In the latest sign that cell phone technology keeps breaking new boundaries, the leading mobile service operator in Japan, DoCoMo Inc., announced today that it plans to offer electronic payment services at McDonald’s fast food restaurants in Japan.
While new for McDonald’s, electronic payment via mobile device is not something new for the Japanese. The number of mobile users in Japan with electronic chips that feature purchase-making capability has been steadily increasing, and currently the Japanese are able to swipe their cell phones over special readers to make purchases at train stations and some retailers.
I remember hearing a few months back about the existence of this technology, but didn’t write about it at the time. Now with McDonald’s hopping on the bandwagon I felt compelled. Although the U.S. mobile market is far behind in comparison to Asia and Europe, McDonald’s, in typical MNC fashion, is in a perfect situation to take technology from one area of the world and help to promote it in another. Usually this would be done in globalization fashion, with the company enforcing suggesting advances in technology to developing countries. However, in this particular situation we could benefit greatly from the reverse, if McDonald’s were to use its might to help get this type of technology implemented here.
Hey if it works easy and plays into their business model, it’s not too far of a stretch. 