Barclaycard claims 150,000 contactless payment terminals will be in shops including Waitrose, Tesco, McDonalds and sandwich chain Eat by the end of the year, but it does not release figures on how many people are currently using them. The limit on contactless payments is currently £15, but it will rise to £20 in June. London buses will also accept contactless payments by the end of this year, with the rest of the capitals transport network following in 2013.

The security of some contactless payments has been called into question, but a recent investigation by mobile phone security firm Via Forensics found that only a small number of the 15million contactless cards in circulation could be accessed easily. All fraud is covered by the card companies’ standard policies.

The new type of card would complement traditional credit cards, and it was just as secure, quoted by David Chan, chief executive of Barclaycard Consumer Europe. He also claimed that the firm had done “huge amounts” of research to prevent the PayTags from falling off whatever they were attached to, and to make sure they did not leave sticky marks when they were removed from users’ phones.

He added that research showed sticking the cards to mobile phones was acceptable to consumers because they appreciated not having to carry a wallet, but were also used to looking after phones because losing them was as costly and inconvenient as losing a credit card. Although he called PayTag “another milestone”, Mr. Chan conceded that it was a halfway house until payment technologies was built in to phones. A study carried out on Barclaycard’s behalf predicts that £3billion worth of purchases will be made with mobile phones in the UK in 2016. The PayTag will be offered free to all existing Barclay’s customers, beginning today with a first, smaller group of customers.

(Source: – Zdnet.com)

Cisco unveiled a line of Linksys Smart Wi-Fi routers that promises to change the face and the body, of home networking.

Cisco cloud connect is a Web-based portal that is designed to make it possible to quickly manage multiple home networks from anywhere in the world. And in the category of “home network”, Cisco now includes home appliances, not just computers and electric equipment. The company says it has been working with the top device manufactures to simplify the process of getting their network, “Cisco now includes home appliances, not just computers and electronic equipment.” The company says it has been working with top device manufacturers to simplify the process of getting their network products as such as TVs and home appliances – connected, and to get them communicating more with one another to offer new consumer experiences.

In a demo, Cisco showed how a user can remotely, via the Cisco Connect Cloud portal, carry out tasks that were quite impossible before, such as finding out the status of a refrigerator.

Brett Wingo, a Cisco vice president and general manager, said the new line of cloud-enabled routers will be game-changing products that “enable users to take total control of their home, and not just the Wi-Fi networks.”

The new routers are all true dual-band Wireless-N routers, with the EA2700 supporting the 300Mbps standard on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, the EA3500 also supporting the 450Mbps standard on the 5GHz band, and the EA4500 supporting 450Mbps on both bands. They come with one USB port to host an external hard drive and work as a network storage server with media-streaming capability. On top of that they also support IPv6, guest networking, and other popular features found in the previous E Series models.

Cisco says that Cisco Connect Cloud will work with just the EA routers and not the existing E Series, with the exception of the Linksys E4200v2, which will get the support via a firmware update. The supported routers will also be able to run apps designed to quickly add or change their features and settings.

The new Linksys EA4500, EA3500, and EA2700 routers are available now and cost $199, $139, and $99, respectively. Cisco promises that a full range of its cloud-enabled services will be available by June. 

(Source: CNET)

Video advertising covered a long journey since 1970’s and 80’s having only 10 cable channels which increased  to 60 by the end of 19990’s and shooted to 300 in the early 2000’s which shows the leaps and bounds that video advertising had made.

Today, the demand of video is so strong because it has a targetable reach, that translates to reaching granular audiences at a large scale, despite of thousands of site and channels spread across the four screens. Statistics say that around 185 million people watch online video today, germinating 55 percent growth in ad spending. Since the “prime time” is no longer the only prime time for viewership it forms another course of action.

It has also been stated by Avila, the leading aggregator of video viewers in the U.S after going through billions of ad requests per month that only those add requests are a good indicator which most of the folks watch. Avila also added that they usually see a surprising spike around 9pm which indicates engagement of people with TV on their tablets and smartphones during this time. Since, evening is not the only time when advertisers notice a spike in viewership even the Data confirmation users are consuming media in the morning and in late afternoon –posing that they watch video on their mobile devices during their commute to and from work. This also reflects that just by having the knowledge of when users are tuning in, knowing about the devices consumers are using to view the video is equally important.

