Buongiorno neemt 100% aandeel in Mobile Advertsing & Marketing bureau HotSMS
Amstelveen, 22 februari 2007 – Buongiorno, genoteerd aan de Italiaanse beurs (MTAX STAR, Italian Stock Exchange: BNG) en één van de grootste internationale spelers op het gebied van digital entertainment, kondigt vandaag aan dat het 100% van de aandelen van HotSMS overneemt. Met de overname is een bedrag gemoeid van 4,3 miljoen Euro. Het huidige management team van HotSMS zal zich ook na de overname blijven inzetten voor de ontwikkeling en implementatie van (internationale) mobile advertising en marketing campagnes. De overname bevestigt de leidende rol van HotSMS in Nederland op het gebied van mobile advertising en marketing en biedt de mogelijkheid om haar kennis en ervaring verder (internationaal) uit te rollen.
Sinds de start in 2000, heeft HotSMS voor uiteenlopende klanten Mobile Advertising campagnes uitgevoerd, gebaseerd op onder andere ruim 1.200.000 geregistreerde gebruikers van HotSMS.com. Bovendien werkt HotSMS nauw samen met vrijwel alle Nederlandse reclame- en mediabureaus voor het ontwikkelen van creatieve mobiele marketing concepten op basis van SMS, MMS, mobile video, mobile games en mobile tickets. HotSMS heeft inmiddels meer dan 1.000 mobiele campagnes gedaan voor klanten als Coca-Cola, Heineken, KPN, L’Oreal, McDonald’s, Red Bull, Universal Music, Vodafone, and Warner Brothers.
”Het mobiele spectrum is inmiddels zeer breed. De technologische ontwikkelingen op het mobiele vlak volgen elkaar snel op. Alle mogelijkheden en toepassingen in de context van marketing mogelijkheden zullen in onze visie leiden tot een Mobile Lifestyle, waarbij gebruiksvoorwerpen en handelingen samensmelten in 1 apparaat: de mobiel. Maar wat vandaag technisch mogelijk is, is voor marketingdoeleinden nog niet effectief inzetbaar. En daar gaat het ons om. Dat we samen met onze klanten de marketing doelstellingen halen met de mogelijkheden die mobiel vandaag biedt. Waarbij we een balans zoeken tussen wat technisch mogelijk is in relatie tot de mobiele adoptiegraad van de doelgroep.” aldus Ruben Troostwijk, Managing Director van HotSMS
”De Digital Marketing Services markt groeit. Adoptie van handsets, penetratie van snelle breedband verbindingen en lagere kosten zullen allemaal bijdragen aan de snelle groei van Mobile Marketing en de komst van Mobile Lifestyle bespoedigen. Dit is precies waarom wij als Buongiorno een nieuwe structuur hebben opgezet om onze leidende rol in de Digital Marketing markt te consolideren. De acquisitie van HotSMS past perfect bij deze strategie.” zegt Carlo Frigato, Chief Financial Officer van Buongiorno Group en verantwoordelijk voor de nieuwe Marketing Services tak.
Over Buongiorno Group
Buongiorno (Italy, MTAX STAR: BNG) is een multinational op het gebied van digital entertainment. Buongiorno is een van de eerste bedrijven die wereldwijd actief is op het gebied van Mobile Value Added Services. Buongiorno is marktleider in Europa en USA en sinds kort ook actief in Zuid Amerika, Midden Oosten en Africa. In een joint venture met het Japanse Mitsui & Co Ltd opereert Buongiorno in Rusland en Azië. In 2006 was de omzet van de Buongiorno Group 191,8 miljoen Euro, een toename van 41% ten opzichte van 135,8 miljoen Euro in 2005. De EBITDA was 23,7 miljoen (+93%). De Industrial Added Value (IAV) kwam voor 2006 uit op 79,1 miljoen. Een stijging van 44% in vergelijking met dezelfde periode in het jaar daarvoor. De belangrijkste activiteiten zijn value added services voor consumenten (Consumer Services) en digital marketing services (Marketing Services). De consumer services worden gedistribueerd via het BLINKO merk, maar ook via partnerships met telecom operators en media partijen.
donderdag, februari 22, 2007
dinsdag, februari 13, 2007
10 Tips for Going Mobile –Today
Source: Enpocket
There’s never been a better time to launch a mobile marketing program. There’s a substantial audience of consumers using their mobile phones to send text messages, share pictures, surf the Web, download content and even watch TV. And this audience has shown an increasing willingness to engage with brand communications across these activities. Perhaps best of all, the medium is completely open and uncluttered because most brands are still trying to figure out how to plan campaigns in this burgeoning space. Savvy brands are seizing the opportunity. Here are some rules of the road to get your brand moving in mobile:
1. Provide real value. The mobile phone is your customer’s personal device and you need to respect it as such by ensuring the relevance and value of your brand communications. Why would someone invite your brand into their pocket? They won’t unless you offer them something entertaining or informative. A beverage brand with sports sponsorships might offer downloadable pictures of stars; a maker of allergy medication might offer localized daily pollen count alerts; a consumer bank might offer customizable text alerts about activity in your bank account; a hotel might offer guests confirmations sent to their phone for easy reference at check in; a movie rental store alerts on newly available titles, and so on. Think of conveying your brand as a service to consumers’ personal device.
2. Integrate for higher impact. Mobile is the ultimate channel for integrated marketing programs because the device is ubiquitous, always-on and available for a range of simple and rich media brand interactions. The trick is making consumers aware of the opportunity to interact, now, for real value. Smart brands are leveraging their existing media assets to promote mobile calls to action. Smart brand marketers are promoting short codes (5 or 6 digit phone numbers that allow consumers to initiative messaging and mobile internet experiences) on product packaging, in-store displays, and within broadcast and print ads. Here’s the trick: campaign planners need to understand mobile executions and integrate them at the campaign planning stage. Look for mobile-enabling companies that can speak equal parts creative and technology execution. Because the best mobile integrations extend across the customer lifecycle, sit the mobile enabler with the brand marketing, direct response and CRM groups – mobile can stitch these objectives together like no other medium.
