This book began as a result of our recognition that mobile commerce is a topic that is of immense
importance for business as well as for individual users and consumers. In addition, it seems pretty
clear that the importance and relevance of mobile technologies will only increase at an exponential
rate in the next few years. Of course, we hear these types of claims about a variety of technologies
all the time. What is it that is different about mobile commerce? Further, an obvious question that
one should ask in response to this is, “Even if mobile commerce is important, as a business
professional why should I care about this topic and take the time to read a book about it?” The
answer to this is, we think, at least part of the story that is, in fact, told in this book; but, to put the
answer as succinctly as possible, mobile commerce is important because this technological
revolution will directly or indirectly affect in a significant way practically every person in the
industrialized world. Whether we consider mobile commerce from the vantage point of the
consumer as an individual, the businesses that will be servicing consumers, the organizations that
will be servicing other organizations, or any combination of the above, mobile commerce
technologies will have a profound impact on the way people search out and conduct transactions,
interact and communicate, plan and carry out activities, and entertain themselves and play.