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UK retailers may be missing the mark with mobile commerce

Denny | March 17, 2013

UK retail industry may not be accommodating of mobile commerce

Mobile commerce is expanding, but United Kingdom retailers may be missing their opportunity to take advantage of the growing number of consumers that are interested in shopping from their mobile devices. Skava, a leading provider of retail technology, has announced that it recently participated in a study of UK and U.S. retailers. The study suggests that a significant portion of retailers in the UK are not optimizing their websites for mobile devices, which means that they could be missing out on a significant amount of business from mobile consumers.

Study shows half of top 100 retailers in the UK are not taking mobile seriously

The study shows that only 50% of the UK’s top 100 retailers have optimized their websites for mobile devices, compared to 100% of the top 100 retailers in the U.S. Skava suggests that not optimizing retail sites for mobile viewing could be a major misstep for UK retailers, especially as consumers become more apt to use their mobile devices to make purchases. Mobile commerce is growing in popularity and many retailers may find that they are missing a significant opportunity, potentially losing their spot in the top 100 by making it difficult for consumers to participate in mobile shopping.

Websites optimized for mobile devices are becoming increasingly important

Websites that are not optimized for mobile devices are difficult for mobile consumers to use. This is because mobile devices are inherently different than traditional computers. Smaller screens and access to mobile Internet make it difficult for consumers to browse sites that do not prioritize cross-platform optimization. In terms of mobile commerce, e-commerce sites make mobile payments almost impossible, providing consumers with a poor experience.

Skava aims to promote mobile commerce services

The growing number of consumers with smartphones and tablets has lead many companies to optimize their websites for mobile viewing, but much of the retail industry in the UK remains somewhat complacent. Skava recently entered into the European market in order to provide more services to the retail industry, aiming to help retailers become more accommodating of mobile commerce.

Reliance Games acquires mobile games developers in South Korea and Japan

Denny | March 15, 2013

Reliance Games to focus on mobile games in Asian market

Reliance Games, the mobile games division of Reliance Big Entertainment, has announced its acquisition of Japanese game developer and publisher Funnel as well as South Korean development studio Bluesom. The acquisition has formed new mobile games divisions for Reliance Games in both countries, providing the company with a strong entry point into their respective markets. Mobile games are very popular in both South Korea and Japan, and the market activity in this sector is what attracted the attention of Reliance Games in the first place.

Company now has strong entry into the Asian market

Through the acquisition, Reliance Games now has access to the intellectual property of both development studios. Both developers have produced very successful mobile games in the past and Reliance Games is keen to take advantage of that momentum for its venture into the Asian market. As part of Reliance Games, both Bluesom and Funnel will work to develop mobile games catered to the markets of South Korea and Japan. Developing games for the Asian market will not be the only focus of the studios, however.

Developers will work to create games for western markets in the future

In the future, both Bluesom and Funnel will research and develop multiplayer mobile games specifically for western markets. Multiplayer games, in particular, have been very successful in the mobile space due to their focus on community and social networking. These games are not expected to take form for some time, giving Reliance Games the opportunity to provide more resources to Funnel and Bluesom in order to bolster their position in their respective markets.

Barriers exist that separate Asian market from western markets

While mobile games enjoy almost universal appeal, games have traditionally faced several problems in crossing the gap that separates the Asian market from western markets. Cultural differences and other factors tend to make games that have performed well in the Asian market somewhat less successful in western markets. This is a persistent trend that exists throughout much of the game industry, and is as true for mobile games as it is for console and computer games.