e-commerce is out. u-commerce is in.

Earlier in the year I was talking with a co-working about the hype surrounding e-commerce and the more recent m-commerce (“mobile commerce” – cell phones, PDAs, etc.). I put forth a proposition that soon enough, we’ll be able to buy anything we want in the context in which it arises. For example, if I’m watching TV and Chandler has a nice Gap sweater on (a scenario that arises more often than you’d think), I will be able to buy it right then, right there. If you are walking down the street and someone rides by with a kitbag you like, you’ll be able to order it, right then, right there (don’t ask me how, that’s not important).

While I’m sure this isn’t a particularly original idea, I thought I was quite clever at the time and semi-sarcastically coined the term u-commerce (ubiquitous commerce). While browsing Signal vs. Noise today, I discovered that VISA has appropriated my idea, and called it “universal” commerce.

I suspect their focus groups probably said, “males and females ages 7 to 58 don’t know what ‘ubiquitous’ means”.