3. Keep it simple. The fact is, unless you are dealing exclusively with Generation Y and younger, the average American mobile user is still a novice when it comes to mobile messaging, downloading mobile apps and Web browsing. Provide specific instructions on how to participate in mobile campaigns. And, don’t ask consumers to do a lot of obscure triple-tapping (Can you type the @ symbol on your mobile phone? Will you spend more than 30 second trying?). Mobile is not the ideal medium for gathering customer mailing addresses or even email addresses; but it is effective for gathering mobile phone numbers for re-marketing. Another simple way to get your brand in front of consumers using the medium is mobile Internet advertising (think mobile banner ads). Major operators, like Sprint, recently have made their portal of mobile Internet users available for targeted third-party brand advertising (disclaimer: my company, Enpocket, powers the Sprint advertising initiative). Offerings like this represent a very welcome opportunity for brands to simply extend the reach and frequency of their existing interactive campaigns into the mobile channel. In a browsing context, post-click actions like click-to-call, click-to-download and click-to-play-video are very simple engagement activities for the older folks and mobile newbies unsure how to text message.
4. Begin harvesting opt-ins -- yesterday. Similar to email campaigns, push messaging campaigns over mobile are only as strong as your opt-in list. It takes several months to build a robust opt-in base, so best to start now. If your email opt-in mechanic is already in place on your Web site, why not add a field for capturing opt-in mobile phone numbers? Also consider running a mobile campaign that offers an incentive for consumers to opt-in for future communications. For example, McDonald’s rolled out a direct response marketing campaign aimed at driving localized store traffic during the slower late-night hours. Consumers could sign up for mobile coupons on the company’s Late Night Lounge Web site, which drove hundreds of opt-ins during the first week and continued opt-in growth throughout the program for future coupons. But be careful to establish a program that promises the consumer ongoing and not one-off value. Examples include integration with loyalty-point programs, regularly refreshed editorial or entertainment content (remember when most brand Web sites were like static scans of a paper brochure J ?), customized alerts, and ongoing offers of value.
5. Make it social. Mobile is a social medium – it’s a phone after all! Of course people use the device to communicate, but they also show off to friends their phones, ringtones, and seem to love texting-in to shortcodes at shows and events. For example, Robinson’s soft drinks ran its “Court on Camera” promotion this year at Wimbledon, enabling tennis fans to send photos of their favorite Wimbledon moments to a giant display screen. At the end of each day, judges decided which picture best captured the aura of Wimbledon, and awarded the citizen publisher with VIP center court seats. This is a great way to cultivate a mobile community and interact directly with consumers with passionate interests that tie into or reinforce your brand.
6. Map mobile mechanics to the five steps of branding. You no doubt can recite the 5 steps of brand marketing (awareness, consideration, preference, purchase and loyalty). Think about how these might work in mobile marketing. Clickable display advertising on the mobile browser is a great way to generate brand awareness because you can reach millions of mobile users without opt-ins or permissions. Having gotten a consumer to click, mobile Internet sites and simple text messaging are the best ways to stimulate basic engagement and brand consideration. Brand-sponsored downloadable content and text alerts are the next step, allowing your audience to build affinity and preference with your brand. Purchase can be on the phone (for mobile “consumables” like ringtones, games and applications), in-store with vouchers and coupons, or on a Web site using a mobile code. Retail brands should plan now for mobile-oriented POS programs, as 2007 will see the first large-scale, fraud-proof and trackable mobile couponing programs. Lastly, the mobile device is a great tool for building brand loyalty. It’s a much more convenient device for tracking and redeeming point accruals, and can be integrated relatively simply with your existing programs. Of course, loyalty also is a by-product of a successful opt-in brand touch program, as consumers experience your brand as a service and you increase the number of brand impressions on the consumer personal device.
7. Capitalize on time targeting. The beauty of mobile is its unmatched ability for targeting by demographic, location and time of day. Because it is always on and an uncluttered channel, mobile surpasses all other media, including email, for precise time targeting. Text messaging is a perfect tactic for driving retail traffic during specific day parts. For example, A&E turned to mobile to promote one of its most popular shows, “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” and found that mobile programs drive tune-in, network loyalty and word-of-mouth exposure. Viewers can sign up for weekly messages from Dog on their mobile phones, receive show reminders and interact with the show by texting into a short code.
8. Use rich media to make a compelling impression. Americans are proving that you don’t have to be European to use messaging, especially when it comes to Picture Messaging (MMS). A full 15% of US mobile users are active picture messengers, and MMS subscriber numbers are climbing faster than those for text messaging. Not surprising considering the on-line proliferation of digital photos and the emotional openness one feels when sharing pictures. Now promotional marketing campaigns using multimedia are just beginning to gain traction. Brand-sponsored multimedia messages are like mini slide shows that include rich graphics, audio and even video. Marketers who are successfully developing entertaining promotional messaging are reaping the viral benefits of the medium, as consumers happily share their messages with their friends.
9. Provide instant gratification. If you’re engaging a consumer through a mobile contest, don’t drive them back to another media to see if they’ve won. One of the huge benefits of mobile is instant gratification – with peers and with brands. Keep that in mind when planning your integrated marketing campaign – the mobile can enable instant gratification for the consumer, but also instant insight to the brand. Don’t reduce the power of that tool.
10. Look to Las Vegas. And to the principle of random rewards. Whether at a slot machine, in a board room, or on the playground, humans respond favorably to positive reinforcement. With text-to-win contests, publish the contest results so that consumers connect with the reality of winning. For instance, Pepsi ran an on-pack text to win promotion and promoted the fact that every third bottle cap contained a winning code. With millions of entries over the course of the contest period, Pepsi was able to connect with its key youth demographics targeted by the campaign.
Keep these 10 golden rules of mobile marketing in mind, and you’ll be at the head of the pack as mobile marketing moves with consumers from the fringe to the mainstream.
There’s never been a better time to launch a mobile marketing program. There’s a substantial audience of consumers using their mobile phones to send text messages, share pictures, surf the Web, download content and even watch TV. And this audience has shown an increasing willingness to engage with brand communications across these activities. Perhaps best of all, the medium is completely open and uncluttered because most brands are still trying to figure out how to plan campaigns in this burgeoning space. Savvy brands are seizing the opportunity. Here are some rules of the road to get your brand moving in mobile:
1. Provide real value. The mobile phone is your customer’s personal device and you need to respect it as such by ensuring the relevance and value of your brand communications. Why would someone invite your brand into their pocket? They won’t unless you offer them something entertaining or informative. A beverage brand with sports sponsorships might offer downloadable pictures of stars; a maker of allergy medication might offer localized daily pollen count alerts; a consumer bank might offer customizable text alerts about activity in your bank account; a hotel might offer guests confirmations sent to their phone for easy reference at check in; a movie rental store alerts on newly available titles, and so on. Think of conveying your brand as a service to consumers’ personal device.
