Washington at Yorktown. Grant at Vicksburg. Abbott at San Francisco? Michael Abbott is the new CEO of the joint venture announced yesterday by AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless. The name of the venture is ISISTM and their primary charter is building a national mobile commerce network that aims to “fundamentally transform how people … Continue reading How Carrier Consortium Could Challenge Visa and MasterCard
PayPal and VeriFone: Subtle Announcement, Sweeping Implications
Enjoy your holiday shopping this year; it could be the last time you reach for your wallet to pay for all of those gifts. A week ago, conventional wisdom would have dictated that Americans would need to wait at least five years before such a reality were even possible, never mind widely available. On October … Continue reading PayPal and VeriFone: Subtle Announcement, Sweeping Implications
Can Visa, MasterCard and AMEX Become Extinct?
Absurd? Maybe not. Visa, MasterCard and AMEX and their peers are acknowledging a serious threat in the future: the Smartphone. All of these companies make their money by taking a very small percentage of every transaction that uses their services. But what if you could complete a transaction without their services? What if you could … Continue reading Can Visa, MasterCard and AMEX Become Extinct?
Bricks, Not Bits, Will Drive the Mobile Wallet
The most widespread misconception about potential of M-Commerce is that it will primarily be a way to shop online. But, online retail accounts for only about 4% of all retail transactions today, and will probably grow to about 8% by 2014. While the growth rate is impressive, the fact remains that brick and mortar retailers … Continue reading Bricks, Not Bits, Will Drive the Mobile Wallet
DIY CyberGuy with David W. Schropfer 