One of the things that I regularly get involved in is preparing forecasts for clients, usually in specific technology markets. Invariably these forecasts relate in some way to what is happening in the economy at large. In many cases, prospects for the economy drive these forecasts so it is very... Continue reading

Companies succeed or fail based on their ability to innovate. Over the last century we have seen how rapid changes in technology can alter the economic landscape dramatically – and increasingly quickly. One of the challenges that businesses face is understanding which factors influence the uptake of innovations and how... Continue reading

The infographic below shows the key elements of a bitcoin transaction, from origination to appending a new block to the blockchain. For more information about the report quoted in this post please visit: https://canadianpaymentsinsights.com The following points provide important context for the transaction process: The System Bitcoin is an open... Continue reading

– Cash's share of personal expenditure transactions dips below 30% – The number of consumer debit card payment transactions in Canada exceeded the number of cash payment transactions for the first time in 2016, according to TSI's 2017 Canadian Payments Forecast report. The number of consumer debit card payment transactions... Continue reading

Virtual currencies use advanced cryptography to ensure the security of the system, and in particular a branch of cryptography referred to a Public Key Cryptography (PKC). In earlier times cryptography relied on secret keys that had to be known by both sender and recipient. The sender would encrypt the message... Continue reading

The most important developments in Canadian payments industry in 2012 have been on three fronts, viz. regulatory oversight, product innovation and product commercialization. Mobile payments have been top of mind, and while they are still in their infancy in Canada, the year saw some important developments in setting the stage... Continue reading

On November 7, Mobile Monday Toronto hosted a panel discussion in m-commerce in Canada. The panelists were: Simon Law – CTO, Admeris Derek Colfer – Business Leader, Visa Sanjay Dhawan – Independent Consultant and head of Corporate Development, Mobiroo Gary Schwartz – CEO, Impact Mobile The panel was moderated by... Continue reading

Implications for mobile payments The Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Card Industry in Canada came into effect in mid-August, 2010. One of the key provisions of the Code, articulated in Policy Element 6, is that “Competing domestic applications from different networks shall not be offered on the... Continue reading

Over the past year the Canadian payments environment has undergone a period of dramatic change. Competition has intensified across most major segments of the industry, EMV migration has gained traction, technological innovation has resulted in new payment mechanisms being developed and rolled out, and regulatory scrutiny of the industry has... Continue reading

At the Mobile Monday Toronto meeting held on December 6, senior executives of Wind Mobile and Public Mobile sketched the emerging Canadian wireless environment and lashed out at incumbents for their anticompetitive behaviour. The new entrants to the Canadian wireless market were represented by Anthony Lacavera, Chairman of Wind Mobile,... Continue reading