Mobile ticketing standard agreed by UK rail companies

Back in October we talked to Ben Whitaker from secure mobile applications company Masabi about tickets on mobile phones. The company has now announced that it's developed a new standard for secure barcode rail ticketing in conjunction with the Rail Settlement Plan, which is the ticketing organisation jointly owned by train and rail operating companies. The new open standard allows all mobile ticketing schemes to use a common barcode system and means they're able to start accepting a single mobile ticket on a journey involving multiple rail operators. [Press release]

Money transfer and NFC will account for half of all mobile payments by 2013

A new report from Juniper Research says mobile money transfer and contactless Near Field Communications will account for 50% of the overall mobile payment market globally by 2013. It expects the mobile payments market to move from today's focus on digital goods (such as ringtones, music, and games) to customers transferring money and using NFC features to make purchases. In addition, the overall mobile payments market is expected to grow by a factor of ten between now and 2013. This week's Mobile News podcast includes an interview with Tom Whitaker of Masabi about the ways that m-payments and m-ticketing will change the way we use our mobiles. [Press release]

This week's Mobile News podcast now online

This week's Mobile News podcast is now available to download. In our main feature, Iain Graham talks to Ben Whitaker from Masabi about mobile payments and mobile tickets. Mark Bridge and James Rosewell join Iain to discuss the latest mobile industry headlines - plus there's a preview of the Motorola Aura. As usual, you can download or listen free at TheFonecast.com and on the Mobile News website... and you'll find us on iTunes and via RSS too.