Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of August 22, 2011

The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly

According to Visiongain there are currently 150 million mobile payment users and that number will likely grow at 30 percent yearly for the near future.  Read Original Content

The recently released BlackBerry Bold includes an NFC feature allowing owners to pay for goods using the mobile device.  Read Original Content

New York City is testing a mobile payment parking meter program that will allow people to pay for parking spots through their mobile phones.  Read Original Content

Pyxis Mobile provides an agile, powerful, and secure mobile enterprise application platform.  It enables rapid cross-platform application development, unlimited data integration, enterprise-grade security, and the unique ability to change and update applications in real time.  This newsletter is sponsored in part by Pyxis Mobile, http://pyxismobile.com/

Narian, a mobile payment company, has recently produced a new software program designed to allow retail companies to easily create mobile payment apps for use in their stores.  Read Original Content

For the second consecutive year, Wells Fargo & Company has been named "Best Consumer Internet Bank" and "Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Bank" in the United States by Global Finance magazine.  This award includes an analysis of a company’s mobile banking features.  Read Original Content

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of August 15, 2011

The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly
Also read Mobility ROI Weekly

According to Digital Transaction, the acquisition of Motorola by Google could help speed the rise of mobile payments.  Read Original Content

eBay continues to enter move into the mobile payment market after recently purchasing the NFC payment company Zong for $240 million.  Read Original Content

According to a study from Gartner, worldwide mobile payment users will surpass 141.1 million in 2011, a 38.2 percent increase from 2010.  However, the research firm also said mobile payments are not growing as fast as originally projected due to a slower than expected uptake in developing countries.  Read Original Content

Pyxis Mobile provides an agile, powerful, and secure mobile enterprise application platform.  It enables rapid cross-platform application development, unlimited data integration, enterprise-grade security, and the unique ability to change and update applications in real time.  This newsletter is sponsored in part by Pyxis Mobile, http://pyxismobile.com/

ABI is forecasting that 85 percent of point-of-sale terminals shipping worldwide in 2016 will be “contactless-enabled”, NFC-equipped smartphones that let shoppers touch-in or tap their smartphones to make purchase.  Read Original Content

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of August 8, 2011

The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly
Also read Mobility ROI Weekly

The number of consumers paying for items via their mobile devices will pass 141 million this year, says new data from Gartner.  Read Original Content

ABI research estimates that Near Field Communication payment transaction values in China could surpass $8 billion by 2014.  Read Original Content

Capital One Financial Corp. launched an Android mobile banking application last week. The new Android app joins Capital One's other digital channels:  iPhone app, mobile website, SMS text, chat, Twitter and Facebook.  Read Original Content

American Express and Verizon are building a mobile payment platform called Serve that will enable customers to make mobile payments using Verizon phones and tablets.  Read Original Content

Pyxis Mobile provides an agile, powerful, and secure mobile enterprise application platform.  It enables rapid cross-platform application development, unlimited data integration, enterprise-grade security, and the unique ability to change and update applications in real time.  This newsletter is sponsored in part by Pyxis Mobile, http://pyxismobile.com/

With over 400 million cell phone owners and few traditional banks, Africa is experiencing a movement towards mobile banking.  Read Original Content

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of August 2, 2011

The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly
Also read Mobility ROI Weekly

eBay will process $4 billion in mobile transactions this year, up from $2 billion in 2010, according to Bob Page, VP of analytics platform for the company.  Read Original Content

The mobile payments market will almost triple in value by 2015 reaching $670 billion, according to a new Juniper report.  Read Original Content

Reports from analysts and investors claim Amazon.com Inc will release a tablet computer later this year in a bid to cement their position as the world's largest Internet retailer.  Read Original Content

Fandango has announced that 20 percent of its summer ticket sales has been generated by its mobile applications and its newly redesigned mobile site.  Read Original Content

Mobile payment users will reach 141.1 million in 2011, a 38.2 percent increase from 2010, according to research firm Gartner.  Read Original Content

As of July 2011, Square is now processing $4 million mobile payments per day and is expected to grow quickly over the next few months.  Read Original Content

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of July 25, 2011

The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly

Worldwide mobile payment users will surpass 141.1 million in 2011, a 38.2 percent increase from 2010, according to Gartner.  Read Original Content

Isis, an NFC payment provider, has gained the support of all four major credit card companies, Master Card, American Express, Visa and Discover.  Read Original Content

