The following are the hurdles IMO before it can be a veritable threat to Mpesa: - It requires handsets with NFC electronics built-in - Google also needs to team up with handset manufacturers to make this widespread. It currently seems tied only to smartphones, but if you can have a *mulika mwizi* with an NFC chip built-in, cool! - The customer will need a Google account - currently this may be an issue when taken to the rural setting where one might understand how the sim-based Mpesa works but the whole Google ecosystem thing is an issue. However, Google can as well team up with the network operator and have something like each simcard automatically gets a Google account tied to it, with the password being the PIN...you get the drift...and have arrangements with agent outlets for guys to make deposits & withdrawals so as to shield those intricacies from the mobile subscriber. I think I just sold an idea there [?]
