2005 was notable in the United States for its demonstration — in the rollout of contactless payment capabilities to millions of people — of just how fast a major technology can be deployed. Issuers such as Chase Bank, HSBC, American Express and others have distributed contactless cards and key fobs to millions of their customers. Many constituents are involved: merchants, consumers, card issuers, associations and all the members of the contactless ecosystem — chip manufacturers, antenna designers, operating system developers, inlay makers and card plastic packagers. “Dozens of companies have swiftly changed gears to take advantage of this emerging opportunity,” says ABI Research’s director of RFID and M2M research, Erik Michielsen. “Many companies are trying to provide piecemeal solutions. There are many brands and co-brands, many form-factors. But one theme that has emerged time and time again from our research is the need for consistency. As this technology is being rolled out, it is incredibly important to develop a consistent industry-wide message that speaks to merchants, consumers and even component manufacturers. Some common technology standards have been put in place, but that consistency must extend all the way to the consumer who will understand that despite different form factors, modes of use and retailer adoption rates, contactless payment is one option, not two dozen.” Similarly, it is beneficial if merchants, and all the players in the design and manufacturing chains that underpin the retail effort, fully understand the issuer’s needs. “Market-wide coordination will ensure the best outcomes for all concerned,” concludes Michielsen. ABI Research has just completed a comprehensive new service to assess the rapidly evolving global contactless commerce landscape. The “Contactless Commerce Research Service” is a subscription-based program of market intelligence that addresses the changing market drivers and technology choices that enable the contactless payment and commerce marketplace. It includes research reports, regular market updates, a forecast that is updated in real time, ABI insights and analyst inquiry time.