integration of this service into the cinemas’ ticket
systems.

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