Will 2012 be the year of mobile commerce? If this is indeed a momentous year for mobile retail and transactions of all kinds, then what will happen to the mix of payment options and players currently jockeying for position? Should we expect a showdown between credit card companies, carriers, banks, aggregators and the likes of PayPal? In the midst of all the massive growth and disruption will we see mega-acquisitions, or are all the companies that could achieve $10 billion+ price tags in the first place taken?
This week's m-pulse catches up with Chetan Sharma, independent consultant and well-known industry authority, to discuss mobile mega-trends and deep-dive into the results of the 2012 Mobile Industry Predictions Survey. Each year Chetan asks us —the mobile industry — to weigh in on the most newsworthy events and companies, as well as vote for the breakthrough categories, developments and technologies sure to define 2012.
Rob and I also discuss our pick of hot mobile news and data points. I rant about the disconnect between the mobile and retail readiness of luxury brands (lacking to say the least!) and our willingness (even requirement) to interact with luxury brands via our mobile phones and tablets.
Children’s books are written with an important purpose in mind. Whether the publisher hopes to excite our imagination, touch our hearts, or simply make education fun, mobile must be part of the cross-media mix. Tego Interactive tells us why we shouldn’t limit...
Will 2012 be the year we remotely connect to our smart homes using our smartphones? Can Intel crash the mobile party and make its mark with tablets that stand up to ARM-powered devices? Should we expect a shift in the operating system landscape in favor of Microsoft (with Symbian as a back-up plan)?
This week's m-pulse — the new vodcast series produced by Rob Woodbridge, founder and owner of UNTETHER.tv, in collaboration with MobileGroove — catches up with Kevin C. Tofel, Mobile site editor at GigaOM.com, where he covers mobile technology and the global wireless industry. Continuing our theme for January, we deep-dive into his list of 16 mobile industry predictions for 2012 and get his take on the week's hot mobile news.
National Retail Federation Show, New York City: This week the old Javits Center in the New York hosted retail folk from across the U.S. and shed some light on a technology play that may define a new industry I call Retail 2.0.
Indeed, the reality of a connected shopping experience with smartphones at the center may not be far off. However, this show was proof to me that we have to get past our focus on technology (and B2B) and walk in the shoes of our customers (understanding that it's B2C that is really at the core). And, since it is about the shopper experience, it's clear that winning Retail 2.0 strategies will be the ones that bring CIOs and CMOs to the table.
Today (!) marks the launch of The Pulse, a new vodcast series produced by Rob Woodbridge, founder and owner of UNTETHER.tv, in collaboration with MobileGroove. We welcome our guest Gary Schwartz, CEO of Impact Mobile, Inc., North America Chair of the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF) and author of THE IMPULSE ECONOMY, a book that examines the evolution and future opportunities around mobile commerce and transactions.
Gary's no-holds-barred analysis of mobile's impact on bricks-and-mortar retail suggests America's shopping malls are in for tough times in 2012 as users move from price comparison apps to making real-life purchases using cloud checkout services. We also discuss how Kindle Fire is blazing through the U.S. (and soon Europe), building on the analysis I just posted this week on MobileGroove. What is the likely impact on mobile marketing and how are users in key countries already embracing this new type of connected device? Tune in and find out! (You can follow Gary and all the tweets related to his new book at @impulseeconomy).
Amazon has been able to do what other Android tablets can only dream of – offer a highly compelling consumption device that not only undercuts the iPad on price (and admittedly features) but, in many cases, beats it on content availability. Scott Bown reveals the company's source of competitive advantage and what all this means for developers everywhere.
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The Internet ushered in the age of free content, a shift in models that had a massive impact on the worlds of publishing, music, news and entertainment. We have seen large companies stumble (and fall) as they struggled to adapt their business models to the changing world.
The last 24 months have seen an avalanche of apps, a rise in mobile video and a myriad of new mobile content consumption patterns. Content and app companies — large and small — are locked in a race to evolve their product sets to keep up with the pace of change. But mobile veteran Dave Moreau believes less is more, and advises app stores and content providers to keep focus and filtering top of mind.
