50 % of Finns Use Mobile Phone for Bookings, Tickets and Payments

You have to like the do more with less simplicity of some folks outside the US.
Case in point, the Finns. A company that started out as a Ferry ticket operator has evolved into a high tech innovator. Why not, Nokia use to make tires. I digress.

BookIT has patented a “secure” messaging technology that uses the existing SMS text messaging transport in cell phone networks. iSMS technology establishes a secure session with the user and manages the flow of SMS messages between the application and users so that right responses are linked to the right application. The authentication is transparent to consumers who have do not have to remember user names, passwords or special authentication procedures.

The iSMS technology has been wrapped inside a product called eMobile by Luottokunta who manages the payments system. Open networks like MasterCard and Visa are supported, as are closed and sovereign payment types. Luottokunta is responsible for data protection – no word on PCI compliance yet.

Why banks, operators and investors fiddle with experiments, some people just get it done.