2. Integrate for higher impact. Mobile is the ultimate channel for integrated marketing programs because the device is ubiquitous, always-on and available for a range of simple and rich media brand interactions. The trick is making consumers aware of the opportunity to interact, now, for real value. Smart brands are leveraging their existing media assets to promote mobile calls to action. Smart brand marketers are promoting short codes (5 or 6 digit phone numbers that allow consumers to initiative messaging and mobile internet experiences) on product packaging, in-store displays, and within broadcast and print ads. Here’s the trick: campaign planners need to understand mobile executions and integrate them at the campaign planning stage. Look for mobile-enabling companies that can speak equal parts creative and technology execution. Because the best mobile integrations extend across the customer lifecycle, sit the mobile enabler with the brand marketing, direct response and CRM groups – mobile can stitch these objectives together like no other medium.
3. Keep it simple. The fact is, unless you are dealing exclusively with Generation Y and younger, the average American mobile user is still a novice when it comes to mobile messaging, downloading mobile apps and Web browsing. Provide specific instructions on how to participate in mobile campaigns. And, don’t ask consumers to do a lot of obscure triple-tapping (Can you type the @ symbol on your mobile phone? Will you spend more than 30 second trying?). Mobile is not the ideal medium for gathering customer mailing addresses or even email addresses; but it is effective for gathering mobile phone numbers for re-marketing. Another simple way to get your brand in front of consumers using the medium is mobile Internet advertising (think mobile banner ads). Major operators, like Sprint, recently have made their portal of mobile Internet users available for targeted third-party brand advertising (disclaimer: my company, Enpocket, powers the Sprint advertising initiative). Offerings like this represent a very welcome opportunity for brands to simply extend the reach and frequency of their existing interactive campaigns into the mobile channel. In a browsing context, post-click actions like click-to-call, click-to-download and click-to-play-video are very simple engagement activities for the older folks and mobile newbies unsure how to text message.
4. Begin harvesting opt-ins -- yesterday. Similar to email campaigns, push messaging campaigns over mobile are only as strong as your opt-in list. It takes several months to build a robust opt-in base, so best to start now. If your email opt-in mechanic is already in place on your Web site, why not add a field for capturing opt-in mobile phone numbers? Also consider running a mobile campaign that offers an incentive for consumers to opt-in for future communications. For example, McDonald’s rolled out a direct response marketing campaign aimed at driving localized store traffic during the slower late-night hours. Consumers could sign up for mobile coupons on the company’s Late Night Lounge Web site, which drove hundreds of opt-ins during the first week and continued opt-in growth throughout the program for future coupons. But be careful to establish a program that promises the consumer ongoing and not one-off value. Examples include integration with loyalty-point programs, regularly refreshed editorial or entertainment content (remember when most brand Web sites were like static scans of a paper brochure J ?), customized alerts, and ongoing offers of value.
5. Make it social. Mobile is a social medium – it’s a phone after all! Of course people use the device to communicate, but they also show off to friends their phones, ringtones, and seem to love texting-in to shortcodes at shows and events. For example, Robinson’s soft drinks ran its “Court on Camera” promotion this year at Wimbledon, enabling tennis fans to send photos of their favorite Wimbledon moments to a giant display screen. At the end of each day, judges decided which picture best captured the aura of Wimbledon, and awarded the citizen publisher with VIP center court seats. This is a great way to cultivate a mobile community and interact directly with consumers with passionate interests that tie into or reinforce your brand.
6. Map mobile mechanics to the five steps of branding. You no doubt can recite the 5 steps of brand marketing (awareness, consideration, preference, purchase and loyalty). Think about how these might work in mobile marketing. Clickable display advertising on the mobile browser is a great way to generate brand awareness because you can reach millions of mobile users without opt-ins or permissions. Having gotten a consumer to click, mobile Internet sites and simple text messaging are the best ways to stimulate basic engagement and brand consideration. Brand-sponsored downloadable content and text alerts are the next step, allowing your audience to build affinity and preference with your brand. Purchase can be on the phone (for mobile “consumables” like ringtones, games and applications), in-store with vouchers and coupons, or on a Web site using a mobile code. Retail brands should plan now for mobile-oriented POS programs, as 2007 will see the first large-scale, fraud-proof and trackable mobile couponing programs. Lastly, the mobile device is a great tool for building brand loyalty. It’s a much more convenient device for tracking and redeeming point accruals, and can be integrated relatively simply with your existing programs. Of course, loyalty also is a by-product of a successful opt-in brand touch program, as consumers experience your brand as a service and you increase the number of brand impressions on the consumer personal device.
7. Capitalize on time targeting. The beauty of mobile is its unmatched ability for targeting by demographic, location and time of day. Because it is always on and an uncluttered channel, mobile surpasses all other media, including email, for precise time targeting. Text messaging is a perfect tactic for driving retail traffic during specific day parts. For example, A&E turned to mobile to promote one of its most popular shows, “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” and found that mobile programs drive tune-in, network loyalty and word-of-mouth exposure. Viewers can sign up for weekly messages from Dog on their mobile phones, receive show reminders and interact with the show by texting into a short code.
8. Use rich media to make a compelling impression. Americans are proving that you don’t have to be European to use messaging, especially when it comes to Picture Messaging (MMS). A full 15% of US mobile users are active picture messengers, and MMS subscriber numbers are climbing faster than those for text messaging. Not surprising considering the on-line proliferation of digital photos and the emotional openness one feels when sharing pictures. Now promotional marketing campaigns using multimedia are just beginning to gain traction. Brand-sponsored multimedia messages are like mini slide shows that include rich graphics, audio and even video. Marketers who are successfully developing entertaining promotional messaging are reaping the viral benefits of the medium, as consumers happily share their messages with their friends.
9. Provide instant gratification. If you’re engaging a consumer through a mobile contest, don’t drive them back to another media to see if they’ve won. One of the huge benefits of mobile is instant gratification – with peers and with brands. Keep that in mind when planning your integrated marketing campaign – the mobile can enable instant gratification for the consumer, but also instant insight to the brand. Don’t reduce the power of that tool.
