Tag: mobile apps

WhatsApp has serious competition in regards to Kakao Talk

Popular mobile messaging application WhatsApp has attracted a great deal of attention recently due to its acquisition by Facebook. The prominent social network spent $19 billion to purchase the application and has been working to incorporate the application into its overarching social structure. WhatsApp already boasted of a large user base but with Facebook’s backing, this user base is expected to grow exponentially in the future. While WhatsApp may become more popular in the months to come, it does have a competitor that could destabilize its growth.

Application aims to leverage mobile commerce to gain support

Kakao Talk is another messaging application that has become very popular in Asia. The application has more than 133 million registered users in South Korea and is currently preparing launch an initial public offering being valued at more than $2 billion. What Kakao Talk may offer that WhatsApp does not is the ability to allow users to participate in mobile commerce. Using the application, people can connect with brands more effectively, taking advantage of special deals being offered by retailers and online merchants.

Mobile gaming supported through Kakao Talk

Kakao Talk also boasts of a gaming feature. Mobile gaming has become quite a lucrative aspect of the game industry as a whole. Providing consumers with a platform that has strong social interaction features and that can support mobile games could help Kakao Talk surpass WhatsApp in terms of popularity. Similar platforms have managed to find success with type of approach. The WeChat application, which had initially been a messaging app, is now on its way to becoming one of the most prominent mobile commerce platforms in the world.

Demand for mobile services is on the rise

As people become more reliant on their mobile devices, the demand for comprehensive mobile services is growing. While applications that are meant to serve a single purpose are likely to remain popular well into the future, people are beginning to show more interest in applications that can serve multiple purposes at the same time. These applications have shown that they are able to accommodate the interests of a new generation of mobile users.

AR is the next step that the major Canadian bank is doing to compete within its market.

Royal Bank is updating its mobile application to help to incorporate a number of new state of the art features to appeal to customers who enjoy location based mobile services, but with a unique twist in the form of an augmented reality app element.

All a user needs to do is to open the map in the application and the AR feature will display the results of the query.

The augmented reality app is meant to help to make it easier for customers to be able to find the nearest Royal Bank (RBC) ATM or bank branch. The AR function provides a live streetscape that uses icons to guide the customer to the nearest location, including the distance to get there. The key to this update is to make the location feature easier and more convenient for the customer to use.

The bank’s augmented reality app is only the latest in its many smartphone friendly options.

According to the head of the emerging payments division at RBC, Jeremy Bornstein, “Making continuous improvements to our mobile app to allow our customers a smooth user experience is a priority for us.” The tool that allows customers to locate branches and ATMs is among the most commonly used in the existing mobile app from the bank, he added.

The bank believes that by combining this popular feature with a live street view that incorporates various location based elements, it has enhanced the usability and effectiveness of this tool in a very practical and appealing way.

In order to use the augmented reality feature, the latest version of the mobile app is required. The “Find a Location” function needs to be opened and the icon the icon can be tapped to turn the smartphone’s camera feature on . The application then links the compass in the device with the live image and its location based service with the RBC location database in order to guide the customer to the nearest branch or ATM location.

That location is presented on the screen and then the augmented reality app provides on screen directions to bring the customer from his or her present location to that of the desired ATM or branch.