Industry Views: Amazon Fire – a shop with a smartphone or a smartphone with a shop?

Last week Amazon launched its first smartphone - the Amazon Fire. What's interesting is how the company has bundled free Amazon Prime as part of the phone package, signalling its intent to take more ownership of the m-commerce and streaming media space by guaranteeing free and speedy fulfillment of mobile purchases, free ebooks and access to a large library of films and TV shows. It's a bold move and shows how, by creating its own mobile ecosystem, customer value can be derived from the mobile service and user experience level rather than differences in the device OS. Here we've asked MEF …

Mobile Content’s Two Big Questions Are Platforms And Payments

Fiona Gellatly, MEF North America General Manager, explores the fundamental issues facing companies trying to crack the mobile conundrum, and gives a sneak preview of a new forum for MEF North America members to share knowledge and exchange solutions to real-world challenges, coming in Fall 2013. No one who’s paid attention to entertainment industry trends is surprised by the rocketing consumption of digital entertainment on mobile devices. Just under six years from the introduction of the first mass-market mobile-connected media device (Apple’s iPhone), consumption of digital content on …

From Windows to Screens: How Mobile is Changing the Traditional Retail Shopping Experience

Mobile has shaken up the high street and what has emerged is a customer journey that starts well before we enter a shop.  From pre-shopping to showrooming and eventual transaction, retailers have a whole range of new opportunities to engage with their customers.   Here, Sonya Furdyk, Marketing & Communications Coordinator for JUICE Mobile looks at how mobile is changing the retail experience and examines what retailers can do to embrace the ongoing mobile revolution. Shopping used to be a leisurely activity with little distraction. Sales were advertised through in-store display banners …

MEF North America m-Commerce Playbook

The MEF Global Consumer Survey found that the US now has 91% penetration of mobile content & commerce, with growth in all mobile content and commerce behaviors – product research, banking and purchasing. Members in North America are currently working on the MEF mCommerce Playbook, an exclusive MEF member resource that you will soon be able to download from the main website. Contributing members include SNR Denton, RIM, InComm, Alliance Data, Impact Mobile, PayOne, OpenMarket, Nielsen, Buck, Samsung and MoPay.The playbook will feature information on: Current m-commerce and mobile …

Fast Shopper, Slow Store – Full chapter excerpt

From Best Buy to Borders, retail stores are closing their doors forever: the shop has lost its connection to its shopper. Increasingly consumers are looking to their mobile devices as the primary screen to find best products and the cheapest deals.  Fast Shopper, Slow Store, the latest book from MEF North America Chairman Gary Schwartz, is about what companies can do to build the mobile tools necessary to re-establish a relationship with their mobile consumer. In this excerpt, Gary examines how the US political horse race mirrors retail activities in attracting consumers, and how any …

Download your free copy of the Netsize Guide 2011

MEF is pleased to again be official partner for the Netsize Guide 2011. Download your free copy now!The Netsize Guide is the comprehensive work of reference on the state of mobile technology and its impact on business and society. This, the 10th edition, brings you 220 pages packed with thought leadership material, in-depth market analysis, interviews with industry leaders and case studies as well as a wealth of mobile telecommunications data. The guide also features an overview of the challenges facing M-commerce from MEF Executive Director, Rimma Perelmuter who discusses how MEF is tackling …

MEF Partners with CTIA to take centre stage at CTIA Enterprise & Applications 2011

In North America next week from 10-13th, MEF will be in attendance at CTIA Enterprise & Applications in San Diego, and is thrilled to be CTIA’s partner for the mCommerce Pavilion & Showcase, a unique area of the CTIA floor space focusing on the boundless capabilities of mobile commerce and showcasing companies providing the platforms and applications key to mobile commerce. Programmed by MEF and with significant benefits for MEF members, this is a must attend part of the show for mobile network operators, retailers, financial institutions, media and entertainment companies interested …

M-Commerce in SE Asia: Understanding the opportunities of today and tomorrow

Interested in the mobile media market in SE Asia? Thinking about expanding your mobile entertainment product into the area? Want to find out the rising trends and how to tap into the potential of the market?Join MEF’s webinar on Wednesday 25 August and gain insight into the m-commerce opportunities available in the SE Asia mobile media market. The mobile device combines an innovative payment platform with the power to fuel impluse purchasing and is changing the way consumers pay for content, goods and services. The panel is made up of brands with real experience in the market, including Maxis, …