10. Look to Las Vegas. And to the principle of random rewards. Whether at a slot machine, in a board room, or on the playground, humans respond favorably to positive reinforcement. With text-to-win contests, publish the contest results so that consumers connect with the reality of winning. For instance, Pepsi ran an on-pack text to win promotion and promoted the fact that every third bottle cap contained a winning code. With millions of entries over the course of the contest period, Pepsi was able to connect with its key youth demographics targeted by the campaign.
Keep these 10 golden rules of mobile marketing in mind, and you’ll be at the head of the pack as mobile marketing moves with consumers from the fringe to the mainstream.
eBuddy: maandelijks 1 miljoen mobiele chatters
Bron: emerce
Het Nederlandse webchat bedrijf eBuddy heeft maandelijks 1 miljoen gebruikers die via hun mobiele telefoon chatten via MSN, Yahoo en AOL IM. Deze maand registreerde de 5 miljoenste mobiele chatter zich. Het bedrijf zoekt op het 3GSM-congres in Barcelona een partner die advertenties op de kleine schermen kan tonen.
"We zien vooral mobiele chatters inloggen uit landen waar je voor een vast bedrag per maand mobiel kan internetten. Behalve Nederland en Engeland staan Libanon en Argentinie hoog in de lijst met actiefste mobiele gebruikers", zegt eBuddy-oprichter Jan-Joost Rueb. "Verdienen doen we er nog niet aan. Maar we zien dat de markt voor mobiel adverteren los begint te komen. Deze week hebben we in Barcelona tijdens het 3GSM-congres afspraken met partijen die daarin kunnen voorzien."
eBuddy, dat tot afgelopen zomer als eMessenger door het leven ging, is een van de weinige Nederlandse internetbedrijven die zich een wereldspeler kan noemen met een breed gebruikerspubliek. Ruim 43 miljoen internetters registreerden zich op eBuddy.com om via het web te kunnen chatten via de chatdiensten van MSN, Yahoo en AOL.
Deze maand registreerde de 5 miljoenste gebruikers zich bij de mobiele versie van de webchatdienst. Rueb: "Van hen komen er iets minder 1 miljoen per maand terug om met hun mobieltje te chatten. Een mobiele chatter is gemiddeld zo'n 20 minuten online per sessie, maar logt op een dag meerdere malen in. Een webchatter heeft een gemiddelde sessie van 46 minuten." Afgelopen maand verwerkte eBuddy.com 8,2 miljoen unieke bezoekers op de site.
eBuddy is in Nederland populair op scholen. De IT-beheerders van de opleidingsinstellingen blokkeren veelal de mogelijkheid om software te downloaden en gebruiken. Leerlingen gebruiken daarom een webversie van hun favoriete kletsprogramma om toch in contact met anderen te zijn.
Rueb: "En wat me vooral verbaasde is dat er 133.000 gebruikers van Sony's draagbare spelcomputer PSP met hun computer inlogden op eBuddy. Daar heb ik geen verklaring voor, maar ik denk dat het door het virale effect komt van gebruikers die er onderling over praten en via fora."
Denkt de commercieel directeur aan uitbreiding richting mobiele VoIP? "Dat is inderdaad een megamarkt, maar ik denk dat mensen zullen blijven tekstchatten. Kijk maar naar het aanhoudende succes van sms. Ik zie chat als een vorm tussen e-mailen en spraak."
eBuddy kreeg afgelopen najaar een kapitaalinjectie van het Nederlandse investeringsfonds Lowland Capital. De participatiemaatschappij investeerde 5 miljoen euro in het bedrijf om internationale uitbreiding mogelijk te maken en de doorontwikkeling van mobiele chat. Nu chatten de mobiele bellers via de web browser op hun mobieltje. Later deze maand lanceert eBuddy een Java-versie van zijn software, waardoor gebruikers direct vanuit hun telefoonmenu het chatprogramma kunnen lanceren.
Het Nederlandse webchat bedrijf eBuddy heeft maandelijks 1 miljoen gebruikers die via hun mobiele telefoon chatten via MSN, Yahoo en AOL IM. Deze maand registreerde de 5 miljoenste mobiele chatter zich. Het bedrijf zoekt op het 3GSM-congres in Barcelona een partner die advertenties op de kleine schermen kan tonen.
"We zien vooral mobiele chatters inloggen uit landen waar je voor een vast bedrag per maand mobiel kan internetten. Behalve Nederland en Engeland staan Libanon en Argentinie hoog in de lijst met actiefste mobiele gebruikers", zegt eBuddy-oprichter Jan-Joost Rueb. "Verdienen doen we er nog niet aan. Maar we zien dat de markt voor mobiel adverteren los begint te komen. Deze week hebben we in Barcelona tijdens het 3GSM-congres afspraken met partijen die daarin kunnen voorzien."
eBuddy, dat tot afgelopen zomer als eMessenger door het leven ging, is een van de weinige Nederlandse internetbedrijven die zich een wereldspeler kan noemen met een breed gebruikerspubliek. Ruim 43 miljoen internetters registreerden zich op eBuddy.com om via het web te kunnen chatten via de chatdiensten van MSN, Yahoo en AOL.
Deze maand registreerde de 5 miljoenste gebruikers zich bij de mobiele versie van de webchatdienst. Rueb: "Van hen komen er iets minder 1 miljoen per maand terug om met hun mobieltje te chatten. Een mobiele chatter is gemiddeld zo'n 20 minuten online per sessie, maar logt op een dag meerdere malen in. Een webchatter heeft een gemiddelde sessie van 46 minuten." Afgelopen maand verwerkte eBuddy.com 8,2 miljoen unieke bezoekers op de site.
eBuddy is in Nederland populair op scholen. De IT-beheerders van de opleidingsinstellingen blokkeren veelal de mogelijkheid om software te downloaden en gebruiken. Leerlingen gebruiken daarom een webversie van hun favoriete kletsprogramma om toch in contact met anderen te zijn.
Rueb: "En wat me vooral verbaasde is dat er 133.000 gebruikers van Sony's draagbare spelcomputer PSP met hun computer inlogden op eBuddy. Daar heb ik geen verklaring voor, maar ik denk dat het door het virale effect komt van gebruikers die er onderling over praten en via fora."
