An app-based start-up journey

As figures released yesterday by PayPal show, mobile-based commerce is set to rocket this year, but there are still a few untapped niches in Australia.

With the market set to quadruple in size in 2011 it’s clear that consumers are increasingly tapping into smart phones for products and services.

While several Australian start-ups have done well in the app market, there are still plenty of innovations from overseas that could catch on here.

For example, tech company Navigo is trialling a service in Paris that allows users to pay for public transport journeys via their mobile phones.

STIF, France’s public transport authority, has given the green light to the idea, which will involve passengers swiping smart phones over special readers in order to pay for journeys.

Navigo says it will save time during the daily commute as well as cutting down on the frustrating wait when buying or renewing a ticket, with the service updated via the phone.

The trial is set to kick off in early 2012 and barring any Myki-style delays will roll out across the Paris network.

Is travel an area that you could get smart with in your app development?