Census also reveals that average smartphone owner spends approx 119 minutes a day on their mobile device and 23 percent of this time is spent in consuming mobile media. These facts and figures are expected to increase over time. Mobile is viewed as the fastest growing segment of video.
Presently, there are around 55 million tablet users, an increase of approx 62 percent users this year. It is been adumbrated by the emarketer that there will be a 36 percent increase in tablet use by 2014. The benefit for marketers will be that they could now easily target by geo location, device, search and app.

At the end, Connected TV is also expected to become a prominent part of people’s lives in the near future. Now a days, only 10 percent of all TV sets are internet connected (30 million households). Also, Connected TV does not have the scale, but will have in the near future that is by 2015, 76 percent TV’s will be connected.
Result drawn:-

• Targeting allows reaching new and specific audiences.
• Taking message deeper with interactive formats and dynamic creative.
• Focusing on the appropriate screen for each day part.
• Counter fragmentation by integrating four screens into the plan.

(Source: imedia)

The surprising news for many applications users is that the visible advertising is not the only thing that eats up the battery. Analytics, user tracking and smartphone data grabbing also goes on. Sometimes the other actions use up more battery power than the application itself.

The alternative should be to pay for the application in exchange for an ad free experience, but some developers are going for more income by selling applications and loading them up with ads, data grabbing or analytic operations, too. 

In one of the most infuriating cases, Rovio has stubbornly refused to charge a fee for an ad free version their insanely popular “Angry Birds” game application. Then Rovio developed a bad habit of placing ads in a way that interfered with playing the game. Worse, the game had differing game “physics” that required a player to try the same moves again and again in order to pass a single level. Each time, a new advertisement loaded up, driving the number of ad loads and other actions up to the stratosphere.

Smart users simply dumped the game from their mobile devices and opted to play it for free and without ads in other venues.

CMS Wire report on a study done at purdue University in Indiana titled, that 65 to 75% of the battery drain associated with certain applications can be caused by third party ads alone.

With Angry Birds as an example, the actual game took only 18% of the battery usage. The ads took a whopping 45% for the ad display, analytics and other ad related tasks. Free Chess, another analyzed game, used 50% of the apps energy drain to service the ads.

Of the power that ads use, the “3G Tail” is the main culprit. The 3G Tail involves,

Communication done between the app and the ad server in refreshing the ad and targeting the ad based on demographic and location, among other things.

Using eprof to monitor app power use on an HTC Passion running Android 2.3, the researchers made a few discoveries. In a study of the data aggregator Flurry consumes 45 percent of the app’s energy tracking the user’s location and serving ads to the app. But of that 45 percent, uploading the information and downloading the ads over 3G was only a 2KB transaction, taking 1 percent of the app’s energy.

(Source: http://arstechnica.com)

“Technology has made banking services omnipresent. Our investment in these platforms is in line with our commitment to continue to drive innovation in the banking industry, where we already enjoy a strong track record of success,” quoted by Sergio Zanatti, Consumer Business Manager for Citibank in the Philippines.

 “This launch bolsters our claim that Citi services are available to our clients anywhere and anytime, now through whichever communication channel they prefer – be it landline or mobile phone, smart phone or Internet,” added Zanatti.

The Mobile Apps allow bill payments, fund transfers, even Rewards points’ redemption.  But Zanatti expects users to welcome the new features that include instant access to Citibank offers, exclusive dining and shopping deals in nearby establishments or at a specific location, as well as bank branches and ATM locator in the Philippines and around the world.

Zanatti said, “We expect clients to be very excited about the real time offers that we can quickly upload and share with them using these Apps.  We are investing in the latest technology to deliver relevant offers to our clients and when they need them”.

To download the app on Android phones, go to the Marketplace application and search for Citibank Philippines. Select Citibank PH from the results list then click download. Once successful, the Citi Mobile icon will appear on the phone’s home screen.

For iPhone users, go to App Store and search for Citibank Philippines. Select Citibank PH then click install. The Citi Mobile icon appears on the home screen after installation. This can also be installed in the iPod Touch.  All Citi Mobile Apps are free to use and download.

