Tag: mobile commerce news

Sharper Image takes on mobile commerce

| November 19, 2013

Sharper Image enters into the mobile commerce field for the holiday season

Sharper Image has a long history in specializing in high-tech products, but the retailer is entering into new territory that it has not yet explored. The retailer is set to launch its holiday catalog, which will feature a wide array of innovative gadgetry. While this is nothing new in and of itself, the catalog will be linked to a mobile commerce site, allowing consumers to purchase products they are interested from their smartphones and tablets.

Retailers work to engage mobile consumers

Mobile commerce has become quite popular among retailers, largely due to the success that many companies saw with their mobile commerce initiatives during the 2012 holiday season. Last year, many consumers opted to shop from their mobile devices, taking advantage of special deals being offered by retailers trying to engage the mobile crowd. For many retailers, this led to a sharp increase in revenue, which has encouraged them to continue pursuing mobile commerce aggressively.

Application equipped with image recognition technology

Mobile Commerce - Holiday Shopping OnlineSharper Image is not content to simply link its holiday catalog to a mobile commerce website, of course. The retailer has also developed an application that will allow consumers to browse, research, and purchase products directly from the catalog using image recognition technology. Each image in the catalog contains a digital watermark that function in a similar fashion to a QR code. When the application registers the watermark, it directs consumers to a particular product page.

Mobile commerce may usher in success for retailers

The application is designed to make the shopping experience more engaging while also leveraging the convenience of mobile commerce. Sharper Image expects that consumers will respond well to the initiative, which may also be a boon for those looking to get their holiday shopping out of the way early. Other companies have similar initiatives in mind, but none are utilizing image recognition technology to promote mobile commerce among consumers.

Security continues to be a major issue for mobile commerce

| November 18, 2013

Focus on mobile identity is growing due to popularity of mobile commerce

Mobile identity is becoming more important to businesses, especially as more consumers around the world begin to rely on smartphones, tablets, and other devices in their daily lives. Market research firm ResearchMOZ has released a new report concerning the growing importance of mobile identity and how businesses are beginning to invest more heavily in biometrics and other such technologies. The report cites the growth of mobile interactions and mobile commerce as the influence behind higher investments in mobile identity.

Companies begin taking security more seriously

Mobile identity is an aspect of security that has become quite important in the world of business as more companies around the world begin to participate in mobile commerce and offer mobile-centric services. Companies are beginning to invest heavily in mobile identity infrastructure as it is being seen as an efficient and economic form of fraud detection and prevention. Mobile identity largely relies on the use of biometric technology, such as fingerprint scanners, to make things like mobile commerce more secure for consumers.

Mobile commerce security too sparse for some consumers

Mobile Commerce and Security IssuesMobile commerce, in particular, could have a lot to gain from businesses focusing more heavily on mobile identity. Mobile commerce has struggled with security issues for much of its existence. Many consumers that have shown interest in shopping for and purchasing products with their mobile devices have expressed concerns regarding the security of their financial information. Mobile commerce has become a popular target for hackers, many of whom are finding it relatively easy to exploit the financial information of consumers. A lack of security can expose companies to significant liability issues, especially when financial information is involved.

Companies seek to make mobile commerce safer

The report notes that companies like Google, Groupon, and Vodafone have made mobile identity a top priority. This is due to the involvement that these companies have in mobile commerce. As businesses begin to invest more heavily in mobile identity, better security systems are expected to begin emerging. Many of these security systems are expected to leverage biometric technology in some way.