Tag: ibm acquires xtify

IBM acquires mobile commerce and marketing firm

IBM is looking to bolster is presence in the mobile commerce sector. The technology firm recently acquired Xtify, a company that specializes in mobile payments and marketing. While IBM has not released any concrete information concerning the acquisition, Xtify has an extensive history of operations in the mobile sector. The company was formed in 2009 and has been facilitating mobile commerce and marketing services since then.

Demand for mobile services in growing among consumers

Mobile commerce has become a very competitive, yet attractive field for large companies like IBM. These companies see a great deal of promise in the mobile commerce sector, especially as more consumers gain access to smartphones and tablets. In emerging markets, these consumers are showing a great deal of interest in purchasing products and shopping from their mobile device. As such, companies are looking to take advantage of the growing popularity of mobile commerce by engaging consumers in dynamic ways and offering them new services. For large companies, one of the best ways to break into mobile commerce is to purchase a smaller company that already has a presence in the sector.

Mobile marketing is gaining momentum

While Xtify does offer mobile commerce support, the company also has a variety of marketing services. With more consumers becoming reliant on their smartphones and tablets, mobile marketing has become more important. Finding ways to connect with mobile consumers has been a difficult task, and IBM’s acquisition of Xtify may help smooth the learning curve.

Acquisitions help large companies compete in mobile commerce field

IBM already offers a variety of support platforms for e-commerce retailers, but the company has only recently begun participating in the mobile commerce space. While the company’s acquisition of Xtify may not translate into higher mobile commerce revenue, it could be a sign of how IBM plans to approach the sector in the future. These acquisitions are becoming more common as large companies work to compete with one another in the mobile commerce arena.

The company has made yet another purchase that has moved it further into the smartphone advertising sphere.

IBM has just announced that its purchasing spree has continued with its acquisition of Xtify, a mobile marketing company, which it has obtained for an undisclosed sum.

The company explained that the deal would give digital advertisers better interaction opportunities.

IBM explained that it would help mobile marketing companies to be able to increase their ability for interaction with consumers over mobile platforms through the use of in-app capabilities. This involves options such as running competitions, alerting customers regarding new promotions, and adding content to the apps themselves. The technology will be available within the Smarter Commerce offerings suite from IBM.

The acquisition of Xtify brings IBM mobile marketing for a number of sizeable customers.

Along with the purchase of mobile marketing opportunities with Xtify, IBM will also be receiving a number of that smaller company’s notable customers, which include 20th Century Fox and Disney Stores.

The vice president for digital marketing at IBM, Kevin Bishop, explained that the track record at Xtify for meeting agendas for mobile marketing is an ideal complement to the portfolio of offerings that are already available at IBM. He said that “With the increase of mobile devices, organisations across all industries are anxious to develop a mobile approach to engage their customers. The acquisition of Xtify provides new ways for our clients to foster a direct, one-to-one communication channel with their customers.”

The CEO of Xtify, Josh Rochlin, stated that he felt that bringing his company into IBM will provided them with the chance to meet a far wider range of customer needs than has ever been possible for that business. He said that the capability for mobile marketing and messaging at Xtify, in combination with the cloud infrastructure and analytics at IBM will give marketers a tremendous arsenal of rich content at with a global reach for informing and influencing a growing number of consumers who regularly use smartphones and tablets.

He went on to point out that the best time to provide mobile marketing content to customers is at exactly the time and place that they are seeking it. This acquisition greatly enhances ad relevancy.