It is called a “Format War.” Two or more companies with different products compete for your attention. Of course, as a consumer, you get to choose the product you want. If you don’t like it, certainly you are free to switch to another product. However, since companies know this, they can make it incredibly cumbersome … Continue reading Will Mobile Payments Become a Format War?
The SmartPhone Wallet is Now Available
A torrent of advertising and promotional marketing is heading your way to try to get you to use new services on your SmartPhone at retail stores. Perhaps you have already seen some, or signed up for some. At stake is the future of the credit card system that moves over $11 Trillion per year from … Continue reading The SmartPhone Wallet is Now Available
How Carrier Consortium Could Challenge Visa and MasterCard
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 