Denkt de commercieel directeur aan uitbreiding richting mobiele VoIP? "Dat is inderdaad een megamarkt, maar ik denk dat mensen zullen blijven tekstchatten. Kijk maar naar het aanhoudende succes van sms. Ik zie chat als een vorm tussen e-mailen en spraak."
eBuddy kreeg afgelopen najaar een kapitaalinjectie van het Nederlandse investeringsfonds Lowland Capital. De participatiemaatschappij investeerde 5 miljoen euro in het bedrijf om internationale uitbreiding mogelijk te maken en de doorontwikkeling van mobiele chat. Nu chatten de mobiele bellers via de web browser op hun mobieltje. Later deze maand lanceert eBuddy een Java-versie van zijn software, waardoor gebruikers direct vanuit hun telefoonmenu het chatprogramma kunnen lanceren.
vrijdag, februari 09, 2007
Movoxx Launches Mobile Print Coupons
Founders Alec Andronikov and Derek Merrill of Free411 competitor InFreeDA have launched a new mobile coupon startup MoVoxx after selling off their free 411 service to AT&T. The service lets you move print coupons on to your mobile phone by dialing into an 800 number listed with the print version, or subscribe to weekly SMS updates of coupons that interest you for free. Coupons are just text messages, so advertisers will have to be willing to have them spread through forwarding. Subscribers can also deactivate their account by SMS or MoVoxx.com.
MoVoxx quietly launched this Wednesday in San Francisco, where they are based, with the Guardian and San Jose Mercury news as partners. Both papers are running ads of the service in order to expand their advertising reach to an opt-in mobile audience. MoVoxx says that print coupons get about a 1% redemption rate. The opt in structure is sure to push that higher. We reported earlier that Cellfire has been seeing a 20% redemption rate. The Guardian launch is geared toward coupons dealing with nightlife, while the San Jose launch is aimed at dining. MoVoxx hopes to keep the signal to noise ratio high by only sending updates of 2 or 3 three top coupons during the later half of the week, coinciding with the most social nights of the week.
MoVoxx has an interesting take on mobile coupons by appealing to the least common denominator in mobile access, 800 numbers and text messaging. Startups like Cellfire may be the technological future of coupons, but are limited by what phones they work on, the required software download, and making it’s own advertising relationships. Cellfire currently works with 9 advertisers. Movoxx, on the other hand, has the potential to quickly snatch up a wide range of advertisers (big and small) that already work with print publishers. Their main hurdle, though, is sure to be earning the trust of the average user to hand over their phone numbers.
MoVoxx quietly launched this Wednesday in San Francisco, where they are based, with the Guardian and San Jose Mercury news as partners. Both papers are running ads of the service in order to expand their advertising reach to an opt-in mobile audience. MoVoxx says that print coupons get about a 1% redemption rate. The opt in structure is sure to push that higher. We reported earlier that Cellfire has been seeing a 20% redemption rate. The Guardian launch is geared toward coupons dealing with nightlife, while the San Jose launch is aimed at dining. MoVoxx hopes to keep the signal to noise ratio high by only sending updates of 2 or 3 three top coupons during the later half of the week, coinciding with the most social nights of the week.
MoVoxx has an interesting take on mobile coupons by appealing to the least common denominator in mobile access, 800 numbers and text messaging. Startups like Cellfire may be the technological future of coupons, but are limited by what phones they work on, the required software download, and making it’s own advertising relationships. Cellfire currently works with 9 advertisers. Movoxx, on the other hand, has the potential to quickly snatch up a wide range of advertisers (big and small) that already work with print publishers. Their main hurdle, though, is sure to be earning the trust of the average user to hand over their phone numbers.
woensdag, februari 07, 2007
10 Wireless Predictions for 2007
Source: 160characters.org
Technology consulting firm inCode Telecom has revealed its Top 10 Global Wireless Predictions for 2007. The key trends include Internet-like services, more widespread use of mobile social networks, multi-function handsets at affordable prices, mobile ads and more influence from Asia.
“Over the past few years, consolidation rationalised and stabilised most wireless markets,” said Bengt Nordstrom, Chief Strategy Officer for inCode. “Now we’re ready for the next level, where Internet services are mobilised and deeply woven into our everyday lives, whether we’re at home, work or play.”
In 2007 affordable handsets and service bundling will make mobile data a more attractive offering in established markets, where 3G networks could become the preferred choice for most customers. Flourishing infrastructure and handset businesses in Asia will help bring low-cost wireless to emerging markets, enabling many small businesses to join the economic mainstream.
Bought by VeriSign in November 2006, the inCode Top 10 Predictions are claimed to have proved more than 80 percent accurate in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Operators
1) Social Networking Gets Mobilized.
Mobility is added to existing Internet business models, services and behaviors, driving traffic for wireless operators. Teens and twenties accustomed to constant connectivity and habit-forming Web sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, lead a wave of membership in mobile social networks. Location social networking including friend and event finder services gain popularity, even in the professional and over-50 segments. Google, Yahoo and Skype are more compelling for users than wireless brands, which are hard-pressed to compete. As customer appetites for social data and video services spike, wireless operators offer more “all you can eat” pricing for high-end data packages. Social networking applications initially are preloaded on many mobile devices sold and later become downloadable.
2) Mobile TV—Now Showing for Early Adopters.
In the short term, wireless users are unlikely to plunk down US $5.99-9.99 per month for mobile TV service. Instead, look for per-view or per-minute pricing for “sneaking,” a consumer tendency to watch key minutes of a sports event or drama while engaged in another activity. Sneaking leads to more regular viewing, and within 3-5 years, mobile TV becomes an indispensable service. When Verizon Wireless and MediaFLO launch early this year, expect both user-generated and professional content consumed and shared in many ways. Broadcast TV is the primary driver of revenues and consumer adoption, but peer-to-peer video gains interest, too. Operators square off with content providers over control of the subscriber relationship and user experience.
Devices
3) Multi-Function Devices Become Cheaper and More Versatile.
Intense competition and margin pressure continue in the handset market, forcing prices of third-generation (3G) handsets below US $90 and making them affordable for a wide range of users. Seeking to replicate the success of camera phones, device manufacturers produce more multi-function units with music-playing, location, video and other capabilities. These lower-cost, multi-function handsets help wireless operators increase traffic and margin. However, like swimming pools at hotels, some functions, such as music, are “must haves” used only by a few. Still, inCode estimates that 20 percent of all handsets sold in North America are application specific—built for a usage proposition, such as music or video consumption or business productivity. WiFi handset capability could become the Trojan horse that allows Internet companies to bypass revenue from mobile subscribers.
