Fifteen years ago, the latest mobile phones allowed us to make calls on the move, play simple games and text-message our friends. Today, we can use them to access the Internet, make video calls, take photos, find our location on a map, buy transport tickets and even for banking, among many other applications. Mobile technology and mobile banking are innovating and evolving at a dizzying pace. However, for all the market’s dynamism, and individual players’ clamouring for proprietary advantage, there is a need and place for standards. ISO is busy learning from the past and building for the future, determined to develop a successful standard for mobile financial services, ISO 12812.

In simple terms, “trade” is the exchange of goods and services from a supplier to a buyer. The resulting debt of the buyer is assumed to be compensated using a payment, taken care of by one (or more) bank(s). This scenario is depicted in Figure 1.

Since publication of ISO 50001 last year, implementation and certification to ISO’s new energy management standard is gaining pace around the world. Statistics to the end of January 2012 (compiled by Reinhard Peglau, Senior Scientific Officer on Environmental Management at the German Federal Environment Agency), indicated that about 100 organizations in 26 countries had already achieved certification, and are reaping the benefits in increased energy efficiency, reduced costs and improved energy performance.