Tag: mobile technology

Mobile payments continue to thrive with Starbucks

| April 30, 2013

Starbucks Mobile PaymentsStarbucks sees strong potential in mobile payments

Starbucks has seen a significant degree of success through its mobile payments initiative. The company, which began embracing mobile payments only a few short years ago, continues to see more consumers show interest in the idea of mobile commerce with each passing day. The company now reports that it processes more than 3 million mobile transactions every week, and expects that this number will continue to grow as the company begins to put more focus on innovation in order to continue capturing the favor of tech-savvy consumers.

Company continues to focus on innovation

Mobile payments are quickly becoming a staple for Starbucks, but they have not yet become the company’s lifeblood. The company has been able to offer consumers a more convenient and efficient way to pay for products, but Starbucks is beginning to look for ways to improve the mobile payments experience. As such, the company has a goal to further bridge the gap between the physical world and the digital world.

Starbucks aims to connect physical and digital worlds

Bridging this gap can be somewhat difficult given the vague nature of the separation of these two realms. Starbucks is keen to create a deeper experience for consumers when it comes to mobile payments and shopping in physical stores. Part of this involves providing consumers more information concerning certain products and giving them the opportunity to engage in this information in a dynamic fashion. The company also has plans to put emphasis on its line of health and wellness products, and will offer these products through a variety of mobile initiatives in the future.

Mobile payments find support throughout retail industry

Mobile payments have been well received by Starbucks and its consumers. Starbucks is not the only company showing a strong interest in mobile payments. Much of the retail industry has become enthralled with the concept of mobile commerce. This interest is largely driven by the increasing number of consumers with smartphones and tablets who are interested in a new form of commerce.

Financial woes for Zynga mount as shift toward mobile games continues

| April 28, 2013

zynga mobile gamesZynga’s future in mobile games may be turbulent

Zynga is in the midst of transitioning from social games to mobile games, but this shift has proven somewhat turbulent for the once popular developer. The company has targeted the mobile space as the ideal environment, wherein it can once again establish dominance in the gaming field. This comes after its fall from grace with Facebook and the subsequent crash of its status in the social gaming field. Mobile games do hold strong potential for the developer, but mounting financial problems could derail Zynga’s plans for the future.

Zynga posts decline in revenue

Zynga’s revenues for the first quarter of this year have declined by 18% year-over-year. During the first quarter, the company pulled in $264 million in revenue, but managed to report net income gains due to the continued performance of FarmVille 2, one of Zynga’s most played social games. Nonetheless, declining revenue presents a problem for Zynga, especially as some analysts suggests that the company will continue to report declines in revenue through the remainder of the year. Falling revenues could have an impact on Zynga’s ability to enter into the realm of mobile games.

Developer not likely to see gains through 2013

According to Zynga CEO Mark Pincus, 2013 is a transition year for the company. Pincus does not predict that Zynga will post promising results throughout 2013 until the company can establish a strong presence on the mobile gaming front. Currently, the developer does not anticipate any significant problems entering into mobile games, but development is rarely an inexpensive venture and producing games that do not end up a hit with consumers could lead the company into troubled financial waters.

Consumers wary of mobile games produced by Zynga

Zynga has the long term in mind when it comes to mobile games. The company is currently developing several titles for various mobile platforms, hoping to find the same success with mobile consumers that it had seen through social networks. Consumers remain wary of Zynga, however, as the developer has often been accused of blatantly copying other, more popular games in order to appeal to the interests of gamers.