In a survey conducted during the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, Sybase 365 found most industry experts think we're still a few years away from NFC mobile payments going mainstream.

Sybase 365, a subsidiary of mobile message and mobile commerce provider Sybase Inc., said that 81 percent of respondents think NFC mobile payments will become mainstream in two to five years. Less than 10 percent think mainstream adoption will happen within the next year.

"Mobile payments are arguably the leading topic of discussion in the mobile commerce ecosystem," said Sybase 365 President John Sims in a statement.

Among its findings, Sybase 365 found that 38 percent of respondents think security will be a leading obstacle to consumer adoption of mobile payments. An equal amount said the need for coordination among key mobile commerce stakeholders and the development of mobile payment standards will promote adoption. Sims echoed that sentiment.

"Material advances for mobile payments will only come about when banks, operators and retailers can converge on a business model and, with it, true industry interoperability leading to a widely embraced mobile payments system," said Sims.

Of the stakeholders involved with mobile payments, respondents to the survey were split over who will actually drive widespread adoption. Twenty-six percent said mobile operators will take the lead, 24 percent believe banks will drive adoption and 19 percent said technology companies like Amazon, PayPal or Groupon will foster adoption. 

Read more about recent surveys and reports in the Trends/Statistics research center.