Mobile browsing is, using WAP enabled hand-held device for internet surfing or searching. Over times, hi-tech mobile gadgets are being churned out by manufacturers for convenient browsing experience. Web browsing started with Personal Computers (PCs). But improved technology have extended web surfing beyond the bulky PC and Laptop, to more compact and easy to carry around, hand-held devices.
Mobile browsing is complimenting the flow of information communication that was hitherto, practicable only on PCs and Laptops. On the average, people now prefer searching or surf the net, using internet enabled hand-held devices which, aside from its light weight advantage, is also relatively affordable to acquired. The mobile phone market is full of low-priced, but yet complete with feature menus required for internet browsing.
Today, featured phones and smart devices are vastly used for information sharing, gaming and entertainment especially, among the youth, compare with computer usage world-wide. People are no longer waiting to reach their homes or offices to access information or purchase online any more. They are going for devices that gives them instant access at any point in time, irrespective of their locations. This explains reason for surge in sales volume of hand-held devices like: iPhone, iPad, Tablets and such other smart phones, that are easily palm around or carried in the pocket.
Mobile Browser
WAP enabled mobile phones comes with built-in browsers. The system browsers are expensive to run, but operates well on mobile phone with large memory. Mobile phones with low memory capacity, often experience difficulties in opening large web pages, using built-in browsers. This often result to loss of useful data charges.
Mobile phone manufacturers in addressing the short-coming of low storage capacity of mobile phones, introduce memory card in their modernized devices. Hence all mobile devices now comes with card memory with large storage space, in addition to increased memory capacity in some phone model. Also browser developers, came up with mobile browser applications, customized to fit the screen size of mobile devices. For memory space conservation, downloaded mobile browsers are better save in card memory in mobile phone with low memory capacity.
In mobile browsing, these mini browsers handles large web page structure effectively. It compresses the page contents to fit the mobile device screen, with provision for page zooming to readable size in columns. Opera is a leading browser developer, developing customizable browsers across all the operating system platform. While Window Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome are noted for browsers customized for smart devices using Android, iOS and Window operating system.
Browsing on a 3G, 4G or WiFi network service gives pleasant fast loading and experience, with a resulting original page content themes of website visited, and comparable with that obtained on PC or laptop window. The browsers also comes with economic technology that give data cost savings advantage.
Social Network and Business Advantage
Appetite for mobile browsing have assumed an addictive dimension in the ranks of the youths world-wide, begging for positive exploitation. There are multitude of intellectual forums and technology applications developed for mobile devices for the benefit of all. One such forum is educational program where students can subscribe, for their education advancement.
It is also a medium widely use today for social interaction on popular platforms like, Facebook and Twitters and, in the entertainment world. There is hardly, life aspect related topic that is not available online for discourse or download. All that is required of the curious minds is, identify and search for the relevant community, and be part of the forum for the purpose of information sharing.
Effect of mobile device as browsing tool for searching and surfing the net, is also having its impact on the world business perspective, in areas like; business transaction, marketing and basic office routing practice. The business environment is gradually embracing the mobile transaction and marketing as complimentary strategies to further business exposure, for the awareness of online consumers. This is in line with economics theory that described, consumers as king, in a market situation where the manufacturers studied potential customers behavior to strategize their business marketing plan.
As a result, business transactions via smart devices is on the increase by the day, as people do more of their web browsing on hand-held devices. Big time retailers are increasingly, launching different types of customized mobile payment applications to fortify their established online retail markets for maximum gain. The merchants recognized that, potential consumers drift in the direction of mobile commerce
is real. Therefore, transaction over the internet via mobile phones and smart devices is asserting itself.
In the developed economy, consumers are on top of the market dictates, as they search for the trendy retailers with whom they do their shopping right on the mobile devices. They want to be able to do their purchases or get services done at minimum effort of few clicks on their mobile sets. Mobile browsing for goods or services transactions, especially of intangible products like digital downloadable, is a common phenomenon. Reservation booking, orders for eatery services, e.t.c, are few among other transactions that can be initiated via mobile browsing.
Mobile System and Browsing Security
Secure mobile browsing and safety of mobile device system from data theft and virus attack, during transaction is a recurrent issue that’s being address very often, just as in the case of computer and laptop handling. Some mobile device may come with pre-installed anti-virus applications for a trial period, while others are not secured from the factory. The good news is that, most mobile device manufacturers partnered anti-virus developers, to cross-sell their protective software apps on the device brand storefront. Examples of such brand stores include, Nokia Store and Apple Store e.t.c. Alternatively, reliable anti-virus software are easily obtainable for download online, for the devices protection.
And in online transactions, a mobile payment platform is expected to meet required standard, as contained in the PCI DSS rule, before it is approved for payment gateway operation. The bankers consortium, that forms the data security regulatory body, is abreast of the threat pose by the cyber criminals, and is poised to protect valuable information of card owners during payment transactions. Similarly, internet security technologists are unrelenting, as they recognised cyber crime threat, as a dynamic phenomenon. Collaboration of efforts among experts is unending, as they share knowledge and ideas to combat the evil of internet criminality in order to make the cyber space a safe haven to utilize.
Downward trend feedbacks on internet fraud, and history of tremendous success of online retail trading, as reported by research firms, is engendering optimism in business entrepreneurs, prompting a gradual acceptance of mobile payment option on their online retail shops.
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