As with any major industry shift, there is going to be a handful of bumps in the road before it is becomes standard. Not every business went out and bought a computer on day one. Many waited for reviews and case studies to come in and then decide if it was the best option of them. The retail sector is experiencing this right now with mobile commerce payment options.

While hype would have you believe that consumer payments being handled through smartphones and tablets is the future and that time is now, reality is a bit different. A recent study released by IHL Group found that 28 percent of retailers intend to start using a mobile option of processing by the end of 2013. On top of that, a majority of businesses are only looking at mobile solutions as a way to supplement existing point of sale solutions. 

A recent Mad Mobile News article covered the report and made some interesting observations.

"There's no question that making the move to a mobile-centric POS system is a big transition," the article reads. "The IHL Group report suggests that too many question marks remain to trigger a shift across the retail industry. The key to accelerating adoption rates for mobile-based POS systems lies in finding ways to ease fears and address potential systemic issues."

This is where a retail payment solution provider can become a valuable resource for any merchant. Instead of trying to filter through all of the options on your own, a third party provider can help determine which option meets the specific challenges of your business.