Tag: isis

Macy’s finds success through focus on mobile space

Retail giant Macy’s has been working to engage mobile consumers in a more dynamic way recently. The retailer has seen its customers evolve over the years, with more people becoming apt to use their mobile devices to shop and make purchases. At times, these consumers have been difficult to appeal to because of the lack of mobile services the retailer employed in the past. Over the past two years, however, Macy’s has established a strong grip on mobile consumers and continues to look for ways to engage these people with the services they have come to expect from the retailer.

QR codes and application overhaul provide better service to consumers

In the months leading up to the 2012 holiday shopping season, Macy’s began to use QR codes to direct consumers to digital content that could be found on the retailer’s mobile website. The company also launched a major overhaul of its mobile application, updating the platform to be more accommodating of mobile commerce. Macy’s saw 44% of the applications existing users download the updated version of the application before Black Friday last year. The overhaul spurred a 19% growth in the application’s user base.

Mobile commerce proves popular

In the retailer’s 39,000-square-foot store in Herald Square, New York City, store associates make use of mobile devices to provide information to customers concerning inventory and particular, often difficult to find, items. These devices are also used to process mobile payments. Macy’s recently began accepting mobile payments made through the use of Google Wallet and the retailer is part of a pilot project for Isis, one of the main competitors of Google Wallet, in Utah and Texas.

Macy’s finds balance in mobile focus

Macy’s has positioned itself to take advantage of the growing interest consumers are showing in mobile commerce. The retailer has managed to make itself stand out from amongst the competition by finding ways to engage mobile consumers and, more importantly, direct them to physical stores throughout the country. A focus on mobile consumers has, in the past, backfired for many retailers, leading many consumers to stop coming to physical stores. Macy’s seems to have found the appropriate balance to avoid this pitfall.

Verizon Wireless facing accusations of baring access to Google Wallet

Verizon Wireless has been making a name for itself in the realm of mobile commerce through the Isis platform. The company has been getting attention in the mobile commerce space for more than its participation in the Isis venture, however. Rumors have been circulating concerning the company’s restrictions concerning Google Wallet. According to these rumors, Verizon Wireless has barred all customers from accessing Google’s own mobile commerce platform. The telecommunications giant, however, suggests that this is not the case.

Company files report to the FCC

Verizon Wireless has delivered a report to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, which regulations domestic and international communications via radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. In its report, Verizon Wireless claims that it has not taken any steps to restrict access to Google Wallet. The allegations concernng the company’s restrictions are likely linked to a problem with Google Wallet itself, rather than any action that Verizon Wireless has made.

Problems may lie with Google Wallet itself

Earlier this year, Verizon began releasing NFC-enabled smart phones to the market. At the time these devices were released, Google Wallet was not ready to be made available on these platform. This quickly changed, however, as Google pushed for inclusion into the Verizon Wireless network, making the Wallet application compatible with the company’s latest  mobile devices. Problems began emerging as consumers found that they were unable to use Google Wallet, even though it was completely compatible with the device they purchased from Verizon Wireless.

Verizon suggests Google Wallet has yet to be approved for its security features

Verizon claims that the problem lies in the fact that Google has done little to gain approval for its mobile commerce application in terms of security. Verizon Wireless notes that Google Wallet’s security features require that it be approved by the company before it can be made widely available to customers. The company claims that Google is already well aware of this necessity, but that the technology giant has not yet sought approval for its mobile commerce platform.