4) Location-Based Services: And the Winner Is. . . GPS!
Yes, GPS is the location technology of choice for the wireless industry. Handset manufacturers continue to push GPS-enabled handsets as the technology evolves from popular in-car satellite navigation systems like TomTom to a broadly accepted feature in wireless phones. With Nokia having launched its first GPS-enabled handsets in early 2007 and bandwidth available to support new multimedia services, location-based service providers build critical mass. Since there are 10 to 20 times more mobile phones sold than any other consumer electronics device, wireless is a huge driver for GPS adoption. That’s great for users and handset vendors, but the benefit to operators isn’t clear.
Equipment
5) AOL, Yahoo! and Google Multimedia Platforms Challenge IMS.
As multimedia service platforms emerge, Internet service providers build their own media architecture. That poses a risk to telecom operators adopting an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) approach. However, IMS needs a flagship application and develops slowly until entrepreneurs and venture capitalists create innovative IMS services as they did with the Internet. YouTube demonstrated the two key success factors for these services: 1) Access to millions of users and 2) Inexpensive, peer-to-peer marketing. Intelligent Networking (IN) in the mid-1990s provides another useful example. IN took off when operators discovered they could use the technology for business 800 numbers and prepaid wireless.
6) China and India Tilt Equipment Market.
Together, China and India connect more than 10 million wireless customers per month in 2007, creating a subscriber base that is larger than Vodafone’s at 200 million customers. By the end of the year, China finally starts issuing 3G licenses. Wireless technologies are developed and deployed first in China and India, rather than Europe and North America as in the past. The result is a significant shift in industrial influence. Although Chinese infrastructure vendors may be viewed as the “Wal-Mart of wireless,” that’s more perception than reality. Chinese manufacturers make rapid technology improvements and aim for long-term strategic advantage. Expect intensified focus to ensure a strong Asian influence in the 4G market.
Media and Advertising
7) Mobile Advertising Breaks Loose.
Major brands shift from basic SMS marketing to more sophisticated multimedia advertising. RBC Capital Markets expects mobile marketing revenues to balloon from $45 million in 2005 to $1.5 billion by 2010. With the technological ability to target and measure the effectiveness of mobile advertising, brands are more strategic in their approach. Operators under increasing price pressure set limits on current handset subsidization. Brands take up the slack, subsidize handsets and services for target demographics and take direct ownership of marketing channels. Rich 3G content and video services and accuracy advancements in GPS-based location services deliver further value to brands targeting existing and potential customers in innovative ways.
8) Wireless Providers Move into Home Entertainment.
This year, mobile makes headway against fixed broadband operators, who have dominated Internet and cheaper voice service provision in the home. WiFi remains the primary wireless access technology. Low cost femtocells and combined WiFi/High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) routers emerge as attractive alternatives to VoIP over WiFi. The fixed operators may be strengthened by WiFi capabilities in consumer electronics devices (set-top boxes, game consoles and MP3 players) that enable cost-effective content downloads. However, innovative business models for HSPA give mobile operators a real way to fight back, particularly in emerging markets.
Enterprise Wireless
9) Wireless Security Moves to the Forefront.
Put strong security measures in place. This could be the year that hackers really start paying attention to millions of wireless devices, the growth in mobile data usage and vulnerable points between mobile and fixed networks. CIOs consistently cite security as their number one concern in extending network access to wireless devices. Attacks, viruses and data security now exceed device loss or theft as concerns. Emerging services, such as VoIP and mobile payments, provide additional challenges. Vulnerabilities directly affect the bottom line, corporate image, regulatory compliance and competitive advantage. In the consumer segment, seamless mobility, off-portal content, IMS and convergence evolution continue to create new business needs for end-to-end security solutions.
10) Enterprise Mobility—It’s for Real Now.
Enterprises can’t resist the convenient, reliable, attractively priced, bundled mobile solutions entering the market. Corporations switch from phones to mobile computers for transactions, data collection and messaging for a wide variety of employees. Many voice communications processes, such as order placement and delivery notifications, dispatch operations and remote asset monitoring, continue to shift to wireless data to increase information access and field transaction volume across organizations. Many corporations completely replace their cellular handsets with a combined voice/data device or a data-only device.
Technology consulting firm inCode Telecom has revealed its Top 10 Global Wireless Predictions for 2007. The key trends include Internet-like services, more widespread use of mobile social networks, multi-function handsets at affordable prices, mobile ads and more influence from Asia.
“Over the past few years, consolidation rationalised and stabilised most wireless markets,” said Bengt Nordstrom, Chief Strategy Officer for inCode. “Now we’re ready for the next level, where Internet services are mobilised and deeply woven into our everyday lives, whether we’re at home, work or play.”
In 2007 affordable handsets and service bundling will make mobile data a more attractive offering in established markets, where 3G networks could become the preferred choice for most customers. Flourishing infrastructure and handset businesses in Asia will help bring low-cost wireless to emerging markets, enabling many small businesses to join the economic mainstream.
Bought by VeriSign in November 2006, the inCode Top 10 Predictions are claimed to have proved more than 80 percent accurate in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Operators
1) Social Networking Gets Mobilized.
Mobility is added to existing Internet business models, services and behaviors, driving traffic for wireless operators. Teens and twenties accustomed to constant connectivity and habit-forming Web sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, lead a wave of membership in mobile social networks. Location social networking including friend and event finder services gain popularity, even in the professional and over-50 segments. Google, Yahoo and Skype are more compelling for users than wireless brands, which are hard-pressed to compete. As customer appetites for social data and video services spike, wireless operators offer more “all you can eat” pricing for high-end data packages. Social networking applications initially are preloaded on many mobile devices sold and later become downloadable.
2) Mobile TV—Now Showing for Early Adopters.
