With the emerging availability of mobile video, a recent US mobile phone subscriber survey revealed that one in eight respondents indicated they were interested in purchasing mobile video services from their wireless carrier, reports In-Stat. However, two thirds of mobile phone subscribers are not yet ready for video services on their handsets, a number that is nearly unchanged from the previous year's survey, the high-tech market research firm says. "Though mobile video does not yet appear to have widespread appeal, In-Stat believes that there is enough interest for it to generate some significant revenue for carriers in the near term," says David Chamberlain, In-Stat senior analyst. The number of subscribers purchasing mobile video content in the U.S. will increase from an estimated 1.1 million in 2005 to over 30 million in 2010, In-Stat forecasts. However, the most desirable customers (long-term loyal customers who are satisfied with their service and unlikely to churn to other carriers) are the least interested in purchasing mobile video.
For decades, the story of digital commerce has been one of incremental improvement: better search, faster checkout, smarter recommendations. But something more fundamental is now underway. The emergence of agentic commerce, in which AI agents autonomously search, evaluate, and execute purchases on behalf of buyers, represents a genuine architectural shift in how commerce operates. Whether it becomes the revolution its proponents promise, or another technology that peaks at interesting pilot project, will depend on how effectively the AI industry addresses the structural challenges it faces. Agentic Commerce Market Development Agentic commerce involves deploying AI agents to handle the full purchasing cycle. Rather than browsing a website and entering card details yourself, you grant an AI agent the authority to act on your behalf, within defined parameters. The agent handles product discovery, comparison, negotiation, and payment execution. It draws on your procurement preferences, pur...