The Mobile App Economy is in full swing, but does it mark a new chapter in our history? Or can we learn from history to make sure everyone in this new ecosystem —particularly the independent app developer —benefits and prospers? Mike Anderson draws startling comparisons between the current app frenzy and the California Gold Rush of 1848 to provide developers some solid business advice.
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A lot of people like to say that there’s a 'gold rush' mood in the Apps industry at the moment. Hell, I’ve probably said it myself. It’s something of a cliché, and like most clichés, you use it unthinkingly. But I’ve been thinking about it, and I’ve come to realize that the description is far more apt than most people in the apps space realize. Indeed, exploring the comparisons tells us a lot about where our industry is headed.
Mobile apps isn't the only game in town. Developers need think big-picture and focus efforts on multi-platform apps capable of connecting our devices and our experiences. This is the trend to watch for 2012 and why Mike Johns, CEO of Digital Mind State, and his views on the vast opportunities at the intersection of apps, TV and social media are more pertinent than ever.
We catch up with Mike to talk about his success brokering profitable business relationships between brands and urban/hip hop artists to deliver a 360 degree entertainment experience combining social media interaction and TV (Social TV) and mobile apps.
Smart developers understand that selling apps is a serious business. The are exploring their options (developing for several platforms simultaneously), choosing commercially successful distribution channels (apps stores rather than third-party aggregators, for example) and preparing for a multi-screen future where the smartphone is just the entry point to a fluid app experience that flows across set-top boxes, tablets and a wide range of connected devices.
It's a profound shift that market analysis and strategy firm VisionMobile has expertly identified and documented in Developer Economics 2011, a landmark, must-read report that
Mobile is huge. And so is the value marketers and companies can wring out of a comprehensive mobile strategy that starts with a mobile-optimized website. Still, there is a disturbing disconnect between the number of consumers that research (and buy!) products on the move, and the number of businesses that have invested in a mobile-optimized website to satisfy their customer requirements. What's the hold up? Richard Edwards surveyed mobile authorities and practitioners to get the answers.
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Are businesses mobile ready? A look at new research from Google and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) -- conducted by Ipsos GmbH and TNS Infratest -- should have alarm bells ringing. Only a fraction of businesses in the five countries surveyed report having mobile optimized sites. The break down is even more of an eye-opener: US - 33 percent, U.K. - 17 percent, France - 12 percent, Germany - 37 percent, and Japan - 43 percent.
Today we kick off a new series of mobile search app reviews and road tests with Goby, a mobile search app that helps people find fun things to do nearby. The company behind the app, described by tech celeb Robert Scoble as more important than Foursquare, was acquired on Friday by location services giant TeleNav, proof that mobile search is a new must-have feature of apps, services and discovery schemes.
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While Google may have sewn up the market when it comes to general or horizontal Internet search, the race to dominate the mobile and alternative search space is far from run. In fact, it's just starting. A top contender for a lead spot is Goby, a mobile search app available on the Apple and Android platforms designed from the ground up to help people find fun stuff to do nearby.
On the heels of last month's survey of mobile telecoms execs across the Asia Pacific region (and a tremendously successful #doxchat Tweetchat that had a global reach of 92,000+), Amdocs is gearing up to release a new report looking at mobile operator attitudes and activities around mobile payments. Here is an exclusive preview of the key findings.
In the countdown to Apps World Asia (September 1-2, Singapore) we speak with Tak Miyata, senior vice president of global business at Mixi, the fast-growing and number one social network in Japan about Mixi's strategy to expand its communications platform, enable third-party developers to make mobile apps for its members and encourage commerce that bridges online (digital) and offline (physical).
Mixi started out in 2004 allowing its users to post photos, share comments and links, and interact on community pages and forums based on themes ranging from recipes to rock-n-roll.
Will 2012 be the year of mobile commerce? If this is indeed a momentous year for mobile retail and transactions of all kinds, then what will happen to the mix of payment options and players currently jockeying for position? Should we expect a showdown between credit card companies, carriers, banks, aggregators and the likes of PayPal? In the midst of all the massive growth and disruption will we see mega-acquisitions, or are all the companies that could achieve $10 billion+ price tags in the first place taken?