In the short term, wireless users are unlikely to plunk down US $5.99-9.99 per month for mobile TV service. Instead, look for per-view or per-minute pricing for “sneaking,” a consumer tendency to watch key minutes of a sports event or drama while engaged in another activity. Sneaking leads to more regular viewing, and within 3-5 years, mobile TV becomes an indispensable service. When Verizon Wireless and MediaFLO launch early this year, expect both user-generated and professional content consumed and shared in many ways. Broadcast TV is the primary driver of revenues and consumer adoption, but peer-to-peer video gains interest, too. Operators square off with content providers over control of the subscriber relationship and user experience.
Devices
3) Multi-Function Devices Become Cheaper and More Versatile.
Intense competition and margin pressure continue in the handset market, forcing prices of third-generation (3G) handsets below US $90 and making them affordable for a wide range of users. Seeking to replicate the success of camera phones, device manufacturers produce more multi-function units with music-playing, location, video and other capabilities. These lower-cost, multi-function handsets help wireless operators increase traffic and margin. However, like swimming pools at hotels, some functions, such as music, are “must haves” used only by a few. Still, inCode estimates that 20 percent of all handsets sold in North America are application specific—built for a usage proposition, such as music or video consumption or business productivity. WiFi handset capability could become the Trojan horse that allows Internet companies to bypass revenue from mobile subscribers.
4) Location-Based Services: And the Winner Is. . . GPS!
Yes, GPS is the location technology of choice for the wireless industry. Handset manufacturers continue to push GPS-enabled handsets as the technology evolves from popular in-car satellite navigation systems like TomTom to a broadly accepted feature in wireless phones. With Nokia having launched its first GPS-enabled handsets in early 2007 and bandwidth available to support new multimedia services, location-based service providers build critical mass. Since there are 10 to 20 times more mobile phones sold than any other consumer electronics device, wireless is a huge driver for GPS adoption. That’s great for users and handset vendors, but the benefit to operators isn’t clear.
Equipment
5) AOL, Yahoo! and Google Multimedia Platforms Challenge IMS.
As multimedia service platforms emerge, Internet service providers build their own media architecture. That poses a risk to telecom operators adopting an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) approach. However, IMS needs a flagship application and develops slowly until entrepreneurs and venture capitalists create innovative IMS services as they did with the Internet. YouTube demonstrated the two key success factors for these services: 1) Access to millions of users and 2) Inexpensive, peer-to-peer marketing. Intelligent Networking (IN) in the mid-1990s provides another useful example. IN took off when operators discovered they could use the technology for business 800 numbers and prepaid wireless.
6) China and India Tilt Equipment Market.
Together, China and India connect more than 10 million wireless customers per month in 2007, creating a subscriber base that is larger than Vodafone’s at 200 million customers. By the end of the year, China finally starts issuing 3G licenses. Wireless technologies are developed and deployed first in China and India, rather than Europe and North America as in the past. The result is a significant shift in industrial influence. Although Chinese infrastructure vendors may be viewed as the “Wal-Mart of wireless,” that’s more perception than reality. Chinese manufacturers make rapid technology improvements and aim for long-term strategic advantage. Expect intensified focus to ensure a strong Asian influence in the 4G market.
Media and Advertising
7) Mobile Advertising Breaks Loose.
Major brands shift from basic SMS marketing to more sophisticated multimedia advertising. RBC Capital Markets expects mobile marketing revenues to balloon from $45 million in 2005 to $1.5 billion by 2010. With the technological ability to target and measure the effectiveness of mobile advertising, brands are more strategic in their approach. Operators under increasing price pressure set limits on current handset subsidization. Brands take up the slack, subsidize handsets and services for target demographics and take direct ownership of marketing channels. Rich 3G content and video services and accuracy advancements in GPS-based location services deliver further value to brands targeting existing and potential customers in innovative ways.
8) Wireless Providers Move into Home Entertainment.
This year, mobile makes headway against fixed broadband operators, who have dominated Internet and cheaper voice service provision in the home. WiFi remains the primary wireless access technology. Low cost femtocells and combined WiFi/High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) routers emerge as attractive alternatives to VoIP over WiFi. The fixed operators may be strengthened by WiFi capabilities in consumer electronics devices (set-top boxes, game consoles and MP3 players) that enable cost-effective content downloads. However, innovative business models for HSPA give mobile operators a real way to fight back, particularly in emerging markets.
Enterprise Wireless
9) Wireless Security Moves to the Forefront.
Put strong security measures in place. This could be the year that hackers really start paying attention to millions of wireless devices, the growth in mobile data usage and vulnerable points between mobile and fixed networks. CIOs consistently cite security as their number one concern in extending network access to wireless devices. Attacks, viruses and data security now exceed device loss or theft as concerns. Emerging services, such as VoIP and mobile payments, provide additional challenges. Vulnerabilities directly affect the bottom line, corporate image, regulatory compliance and competitive advantage. In the consumer segment, seamless mobility, off-portal content, IMS and convergence evolution continue to create new business needs for end-to-end security solutions.
10) Enterprise Mobility—It’s for Real Now.
Enterprises can’t resist the convenient, reliable, attractively priced, bundled mobile solutions entering the market. Corporations switch from phones to mobile computers for transactions, data collection and messaging for a wide variety of employees. Many voice communications processes, such as order placement and delivery notifications, dispatch operations and remote asset monitoring, continue to shift to wireless data to increase information access and field transaction volume across organizations. Many corporations completely replace their cellular handsets with a combined voice/data device or a data-only device.
Vodafone en Orange: weinig UMTS-gebruik
Bron: emerce.nl
Zes procent van de klanten van Orange en Vodafone hebben een Umts-toestel of -abonnement. Hoe en hoe intensief de breedbandklanten hun dataverbinding gebruiken, blijft de vraag.
France Telecom, moederbedrijf van Orange, publiceerde gisteren zijn kwartaalcijfers. En Vodafone publiceerde begin deze week een tussentijds beursbericht met enkele kerncijfers. Beide bedrijven geven mondjesmate zicht op de ontwikkelingen rondom de peperduur betaalde Umts-licenties.
Orange zag het aantal mobiele belklanten met 15 procent groeien tot 98 miljoen in alle landen waar het actief is. Specifieke Nederlandse cijfers gaf Orange niet over zijn eigen klantenbestand, enkel dat ze bij wedeverkopers als Rabobank, UPC en Scarlet 153.000 bellers met zijn netwerk bedient.
