Tag: vodafone

Vodafone tests mobile commerce platform in New Zealand

| September 11, 2013

Test launch of mobile commerce platform begins in New Zealand

Vodafone, a global telecommunications organization, is one of several companies in its industry that have been showing aggressive interest in mobile commerce. Consumers are becoming more involved in mobile technology, leading to a growing demand for a more convenient, tech-savvy form of commerce. Vodafone has been working to position itself as a leader in the mobile commerce sector by meeting this demand with its SmartPass platform. The company has recently begun a pilot test for the platform in Auckland, New Zealand, before an international launch later this year.

SmartPass leverages the power of NFC technology

The SmartPass is based on NFC technology and leverages NFC in order to facilitate mobile payments. The technology is quite common in the mobile commerce sector, forming the backbone for the majority of other platforms that could be considered competitors to SmartPass. The platform was developed with the help of Visa, which also has a vested interest in mobile commerce. The pilot launch of the platform is meant to expose consumers to mobile commerce and provide merchants with an effective way to engage mobile consumers.

Mobile Commerce VodafoneNFC-enabled devices still rare among consumers

Vodafone expects the pilot launch to last at least two months, hoping to solve some of the undiscovered issues that the SmartPass may have during that time. The company is aware of the low availability of NFC-enabled devices in the consumer market, but does not anticipate this to be a significant problem. SmartPass, like other NFC-based mobile commerce platforms, can only be used by NFC-enabled devices. These devices are becoming more common, but many consumers have shied away from mobile commerce because they are unwilling to purchase a new, expensive smartphone or tablet just to be able to make a mobile payment at a physical store.

SmartPass to function as mobile wallet

The SmartPass is not only able to facilitate mobile payments, of course, as it is also designed to function as a sort of digital wallet. The platform is capable of storing a variety of financial information that could be used by consumers at any given time. Like other platforms, SmartPass is also expected to keep track of special offers that consumers receive from merchants and the brands they are interested in.

Mobile marketing to heat up in the UK

| June 12, 2013

Mobile marketing expected to reach new heights during the summer

Mobile marketing is expected to go into high gear in the United Kingdom in the coming months. Some 17 million consumers throughout the country will be receiving targeting advertisements throughout their mobile devices as major retailers and telecommunications operators begin working together over the summer. Vodafone, EE, and O2 are the country’s largest telecommunications companies and each has been working with large retail brands to launch new mobile marketing campaigns.

Weve to lead massive mobile marketing push

These three companies have pooled a great deal of data into a single platform that they are calling Weve. This joint venture organization is meant to leverage this consumer data in order to deliver very direct advertisements to very specific demographics. The data used by Weve is comprised of age, gender, mobile device details, and other such information that could determine the type of advertisements a consumer sees.

UK mobile marketing shows promise for summerWeve to bid for mobile advertising space

During the summer, Weve will be bidding on mobile advertising space. The organization is eager to purchase space on various mobile applications and websites, but has a keen interest in mobile games. These games are enjoyed by a vast number of consumers throughout the United Kingdom and constant exposure to these games means constant exposure to mobile marketing. Mobile games may be the best avenue for the organizations marketing endeavors, but they do not encompass Weve’s overall interests in mobile marketing.

Weve receives regulatory approval from EU

Because Weve makes use of data collected from consumers, there have been concerns regarding privacy and how this data is being used or shared with others. In November of last year, the European Union granted regulatory approval to Weve, suggesting that the organization is not using consumer data in any way that could be considered malicious. Moreover, the data collected by Weve is entirely anonymous, with no personal details, apart from age and gender, being accessed by the organization.