The Era of 4G: Collaboration a Killer App?

Nobody can yet say for sure what the unique fourth-generation network "killer app" will be. But it is reasonable to argue that collaboration, especially using video, is among the "experiences" that 4G will enable, an that 3G could not, or could not do well.

Because 4G networks feature not only faster download speeds but also lower latency, real-time video communications are going to work better. While the 3G network is fine for making phone calls, sending e-mail and surfing the Web, wireless carrier executives tout 4G’s better performance as the underpinning for all sorts of applications that require better real-time app support.

Walt Rivenbark, vice president Mobility Applications Consulting Group at AT&T, says small business owners armed with a 4G phone will be able to do a lot more video conferencing on a smartphone, tablet or anything 4G enabled.

The Era of 4G: What it Means for Small Businesses - FoxSmallBusinessCenter.com

50% of Content Will be Accessed From Mobiles in 2012?

By 2012, analysts predict that more than 50 percent of digital content will be accessed on mobile phones instead of computers. Some predict that at least some of that content will be consumed by shoppers who are inside retail locations. Location and proximity-based marketing will benefit.

8 reasons why proximity marketing will matter for retailers in 2011 | RetailCustomerExperience.com

Chinese Youth Heaviest Mobile Web Users, U.S. Youth Heaviest Email Users

Mobile Internet access is far and away the "killer app" for smartphones, it appears.

read more here

Softbank Mobile Launches Mobile Payments Trial

Gemalto will provide Softbank Mobile with technology supporting a mobile contactless payment trial in Japan. The program is the first in Asia to enable secure mobile Near Field Communication transactions from a choice of different credit card accounts. The pilot is expected to roll out in the first quarter of 2011.

Softbank customers will be able to use their mobile phone for contactless payments in convenience stores, fast-food restaurants and theaters. The program also offers users the option to perform NFC transactions from two credit card issuers - Orient Corporation, the largest service provider of MasterCard PayPass in Japan, and Credit Saison, another Japanese leading financial institution. This is made possible by embedding multiple MasterCard PayPass applications in the secure UICC.

For this program, Gemalto will provide a turnkey NFC solution comprised of its Allynis Trusted Services Management operated services, UICC cards and N-Flex devices. Gemalto''''s trusted services allow for the secure deployment and management of contactless mobile payment. The N-Flex enables users to turn a conventional handset into an NFC-enabled mobile phone, without any change to the device.

SOFTBANK MOBILE in Japan Selects Gemalto for Mobile Contactless Payment Trial

Mobile Has Largely Erased the "Digital Divide"

The thing about "problems" is that you have to know when a problem has been largely solved, substantially solved or is so close to being solved that one has to move on to tackle the next set of problems. Internet access and broadband are, in many ways, those sorts of problems. Availability is less and less a problem. Redesigning life and business to take advantage of the changes is where the real work awaits.

5 Ways Mobile Direct Marketing Differs From Traditional Direct Marketing

Mobile direct marketing differs from traditional direct marketing in at least five ways. A mobile direct marketing campaign is 100-percent opt-in. A marketer cannot lawfully buy a list of mobile phone numbers and then start blasting text messages to those users.

While traditional marketing typically starts with a list, an text marketing campaign starts with a campaign offering something your target audience would find valuable. Also, conversion rates for a text message campaign can be much higher than for an email campaign, for example. By definition, a text message campaign builds on opt-in from consumers who presumably already have high interest in a particular product or service.

5 Ways Mobile Direct Marketing Differs From Traditional Direct Marketing

Charge Anywhere Updates Android POS System

CHARGE Anywhere has updated its mobile payment application for Android. The main new thing included in this release is support for non-credit card transactions like cash, check and ACH payments.

CHARGE Anywhere‘s mobile payment software and payment gateway solutions are supported by all major card processors in the US and Canada.

CHARGE Anywhere updates its mobile POS payment app for Android