The adoption of electronic banking in the Philippines, particularly Internet banking, will continue on its strong upward growth over the next few years, according to a top official of the Bank of the Philippine Islands.  Read Original Content

Two year old mobile payment startup Dwolla has gone from zero to $1 million per day in transactions.  Read Original Content

A survey by global consulting firm McKinsey and Co. has found that the affluent class in India, categorized as people whose household income is above 10 lakh a year, use mobile phones more than the Internet for their banking needs.  Read Original Content

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of July 18, 2011

The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly

The total value of mobile payments for digital and physical goods, money transfers and NFC transactions will reach $670 billion by 2015, according to a new study from Juniper Research.  Read Original Content

PayPal last week unveiled a new peer-to-peer payment functionality that allows Android users to pay each other by tapping two near field communication-enabled devices together.  Read Original Content

According to Research and Markets the global NFC payment market is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 68 percent between 2010 and 2014.  Read Original Content

Weyrich Enterprises has released a mobile app that allows smartphone owners to easily shop and browse through over 300 retail clothing brands on smartphones.  Read Original Content

In the past fourteen months 2.5 million Canadians have downloaded mobile banking applications to their smartphones according Solutions Research Group.  Read Original Content

A study by Mobile Entertainment Forum has found that more than nine out of ten Britons use their mobile phones to either research or make new purchases.  Read Original Content

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of July 11, 2011

The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly

A new report from Juniper research predicts the value of mobile payments for digital and physical goods, money transfers and NFC transactions will reach $670 billion by 2015, up from $240 billion this year.  Read Original Content

PayPal, owned by eBay, continues to demonstrate they are serious about participating in the mobile payment market.  Most recently they have purchased the mobile payment company Zong for $240 million.  Within the past few months they have acquired three mobile payment companies.  Read Original Content

By 2014, 70 percent of U.S. consumers will have smartphones and 52 percent of those will be NFC capable, according to estimates by payment consultancy Mercator Advisory Group.  Read Original Content

Google has launched Mobilize, a free mobile tool that allows small and medium-sized enterprises to create high quality mobile sites or landing pages within minutes, without any coding experience.  Read Original Content

A global consumer survey of 8,530 people conducted by MEF found that 38 percent of North American respondents have paid for items via their mobile network operator in the last six months.  Read Original Content

Mobile payment device maker Square was given a $100 million investment last week. This came as a shock to many in the mobile industry as Square brings in less than $30 million in annual revenue.  Read Original Content

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of July 4, 2011

The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

Verifone has announced that it now offers a device that turns a tablet into a form of checkout register.  The device has both a magnetic device for swiping credit cards as well as NFC capability for mobile payments.  Read Original Content.

Despite being unprofitable, Square, the manufacturer of the small credit card reader that attaches to smartphones, is valued at $1.6 billion.  Read Original Content.

Asia continues to contain the largest number of mobile phone users who make mobile payments.  Currently there are 1.8 billion worldwide mobile phone users who make purchases via a mobile device.  By 2015 the Wireless Federation expects there to be 2.5 billion.  Read Original Content.

PayPal president Scott Thompson has said that by 2015 paper currency in the United States will nearly become obsolete as the popularity of mobile payments continues to rise.  Read Original Content.

Analyst firm Juniper Research has revealed figures predicting that by 2015, the number of people using mobile payment services will have risen by 40 percent to 2.5 billion.  Read Original Content.

MasterCard and CSI Enterprises are expected to release a handful of new mobile payments applications for Android, BlackBerry and iOS this summer, but it's unclear whether or not the apps will employ NFC for payment transactions or another technology.  Read Original Content.

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of June 27, 2011

The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt predicts that by 2012 one-third of all restaurants and retail outlets will offer NFC payment options.  Read Original Content

SmartSoft has announced a major breakthrough in NFC payments.  Together with partners Turkcell and Plastkart, the companies have unveiled Europe's first MNO (Mobile Network Operator) Trusted Service Manager mobile solution for NFC Payments approved by MasterCard.  Read Original Content

Research conducted by Technavio reveals that the NFC payments market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 68 percent between 2010 and 2014.  Read Original Content

NFC developer ISIS announced that in the first few months of 2012 they will conduct trials for their new payment system in Salt Lake City and in Austin, Texas.  Read Original Content

ViVOtech, provider of NFC software and systems, has announced that it has closed $24 million in a Series C round of funding from several new investors.  Some investors include Google and Citi Bank.  Read Original Content

For the third time this year PayPal has increased it’s forecast of mobile payments and now predicts the company will reach $3 billion in mobile payments during 2011.  Read Original Content

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of June 20, 2011

The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

Forrester Research reports that mobile commerce revenue is expected to reach $10 billion by the end of this year and will continue growing at an annual rate of 39 percent.  Read Original Content

The Standard Bank of South Africa is recruiting customers by providing convenient mobile banking “shacks” in thousands of locations throughout the country.  Read Original Content

The “electronic alternative payment” market, which largely includes mobile payments, is currently estimated to be worth $62 billion and by 2015 will reach $127 billion according to the research conducted by Packaged Facts.  Read Original Content

Starbucks is expanding its mobile payment plan and recently announced that they now offer a mobile payment app through Android phones for nearly 1,000 locations.  Read Original Content

A new survey by Retrevo Pulse found that only 21 percent of their participants were interested in smartphones with NFC capability, the majority of the participants were simply uninterested in using devices to pay for things.  Read Original Content

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of June 13, 2011

The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

Verizon is working on a mobile payments service for smartphones, tablets, and PCs with mobile payments start-up Payfone.  Read Original Content

Google has agreements with Citigroup and MasterCard to embed near field communication technology (NFC) in the upcoming versions of Android-based phones.  This will give Google an advantage in the mobile payment market that is estimated to be at $618 billion by 2016.  Read Original Content

According to Bloomberg, Hewlett Packard is planning on introducing smartphones and tablets that are equipped with NFC technology.  Read Original Content

In an attempt to dominate the mobile payment market Visa has acquired the South African software company Fundamo for $110 million.  Read Original Content

Ericsson has developed a mobile payment program that allows users to send and receive money through text messages.  Read Original Content

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of June 6, 2011

The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

Computerworld has found that when using PayPal’s Mobile Express Checkout customers are more willing to make purchases as a result of the easy payment process.  Read Original Content

VeriFone Systems Inc. says that topline revenues from software, services, and equipment for NFC wallets could increase in the United States between 100 to 150 million, and more internationally, if and when such electronic wallets become mainstream.  Read Original Content

Wells Fargo has led the banking world with its mobile features since 2007 and continues to offer new and advanced mobile services to customers. Wells Fargo has recently introduced CEO Mobile, which allows executives to view corporate accounts through smartphones.  Read Original Content

Market researcher Pyramid Research is forecasting that 28 percent of all smartphones (around 250 million) sold by 2015 will be NFC enabled.  Read Original Content

Pyxis Mobile provides an agile, powerful, and secure mobile enterprise application platform.  It enables rapid cross-platform application development, unlimited data integration, enterprise-grade security, and the unique ability to change and update applications in real time.  This newsletter is sponsored in part by Pyxis Mobile, http://pyxismobile.com/

U.S. chipmaker Broadcom Corp expects NFC wireless technology to be a main revenue driver in coming years, a senior executive said recently, when it becomes more of a norm for consumers use their mobile phones to make payments.  Read Original Content

Mobile banking could see massive user growth as people in India with no nearby financial services can now access banks in remote locations through cell phones.  Read Original Content

According to the research firm comScore, mobile banking in Europe has seen a growth of 40 percent since August 2010.  Read Original Content

Monitise and the Future Foundation reports that the number of people using mobile banking applications in the U.K. has doubled since last year.  Read Original Content

A GfK survey shows that PayPal leads in mobile payments both in user base and engagement. Gfk also found that customers trust PayPal with their credit card information.  Read Original Content

A steady increase in the number of smartphone purchases is having a positive effect on mobile music growth, mobile banking and the mobile industry as a whole.  Read Original Content

Recent Articles by Kevin Benedict

Upcoming Mobility Events of Note
Windows Phone 7 and Italian Railroad
Will Microsoft’s Mango Shake Enterprise Mobility, Part 1?
The Importance of Mobile EAM and M2M
SAP ECM Partner Open Text Adds Mobility

Upcoming Events

ClickConnect Europe Customer User Forum, June 8th-10th in Cannes, F
Live Webinar - Learn how Carefusion mobilized SAP CRM Field Service with Syclo, June 22, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Mobile Adoption Among Gas and Electric Utilities
Mobile Adoption in Life Sciences
Mobile Adoption in Oil and Gas
Networked Field Services

Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
Exclusive SAP Mentor and Blogger Briefing:  Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform
The Future of Enterprise Mobility
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access
Redstone Arsenal's (DOD/Chugach) 3 Maintenance Challenges Solved by Mobile

You can follow me on Twitter @krbenedict and read my blog, Enterprise Mobility Strategies.

I have added a feature to my blog site that supports email subscriptions.  You can now receive all blog articles directly via email.  If you are interested, click here.







http://pyxismobile.com/forms/media-request/?docID=4011

*************************************************************

Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer

Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict

Join the SAP Enterprise Mobility Group

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of May 30, 2011 **Special Edition

This is a special edition of the Mobile Commerce News Weekly.  In this edition I have collected the best market and trend numbers from the past few months and aggregated them into one edition.  You can save this edition and use these numbers in your own business plans and presentations.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly

A report by Juniper Research indicates that the mobile retail market, which was worth $4.1 billion in 2009, will experience average annual growth of about 24 percent during the next four years to reach slightly more than $12 billion in 2014.  Read Original Content

According to Berg Insight, by 2015 there will be 900 million people using mobile banking on their phones.  Read Original Content

A study from TNT Research shows that over 50 percent of consumers in rapid growth economies want to use mobile phones for greater access to financial services.  Read Original Content

Pyramid Research estimates that the number of mobile banking users in Latin America will grow 65 percent between 2010 and 2015, from around 18 million users to over 140 million users. Read Original Content

PayPal expects to process more than $2 billion in mobile payments this year, which is nearly three times the amount it processed in 2010. Read Original Content

Mobile Retailing News Weekly - Week of May 23, 2011

The Mobile Retailing News Weekly is an online newsletter that is made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile retailing applications and mobile marketing applications that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly

A study from TNT Research shows that over 50 percent of consumers in rapid growth economies want to use mobile phones for greater access to financial services.  Read Original Content

According to a new survey by MasterCard Worldwide, 62 percent of Americans who use a mobile phone would be open to using their device to make purchases.  Read Original Content

Advancements in technology are set to change the way customers pay for things, and telecommunication companies and financial institutions are readying themselves for the mobile payment revolution.  Read Original Content

Americans are ready and waiting for mobile payment systems, reveals a new survey from MasterCard, with almost two-thirds open to using their mobile device to make payments.  Read Original Content

VeriFone and software developer Micros Systems have developed a program that will allow NFC enabled phones to pay for meals at restaurants with participating NFC capability.  Read Original Content

Pyxis Mobile provides an agile, powerful, and secure mobile enterprise application platform.  It enables rapid cross-platform application development, unlimited data integration, enterprise-grade security, and the unique ability to change and update applications in real time.  This newsletter is sponsored in part by Pyxis Mobile, http://pyxismobile.com/.

According to research done by Acxiom, 20 percent of smartphone owners in the UK are ready for NFC payments.  Read Original Content

A recent rumor suggests that Apple will in fact be introducing an NFC capable iPhone 5 phones during the late summer months.   Read Original Content

EBay is continuing to enter the local mobile shopping market as it continues to purchase startup mobile payment companies.  Read Original Content

Consumer research conducted in nine countries has found that PayPal is the most trusted by consumers to handle personal financial data when making mobile payments.  Read Original Content

Capital One now offers customers an iPhone app to help manage accounts through their mobile devices.  Read Original Content

Recent Articles by Kevin Benedict

Mobile Expert Video Series:  Novus’ Dave Ploch
Mobile Expert Video Series:  Clicksoftware’s Nigel Clark
SAPPHIRE NOW 2011 Day 3 Mobility Photos!
Mobile Expert Video Series:  ClickSoftware's Moshe BenBassat
Mobile Expert Video Series:  Smartsoft Mobile's Ed Krufka
Mobile Expert Video Series:  SAP's Dr. Ahmed El Adl
Mobile Expert Video Series:  Leapfactor's Luis Cabrera
Mobile Expert Video Series:  Smartsoft Mobile's Dan Homrich
Mobile Expert Video Series:  AMT-Sybex's Malachy Martin
Mobile Expert Video Series:  SAP's Thortsen Stephan

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Networked Field Services

Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
Exclusive SAP Mentor and Blogger Briefing:  Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform
The Future of Enterprise Mobility
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access
Redstone Arsenal's (DOD/Chugach) 3 Maintenance Challenges Solved by Mobile

You can follow me on Twitter @krbenedict and read my blog, Enterprise Mobility Strategies.

I have added a feature to my blog site that supports email subscriptions.  You can now receive all blog articles directly via email.  If you are interested, click here.

*************************************************************

Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer

Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict

Join the SAP Enterprise Mobility Group

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

Mobile Expert Interview Series: Sybase's Willie Jow, Part 2

This is Part 2 of my interview with Sybase's Willie Jow, vice president of mobility product marketing with Sybase.

Kevin:  Tell me about the announced mobile SDK.  Where will the SAP/Sybase SDK stop and the native development environments start?

Willie:  That is still being finalized even as we speak. The target date for release is Sapphire 2011.

It is important to note that there are two different kinds of applications, 1) native applications like the CRM and field service apps, and 2) the container approach. The container is on the device, and we populate it with data. Our workflow app is a container application.  However, our mobile CRM is a native app. Both will exist and be supported in the SDK.

Kevin: What do you mean by “container?”

Willie: Think of it like an application sitting on your mobile device using native features and code.  However, it has no business logic, or data elements.  We push data to the container.  It is for simple queries and data collection. Our SAP workflow apps fit this model, like travel approvals or discount approval.  We push the data to the mobile container application.  We see HTML 5 also in this area and are evaluating.

SAP's Perfect Plant and Enterprise Mobility

Enterprise mobility is a term often used in the context of remote and traveling workers, but it can also be used for situations inside the four walls of a manufacturing plant.  This article explores the use of enterprise mobility solutions within the four walls of a plant using SAP.

First, let's review what SAP says about their "Perfect Plant" initiative.  SAP is enabling companies to create a framework for the “Perfect Plant” by integrating planning, asset management and execution with real-time visibility.  As a result, manufacturing networks are more agile, responsive and operationally efficient with SAP solutions.  Manufacturers embarking upon the journey towards a “Perfect Plant” gain visibility into all aspects of manufacturing operations, providing the ability to respond faster and minimize impact to the business and bottom line, driving increased yields, asset utilization and order fulfillment. The “Perfect Plant” is the ultimate goal for manufacturers looking to optimize utilization of their manufacturing assets and drive increased production performance in concert with enterprise objectives.

Mobile Payments and the Mobile Money Ecosystem

More from last week's CIO Council.  Chris Albinson from Panorama Capital shared his predictions that mobile payments and location-based services are going to be the two hottest areas of enterprise mobility in 2011. 

Others at the event shared that they expect smartphones will soon be available with a specific NFC (near field communications) chip that will enable your phone to be used for mobile money.  The chip will be uniquely tied to you and your bank account in a secure way.

I also heard rumors that Apple may soon launch a mobile money capability through iTunes.  Just rumors now, but I can easily image Steve Jobs transforming banking through iTunes and everything "i".

Custom Mobile Applications for the Enterprise

When I was managing a mobile applications company a few years ago, our entire market was SMEs (small to medium sized enterprises).  In over half the mobile application development projects that we worked on there was NO existing backend database.  Companies would contact us and say they needed the following:

1. A mobile application for a specific business process, inspection project, or unique business model.
2. They needed a database to store the data they collected in the field.
3. They needed mobile middleware to synchronize the data from the mobile devices to the database
4. Web access to the database so people around the company could easily view the data.
5. Reports on the data collected in the field.

Sometimes it is easy to focus only on the largest companies that use ERPs, but it is important to recognize that the majority of companies in the world do not use big ERPs and these companies are often service companies doing work in the field.  These SMEs do not often have their own mobile middleware. They want as much simplicity as possible. 

Facebook and Mobile Retailing Applications

For about a month my Facebook wall was invaded by friends involved in raising money for their schools.  It seems Kohls' retail stores were running a program that would award a few schools with $500,000 each toward projects if their schools were able to get the most people to visit Kohl's website and "check in."

I most often browse Facebook from my iPhone or iPad.  By simply clicking on the Facebook link I would be sent to Kohl's website and encouraged to browse.  The browsing, however, was for a good cause.  The students, parents, families and friends all encouraged their networks of contacts to visit Kohls website and browse.  Although it got kind of old after receiving the 133rd Facebook message reminding me to visit Kohl's website to benefit the school, it was effective in getting thousands to visit.  I found the approach and program interesting. 

The New York Times, Starbucks and Other Retail Locations that Need Mobile Applications

I was in Starbucks with my family this evening.  The only thing unusual about this was that it was the evening.  As I stood in line waiting to order I noticed nine New York Times that remained in the rack.  No one is going to buy a Sunday edition on Monday, so these were retail products that were also perishable.  This reminded me of a project that I was involved in a few years ago with a newspaper company.