Zanatti said as newer technologies were rolled out, banking becomes highly accessible and increasingly flexible for everyone. “Citi will be providing customers with the latest technology as we continue to enhance and facilitate service. We want to be the leading digital bank, here in the Philippines and elsewhere in the world.” 

(Source: BBC)

It has also been noticed that emphasis will be laid upon “consumer-initiated advertising”. In fact, most of the biggest brands like Unilever, Coca-Cola, Kraft, and AT&T have been working very hard since the launch of Facebook pages in order to deliver a consumer focused social experience. Conclusion drawn from the event stated that, consumers only want to engage themselves in brand “conversations” rather than listen to brand monologues. It is also true that a brand recommended by a friend would always be more attractive than one promoted via impersonal ad.

In actual practice, Facebook’s branding power truly relies on the concept of “contagion”, where the interaction with the brand spreads like a virus across Facebook social graph through word-of-mouth advertising. Posts on Facebook are being turned into ads thus encouraging more users to interact with the brands’ most engaging content.

Sponsored stories are being considered the most in this era of marketing. It is the wave of the future for advertisers looking to build brands, and this new direction from Facebook opens the door to greater engagement and higher quality advertising experiences, thereby yielding an average effective CPM premium of 60 percent.

At the same time Facebook will be creating ability to advertise based upon actions within applications, which will further increase the relevancy of ads on user activities that are relevant to brands beyond “like”. In the near future it is anticipated that advertisers will be able to leverage the actions like “Spotify”,”Hulu”,”Netfix” and “Washington Post” in their campaigns on Facebook, mobile and beyond even if the administrative rights are not with them.

Also, sponsored stories increase the importance of targeting to the most relevant and engaged audience segments, using highly targeted interests, demographics and segments to ensuring the best campaign performance by placing importance on relevant content, thus driving greater success.

But, the researchers anticipate that this directional shift won’t be unique to Facebook and anticipate that all other social network platforms, such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ would move in this direction with time.

• NFC is a short range tool that operates on wireless frequencies and works by connecting a user’s mobile device, which is equipped with an NFC antenna to a receiver a few feet away.
• Most commonly it is associated with mobile payments, which is another way of connecting the customer’s digital handset to face-to-face experience of store visit, thereby connecting better with user’s in real space.
• It is not at all necessary that all Smartphone are NFC-enabled. But, most importantly it is necessary to keep a track of enough customers with the right handset in order to make NFC viable part of marketing.
• It does not requires a setup in advance to connect which means a customer with NFC enabled Smartphone and a store with receiver can easily connect with a single touch or tap.

But for marketers, it means a lot. They consider it as a goldmine of consumer information that could be easily gleaned from a mobile digital wallet….in other words it is basically a database that consists of all the information related to consumer purchase which helps the marketers to deliver relevant, engaging messaging and compelling offers and promotions to their consumers.

But, they often tend to forget that NFC isn’t the only way to get mobile wallet, which should be kept in mind by the marketers while rolling out their own experiments.

It is also predicted that in the coming years, mobile handsets will be replacing cash, credit cards and loyalty cards for mainstream consumers. Hence, it is expected from marketers to keep an eye on the apps that allow customers to make payments directly through their phone. Though, there are certain text based mobile payment systems that have an advantage of getting accessed on all mobile phones.

It should also be taken care that there are many models that have been worked upon, which are not yet anticipated even. Hence, it is very important for the potential user to remember that some of the technologies have already had a head start.

Users becoming more technologically smooth and having different expectations of technology. In addition, the Internet and social media, as well as the emergence of powerful, affordable mobile devices have empowered IT consumers.

Other key trends include virtualization, which has improved flexibility and increased the options for how IT organizations can implement client environments; the advent of the cloud for servicing individual users, and the ongoing shift to mobility.

