Amazon acquires GoPago

Acclaimed online retailer Amazon has announced the acquisition of GoPago, a mobile commerce firm based in San Francisco, California. Amazon has been working to establish a more formidable presence in the mobile space in recent years, aiming to compete with companies like eBay that have found a great deal of success by engaging mobile consumers. The acquisition of GoPago may provide Amazon with the extra tools it needs to overcome the competition.

Firm shows promise in the mobile sector

GoPago was launched in 2009 and is responsible for a mobile application that allows users to browse and pay for products from their smartphones. The firm later went on to specialize in point-of-sale software, developing solutions for merchants interested in engaging the mobile audience. JPMorgan Chase invested an undisclosed amount of money into the firm in February of this year, adding to GoPago’s stance in the mobile sector and attracting a great deal of attention to the firm.

Ambitious new projects may be coming in the future

GoPago suggests that its acquisition by Amazon will open the door for ambitious new projects, but what these projects will be has yet to be announced. Amazon itself has yet to announce any new and ambitious mobile projects as the company has been somewhat heavily focused on the projects that are already underway. How GoPago will fit into the Amazon portfolio and what benefits it will bring have yet to be seen.

Retail mobile commerce is becoming more competitive

Mobile commerce has become quite popular in the world of retail. Several prominent companies have been investing heavily in the mobile sector in order to engage in a new generation of consumers. Currently, eBay and Amazon hold a very formidable place in the mobile retail sector. Companies like Square and Google are attracting more attention as providers of mobile commerce services and mobile wallets, however.

Charities are starting to jump on the smartphone and tablet bandwagon when it comes to boosting donations.

There is a trend starting to build in which mobile marketing by nonprofits of many different sorts is starting to increase around the world in their efforts to be able to fundraise more effectively and at a lower cost to themselves.

Although this has risen within the holiday season, it has been a steady trend throughout the year.

Cymba Integrated Solutions director, Nevil Coleman released a post online that expressed that mobile marketing by nonprofits has become a relatively mainstream effort as a part of fundraising campaigns held by charities. The company from the United Kingdom pointed out a number of different ways in which these organizations have worked to reach users of smartphones and tablets in order to boost donations.

There is evidence of mobile marketing by nonprofits in a number of different public locations.

According to Coleman in his post, “Anyone who has traveled on a train, read a newspaper or used the London Underground will have seen posters asking for, say, £3 via text to fund research into cancer treatments or to save an animal.” These are only a few examples that are regularly seen by the public when it comes to charities that are using small screen devices to their advantage.

Coleman also pointed out that this is not only becoming common, but it is increasing in frequency, as charities are using this method as a way to help them to build their number of supporters. He stated that aside from the obvious level of convenience, this channel also provides a number of additional benefits that have helped it to become quite successful in the fundraising effort. Another commonly appreciated reason is that it is very dependable for bringing in new and frequently younger people who will donate to the charity.

Moreover mobile marketing by nonprofits gives them a chance to boost the versatility of their donation methods. Text to donate has become a highly popular feature among users of smartphones and feature phones alike, as it requires only a short code and not a complicated app.