A large number of technology firms, banks and wireless carriers are fighting for a larger slice of mobile commerce market as more and more consumers have started using their cell phone to make payments.

Though merchants are fast adopting mobile commerce, only a small percentage of total payments are expected to be made via mobile devices by 2015, according to a white paper from TMNG Global.

According to Rich Nespola, TMNG Global's (News - Alert) chairman and CEO, there is certainly a growing interest in mCommerce, but the players are struggling to position themselves, define business models, and forge strategic partnerships or engage in M&A activities.

Ultimately, the winners will be those who develop a solid infrastructure and offer a technology that both consumers and merchants can easily adopt.

Among the technologies available, NFC (Near Field Communications) supports more to develop many mCommerce services but the research firm says adoption will ultimately depend on how consumers and merchants weigh the benefits of mCommerce versus existing alternatives.

As NFC technology becomes widely available on smartphones, TMNG Global expects that a growing number of retail merchants will accept NFC payments.

In the meantime, the research firm says, Trusted Service Manager (TSM), which provides a platform for secure reliable provisioning and management of mCommerce applications, has emerged as a key battleground. This central position, bridging between mobile and other solution components offers incumbents leverage in working with partners.

Since mCommerce business models involve multiple partners, the key question is how power will be shared and returns allocated.

Given the white paper, large retailers in developed markets are expanding the use of on-device applications to drive loyalty, while mobile network operators are forging partnerships with banks and other MNOs to support domestic and international peer-to-peer transfers and remittances.                    

“The complexity of mCommerce leaves little room for a go-it-alone approach. Success will require multiple cross-industry strategic partnerships, whether from the perspective of building or participating in an integrated infrastructure or from the imperative for demand creation,” added Nespola.

In other news, TMNG Global recently released a new white paper entitled “The Challenges of Enterprise Cloud Migration: Successfully Navigating a Bewildering Landscape”. The paper defines the need for a disciplined approach to Cloud migration which includes an operational roadmap, a framework of requirements and best practices, and a solid financial model.