Ubiquitous Commerce also known as U-Commerce, u commerce or uCommerce, refers to a variety of goods and/or services. Sometimes, it is used to refer to the wireless, continuouscommunication and exchange of data and information between and among retailers, customers, and systems regardless of location, devices used, or time of day. Sometimes, U-Commerce describes the generic term for all-encompassing business transactions through or by means of information and communications technology. Ubiquitous commerce or uCommerce should not be confused with U.Commerce, which is a set of products and services offered by TouchNet Information Systems, Inc. and is a registered U.S. trademark.
According to Richard T. Watson the next generation of commerce referred to as Ubiquitous Commerce includes four major features:
Ubiquitous = represents the ability to be connect at any time and in any place as well as the integration of human-computer interaction into most devices and processes, e.g. household objects.
Uniqueness = stands for the unique identification of each customer or user regarding his identity, current context, needs and location resulting in an individual service.
Universal = is related to everyone’s devices which can be used multifunctional and as well as universal –you will always be connected no matter of your place.
Unison = constitutes the data integration across applications and devices to provide users consistent and fully access to required information independent of device and location. The term unison also relates to fully synchronised devices at any time.
Areas
U-Commerce is described as the evolution of E-Commerce and M-Commerce also combining the areas of V-commerce, Television-Commerce as well as Silent-Commerce.
Technologies
The origin and development of Ubiquitous Commerce is based on various information and communication technologies. These technologies were driving forces for the evolution to business transactions at any time and in any place and so they will be in the future. Among them are the following examples: In addition, there are also technologies regarding the concept of Ubiquitous Computing which are and will be the main driving forces for the Ubiquitous Commerce. These are mainly the following:
In conjunction of the evolution of ubiquitous commerce in daily life and the approaching pervasiveness, a few opportunities as well as threats can be identified. Opportunities: Threats:
