July 2011

Can Customer Loyalty and Couponing Peacefully Coexist?

Discounting and couponing are all the rage as businesses try to pry open consumers’ wallets. The AJC.com’s “This Deal’s for You – and Businesses” details SparkQuest.com’s efforts to combine the often mutually-exclusive couponing and customer loyalty trends. “(Catherine) Tabor, SparkQuest’s founder and CEO, wanted to create a different structure. SparkQuest’s approach — smaller but more-frequent deals for loyal customers — seems a more sustainable business model than the one-shot customer-acquisition theory on which the daily deals are based. And the process has the ability to track customers’ purchasing habits, which then allows the retailers to offer more personalized deals.” The coupon and loyalty market through mobile devices is a hot field, attracting a wide variety of companies and customers. Getting beyond the big players may provide some unique opportunities for smart investors says financial analyst Michael Onghai. Rita Safranek July 29, 2011

As Mobile App Usage Increases, Stakes Are Raised for Companies

Tired of the uncertainty of online search, the continual threat of malware and the unpredictable quality of any given site, people in the US are increasingly turning to mobile apps to get the information they need. Seattle pi’s “Choice of Mobile Over Web Benefits Companies Most” reveals the results of a study that examined search habits. “In June, consumers spent an average of 81 minutes per day using apps on smart phones and tablets, versus 74 minutes surfing the Web through a PC or mobile phone browser, according to a recent analysis by Flurry Inc., a research firm. The study underscores the stupefying increase in smart-phone use, as just last June people spent 64 minutes on the Web and only 43 minutes using mobile apps.” This shift in behavior, which shows no signs of leveling off, raises the stakes for companies and their apps. Not only must they provide a secure experience that meets the users’ needs, they’ve also got to satisfy the makers of the most popular devices and mobile operating systems, like Apple, which has excluded apps that might be seen as competition or don’t meet their standards. Firms such as SocialAdMx and ThinkWeb3 can help companies get the most out of their mobile apps, including social media integration. Rita Safranek July 29, 2011

HP Application Lifecycle Management: Devil in the Details

TWeb Business reports, “HP updates app lifecycle portfolio.” HP’s Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) portfolio is for businesses that work in the cloud. The article explains: “ALM provides a central application management platform and workflow that speeds the application development process by keeping track of all its moving parts. “It’s a technology of growing importance for companies that build and use cloud applications, which typically weave together multiple IT services to support business processes. HP released its ALM 11 suite last November and is now updating the suite with new features and functionality.” One notable enhancement: the update allows for the use of Kanban, a graphical methodology for keeping track of the details. Of course, it would be more advantageous to skip tracking code details altogether. SocialAdMx goes beyond the HP cycle to give you development without having to know the code. Think HP is watching?

Facebook IPhone Update a Buggy Mess

“Users of Facebook iPhone app irate over buggy update,” declares cnet Reviews. Members who access Facebook through their iPhone had been happy with the app since 2008. However, the latest update has many seeing red. According to the article: “Since its debut, the latest version has picked up almost 19,000 one-star reviews in Apple’s App Store, with users complaining of crashes, freezes, slowness, a chat mode that doesn’t work, and a host of other issues.” The problems could have come at a better time for the social media giant. Right now it’s facing competition from the new Google+. Will these problems prompt a mass migration? Buggy developments and upgrades in the wake of new outlets means that work needs to be done to make technology and applications work. If you’re considering investing in a technology company, consult an expert advisor such as Michael Onghai to help navigate such tricky terrain. Cynthia Murrell July 28, 2011

Catch a Cresting Wave

The marriage of the television and the Internet looks to be a done deal. So says CNBC’s “Half of TVs to Have Internet Connectivity by 2015,” which predicts that about 47 percent of total flat-panel televisions shipped in four years, approximately 138 million units, will be Internet-ready. “The rapid adoption of TVs with Internet access will further complicate the battle for the living room taking place among many players. Content providers will have to balance the desire for more choice demanded by consumers between delicate negotiations with their largest customers: the cable companies.” The numbers should catch the attention of investors with an eye to the future. Investments in streaming media companies and the products that deliver the service look to be a real opportunity for those wanting to get in early. Luckily, there are investment advisors like Michael Onghai who are well-versed in this sector and who can help you find good value plays. Rita Safranek July 27, 2011

ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, … Google?

Hungry for quality content, Google’s interest in Hulu, which is owned by Walt Disney Co., News Corp., and Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal, is described in the Los Angeles Times piece “Google May Be Poised to Bid for Hulu.” “Google is the most intriguing of the prospective bidders because of its complicated — and often testy — relationship with Hollywood. Last year’s launch of Google TV, which streams Web content onto television sets, flopped because the major broadcast networks blocked access to streams of their popular shows.” Google, which already owns YouTube, wants to launch television-like channels. It isn’t the only suitor eyeing Hulu. Whoever doesn’t buy the online video company will be looking to make a deal for programming. Forward-thinking investors should be looking for entertainment firms that can provide competitive content. If you’re thinking about trying to get into this market, investment advisers such as Michael Onghai can help you navigate the crowded online entertainment sector. Rita Safranek July 27, 2011

Facebook promises new fad

TMCnet.com is reporting in it’s feature article “Facebook’s big announcement: breaking the conference bubble?” that Facebook is going to announce an important new development strategy. However, while there is a boatload of speculation on the topic…no one actually knows what the announcement will be. “TMC’s CTO Tom Keating wrote in a recent blog post, “According to various sources, Facebook will be announcing browser-based Skype video calling.” The rumor mill has it that an additional announcement will accompany the first one.” “Keating continued, noting that some believe, “Facebook will be announcing the release of Project Spartan, which is the codename for a an entirely HTML5-based platform, with the specific goal of reaching mobile users and in particular mobile Safari on the iPhone (News – Alert) and iPad platforms.” Project Spartan would allow Facebook to completely bypass iTunes so they would be able to have free and paid applications sans Apple’s nod. As of right now, all there is to go on is speculation. If the development community wants to stay ahead of the game they would do better to put their faith, and their money, into well developed applications developers like Thinkweb3 and SocialAdMx, who have a wide fan base and have worked side by side with Facebook, YouTube, Stumble Upon and Samsung. It’s developers like these that are truly ahead of the game. Leslie Radcliff July 26,2011

Songify takes speech to a new level

Marketwire’s “Magically turn speech into song with Songify” article is making waves. Sound waves that is. Songify was developed by The Gregory Brothers, most notable for their AutoTune the News skits on YouTube. They’ve developed an application that turns your speech into music. “Music is a fundamental form of human communication, one that even predates speech. Yet in the modern world, many people are intimated by the prospect of making their own music. Our intelligent music apps can help anyone with a voice re-discover the joy of making music. With help from the Gregory Brothers, Songify uses modern technology and AI to bring music creation to the masses.” With Songify users record their voices via iPhone, iPod or iPad, the application analyzes the speech and turn it into a chorus and verses using artificial intelligence algorithms. This sounds like a partnership that could benefit from the Thinkweb3 technology. Thinkweb3 has been developing smartphone mobile applications and could be a possible resource if The Gregory Brothers want to push Songify past the world of Apple and into Android and other smartphone platforms. Leslie Radcliff July 26,2011

QR codes: New Wave of Mobile Technology

Business Insider just released a new article, “Small businesses using QR codes to engage customers,” explains how quick response (QR) codes can help to push small business profits forward. Quick response codes are basically a mix of black modules or square-ish shapes placed inside of a square framework on a white background. The module contains information about your business or promotions that you are running and it can also contain images. Users simply scan the QR code with their phones and voila! Instant information. “For example, when a QR code is placed in a storefront’s window, shoppers can simply scan the code and instantly learn more about the designers featured in the window display or available inventory. In this sense, QR codes help bring offline customers online. In short, the goal of QR codes, like that of social media or the internet-at large is to reconcile the virtual and physical world.” Small businesses seeking to develop QR codes and applications may want to venture a sit down with ThinkWeb3 or SocialAdMx. Both are versatile application development companies and each have strong ties to the Facebook and Twitter scenes. Social networking is a great tool to utilize in today’s era of go, go, go. It would be smart to capitalize on these opportunities. Micheal Cory July 26, 2011

Handmark: A New Company with a New Focus

PRWeb.com caught our attention with yet another announcement concerning the fusing of mobile technology and advertising. “Handmark’s Social Applications Business and Ad Services Group Become Wholly Owned Subsidary” provides some details on this recent action from the Missouri based mobile media firm. Handmark has a solid reputation built around a design and distribute model of operation which has focused on software production for an increasingly diverse breed of customer. Recently it has enjoyed the success of applications developed for the social media services Twitter and Facebook. The new company being formed from the existing departments will concentrate energies on the production of social applications with an eye toward crossing the numerous operating systems. The press release continues the description of this new direction: “While Handmark will continue to partner with companies to provide unique mobile application solutions, the new company will assume ownership of TweetCaster and FriendCaster, and the ad services group. Major advances are planned for the two social apps, including rich new features and expansion to other major smartphone and tablet platforms. The new company also will introduce a suite of innovative new products that go well beyond current social networks. These products will be actively monetized by the ad services group, which also supports other third-party developers.” Actions like this can provide an ideal portal for investors interested in breaking into the tech markets or expanding their portfolio. The mobile development boom could see both short term gains and more protracted options, depending upon an individual’s goals. As we often point out, knowing how these opportunities shift and settle is critical, especially considering the sheer amount of data there is to weigh. The benefits of seeking the counsel of an investment specialist like Michael Onghai, who is very active in these emerging markets, are numerous and can be experienced almost immediately. Micheal Cory July 25, 2011

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