Author: Dan Gendro

Snapdeal takes another step into the mobile commerce sector

| May 28, 2015

Snapdeal has acquired technology startup MartMobi

Indian e-commerce giant Snapdeal has successfully MartMobi, a technology startup based in Hyderabad. MartMobi specializes in enabling businesses, brands, and merchants to have a mobile presence without having to bother with coding themselves. The platform has become particularly popular among those interested in mobile commerce. It can be used to create applications and other solutions for retailers that want to engage in mobile consumers in a dynamic way.

Retailers are feeling the need to engage in mobile commerce

Mobile commerce is flourishing in India. Smartphone penetration is at an all time high and consumers are showing a great deal of interest in using their mobile devices to shop for and purchase products online. Consumers have shown favor for the convenient nature of mobile commerce, as it makes it easier for them to shop for products. Retailers that want to tap into the promise of the mobile market must, of course, have some sort of mobile presence, which is where platforms like MartMobi come into play.

Acquisitions could give Snapdeal a fighting edge against other companies

Mobile Commerce AcquisitionSnapdeal has acquired MartMobi for an undisclosed amount. The company has been on an acquisition spree in recent years, hoping to compete with other companies in the electronic and mobile commerce spaces. Both Flipkart and Amazon are major competitors to Snapdeal and all three companies are vying for a position in the $3 billion e-commerce industry in India. Recent acquisitions could embolden Snapdeal’s position in the industry, but it will have to continue engaging consumers effectively in order to hold dominance in the sector.

India continues to grow as a mobile commerce hub

India has become a very prominent mobile commerce market. The country has begun to attract many mobile-centric interests to itself due to its relatively high mobile population. Consumers are eager to participate in mobile commerce and make use of mobile platforms that allow them to shop in a more convenient fashion. In the coming years, the mobile sector is expected to play a much larger role in the country’s overall economy.

iZettle launches new system to support mobile payments

| May 25, 2015

New point-of-sale system will support mobile transactions made through various services

Sweden’s iZettle, a developer of point-of-sale systems, has launched a new mobile point-of-sale product that is meant to work with both chip and PIN mobile payments. The product has an emphasis on Apple Pay and similar payment services. These services have become quite popular with consumers because they allow people to make payments with their mobile devices. This is considered a convenient way to pay for products, but there are relatively few mobile point-of-sale systems that are available in the retail space.

Global launch of new system expected to occur later this year

Growing demand for these systems has lead iZettle and other companies to develop new products that can accommodate changing trends in the retail space. The company’s new system, called the Card Reader Pro Contactless, will be distributed to select partners in the United Kingdom. A broader launch will come in June. Global launch will occur in the following months. The system itself costs approximately $122, with price variations depending on certain markets.

Small retailers may find benefit in iZettle’s new product

mobile payments - Point-of-sale SystemThe new system may be particularly useful to small companies that are interested in mobile payments. Small retailers have been slow to embrace mobile payments because of the costs associated with converting conventional point-of-sale systems into mobile capable systems. Smaller retailers want to engage mobile consumers, but do not necessarily have a way to support mobile payments. The new point-of-sale system could help solve this problem by giving these retailers the tool they need to finally break into the mobile space.

System could be an effective way for retailers to engage mobile consumers

The mobile system will support numerous mobile payments apps, including Google Wallet. The system is meant to cater to the convenience of mobile payments and allow both retailers and consumers an easy and effective way to engage in a new form of commerce that has emerged as a result of mobile technology. Of course, iZettle is not the only company to bring a mobile point-of-sale system to the market, so it will have to compete with others in the retail space to find success.