Gartner says a number of factors are converging to make for a perfect personal cloud storm by 2014:

Megatrend No. 1: Consumerization— you ain’t seen anything yet
Gartner has discussed the consumerization of IT for the better part of a decade, and has seen the impact of it across various aspects of the corporate IT world. However, much of this has simply been a precursor to the major wave that is starting to take hold across all aspects of information technology as several key factors come together:

• Users are more technologically-savvy and have very different expectations of technology.
• The internet and social media have empowered and emboldened users.
• The rise of powerful, affordable mobile devices changes the equation for users.
• Users have become innovators.
• Through the democratization of technology, users of all types and status within organizations can now have similar technology available to them.

Megatrend No. 2: Virtualization — Changing How the Game Is Played
Virtualization has improved flexibility and increased the options for how IT organizations can implement client environments….

Megatrend No. 3: “App-ification” — From Applications to Apps
When the way that applications are designed, delivered and consumed by users changes, it has a dramatic impact on all other aspects of the market….

Megatrend No. 4: The Ever-Available Self-Service Cloud
The advent of the cloud for servicing individual users opens a whole new level of opportunity. Every user can now have a scalable and nearly infinite set of resources available for whatever they need to do….

Megatrend No. 5: The Mobility Shift — Wherever and Whenever You Want
Today, mobile devices combined with the cloud can fulfill most computing tasks, and any tradeoffs are outweighed in the minds of the user by the convenience and flexibility provided by the mobile devices….

“The combination of above stated megatrends, with advances in new enabling technologies, is introducing the era of the personal cloud,” Kleynhans said. “In this new world, the specifics of devices will become less important for the organization to worry about. Users will use a collection of devices, with the PC remaining one of many options, but no one device will be the primary hub. Rather, the personal cloud will take on that role. Access to the cloud and the content stored or shared in the cloud will be managed and secured, rather than solely focusing on the device itself.”

(Source: ZDnet)

The products are built on three parameters- Smart Interaction, Smart Content, and Smart Evolution.

Smart Interaction enables Smart TV owners to communicate with their TVs via voice control, motion control and face recognition. For instance, consumers can use the Samsung Skype HD camera and dual-microphones to prompt the TV. Say “Hi TV” and turn on voice control, speak “Web Browser” to get online, and browse and select results or increase the volume without touching the remote.

Smart Content includes the expansion of more robust and personalized content through Smart TV apps, as well as AllShare Play, which enables consumers to easily access personal content across multiple device screens – anywhere, anytime. Additional exclusive services include Family Story, Fitness and Kids. Smart Evolution is defined by Samsung’s new Evolution Kit. Each year, the kit will include all necessary hardware and software enhancements using proprietary system-on-chip technology. Select 2012 TVs will come equipped with a simple slot-in to the back of the TV.

“The South-West Asia region remains a strong growth market for Samsung and will continue to grow as consumers today lead increasingly dynamic lifestyles, requiring technology and products that will enrich and enhance their experiences,”  quoted by Samsung Electronics President and CEO (South-West Asia) B. D. Park.

(Source: IBN)

The companies will support the Isis Mobile Commerce Application in current and future products. Consumers who use the Isis app on their phones will be able to tap their phones at point of sale terminals to pay and redeem coupons and enter loyalty information. Retailers will need to upgrade their existing terminals in some cases with hardware add-ons and in other cases, through remote software updates.

The Isis system, like Google Wallet, relies on near field communication (NFC) for contactless payments. That requires NFC chips inside both a handset and at the point of sale terminal. By lining up partnerships with the big POS terminal makers, it makes it easier for retailers to move forward and adopt Isis, which will launch first in Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah in this summer.

Isis previously won agreements from hardware manufacturers HTC, LG, Motorola Mobility, RIM, Samsung Mobile and Sony and also signed up the four main payments network- Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Last week, it announced its first banking partners: Chase, Capital One and Barclaycard, who will place their credit, debit and pre-paid cards on the Isis app. Isis also showed off the first look of its mobile wallet app.

Isis is not rolling out as fast as chief rival Google Wallet, which launched in September. But it’s methodically lining up all the pieces it needs to make a big push. And since the venture includes three of the four biggest carriers, they have the inside track in pushing an NFC-based wallet, since they can control the NFC secure element. Isis still has a lot more to show off and the launch this summer will help determine how viable the venture will be. But looking at the deals it’s lined up, Isis is serious about being a contender.

(Source: http://streetfightmag.com)