Critical Business Model Issues in Deploying NFC Technology for Mobile Services: Case Mobile Ticketing

New mobile ticketing services include travel card functionality in mobile phones, providing users with numerous benefits. However, several open issues still pose limitations for these services, including the diffusion of the enabling technology called Near Field Communication (NFC), concerns about security and privacy, as well as uncertainties in the related value networks and business models. In this study, the authors analyze the NFC mobile ticketing business model holistically from a techno-economic viewpoint and identify the critical business model issues that affect the commercial deployment of such services. Using single case methodology, the authors evaluate the NFC mobile ticketing business model with the help of the Service, Technology, Organization, Finance (STOF) model. Their results offer insights both to the researchers and to the practitioners by providing an analysis with theoretical grounding on the possibilities as well as difficulties in the deployment of NFC technology for mobile services.