deal architect : Mobile Commerce in US - finally?

Former Gartner analyst Vinnie Mirchandani writes at his deal architect blog about Motorola's introduction of a new "system which will allow payment via cell phones waved at POS cash registers." Mirchandani cites a Wall Street Journal (subscription required) article that states "The U.S. has been late to this game. Companies in Asia have already introduced cellphones that can do everything from buying groceries to purchasing movie tickets. Tokyo commuters can now board trains by waving their phones over a sensor in turnstiles."

He finds this is "further proof that US has slipped way behind many other countries in telecomm and mobile sophistication," and concludes that "before we get too excited about Motorola's announcement we should hear what the services providers intend to charge for the convenience. It will definitely add to our already large monthly connectivity "utility" charge."

And don't forget that consumers will also have to add in the cost of a new handset as well...