Van de 98 miljoen Orange-klanten hebben er 5,8 miljoen een abonnement op mobiel breedband. Dat is een verdrievoudiging ten opzichte van een jaar geleden. Van die bijna zes miljoen klanten wonen er 3,6 miljoen in Frankrijk. Onder mobiel breedband schaart Orange niet enkel Umts maar ook het Gsm-technologie gebaseerde Edge. In Nederland is Telfort de enige aanbieder die een Edge-netwerk exploiteert.
Volgens France Telecom groeide omzet uit dataverkeer via mobiel breedband, via diensten als muziek en video downloaden en mobiel internetten, met 18,4 procent. Hoeveel het bedrijf in absolute cijfers omzette aan dit soort diensten werd niet bekend gemaakt.
Dat blijkt uit de hier gepubliceerde kerncijfers .
Waar 6 procent klanten van Orange internationaal een abonnement op mobiel breedband hebben, ligt dat percentage bij Vodafone een fractie hoger op 6,8 procent. Vodafone, echter, rekent niet het aantal verkochte Umts-abonnementen maar het aantal verkochte Umts-toestellen. Het bedrijf heeft iets meer dan 200 miljoen klanten, van wie er 13,6 miljoen een Umts-toestel hebben. Daarmee kunnen de klanten ook een niet-breedbandig gsm-abonnement gebruiken.
T-Mobile, de derde Europees opererende mobiele telecomaanbieder, zet zwaar in op mobiele breedbandontwikkelingen, maar noemde in zijn laatste kwartaalbericht geen exacte cijfers rondom Umts.
Zes procent van de klanten van Orange en Vodafone hebben een Umts-toestel of -abonnement. Hoe en hoe intensief de breedbandklanten hun dataverbinding gebruiken, blijft de vraag.
France Telecom, moederbedrijf van Orange, publiceerde gisteren zijn kwartaalcijfers. En Vodafone publiceerde begin deze week een tussentijds beursbericht met enkele kerncijfers. Beide bedrijven geven mondjesmate zicht op de ontwikkelingen rondom de peperduur betaalde Umts-licenties.
Orange zag het aantal mobiele belklanten met 15 procent groeien tot 98 miljoen in alle landen waar het actief is. Specifieke Nederlandse cijfers gaf Orange niet over zijn eigen klantenbestand, enkel dat ze bij wedeverkopers als Rabobank, UPC en Scarlet 153.000 bellers met zijn netwerk bedient.
Van de 98 miljoen Orange-klanten hebben er 5,8 miljoen een abonnement op mobiel breedband. Dat is een verdrievoudiging ten opzichte van een jaar geleden. Van die bijna zes miljoen klanten wonen er 3,6 miljoen in Frankrijk. Onder mobiel breedband schaart Orange niet enkel Umts maar ook het Gsm-technologie gebaseerde Edge. In Nederland is Telfort de enige aanbieder die een Edge-netwerk exploiteert.
Volgens France Telecom groeide omzet uit dataverkeer via mobiel breedband, via diensten als muziek en video downloaden en mobiel internetten, met 18,4 procent. Hoeveel het bedrijf in absolute cijfers omzette aan dit soort diensten werd niet bekend gemaakt.
Dat blijkt uit de hier gepubliceerde kerncijfers .
Waar 6 procent klanten van Orange internationaal een abonnement op mobiel breedband hebben, ligt dat percentage bij Vodafone een fractie hoger op 6,8 procent. Vodafone, echter, rekent niet het aantal verkochte Umts-abonnementen maar het aantal verkochte Umts-toestellen. Het bedrijf heeft iets meer dan 200 miljoen klanten, van wie er 13,6 miljoen een Umts-toestel hebben. Daarmee kunnen de klanten ook een niet-breedbandig gsm-abonnement gebruiken.
T-Mobile, de derde Europees opererende mobiele telecomaanbieder, zet zwaar in op mobiele breedbandontwikkelingen, maar noemde in zijn laatste kwartaalbericht geen exacte cijfers rondom Umts.
maandag, februari 05, 2007
Study: more participate in mobile campaigns
Source: Bizreport.com
The youth market has traditionally led the way in mobile marketing, but the older generation is beginning to take part in these campaigns as well. That is the word from a new study from the Mobile Marketers Association (MMA).
Youths are the most likely to use texting features and participate in mobile ad campaigns at 30-40%. However, the older age groups are increasing their use of texting and other mobile features according to the study.
A higher percentage of consumers are becoming more dependent on mobile phones for communication and information, according to Wayne Irwin, President, LogicaCMG Telecoms, North America. He said in a prepared statement, “Consumers are not only increasing their acceptance of mobile marketing, but are showing this acceptance through increased participation in marketing programs.”
The MMA surveyed 1,800 users between 13 and 65 years of age. It found that 70% of consumers have used text messaging, making texting the most popular feature on a mobile phone. 44% use text messaging daily, up from 41% in 2005. Participation in mobile campaigns more than tripled in 2006 to 29%; that is up from 8% in 2005.
The most popular services for mobile consumers are downloads (music and video), coupons and coupon codes for better savings and alert-based services like news, weather and sports updates.
The youth market has traditionally led the way in mobile marketing, but the older generation is beginning to take part in these campaigns as well. That is the word from a new study from the Mobile Marketers Association (MMA).
Youths are the most likely to use texting features and participate in mobile ad campaigns at 30-40%. However, the older age groups are increasing their use of texting and other mobile features according to the study.
A higher percentage of consumers are becoming more dependent on mobile phones for communication and information, according to Wayne Irwin, President, LogicaCMG Telecoms, North America. He said in a prepared statement, “Consumers are not only increasing their acceptance of mobile marketing, but are showing this acceptance through increased participation in marketing programs.”
The MMA surveyed 1,800 users between 13 and 65 years of age. It found that 70% of consumers have used text messaging, making texting the most popular feature on a mobile phone. 44% use text messaging daily, up from 41% in 2005. Participation in mobile campaigns more than tripled in 2006 to 29%; that is up from 8% in 2005.
The most popular services for mobile consumers are downloads (music and video), coupons and coupon codes for better savings and alert-based services like news, weather and sports updates.
donderdag, februari 01, 2007
Primeur C1000 met mobiel betalen
Bron: nu.nl
Schuitema start deze zomer met de invoering van hypermoderne technologie bij C1000. De nieuwe techniek moet ervoor zorgen dat betalen bij de kassa en het sparen voor promoties en acties via de mobiele telefoon worden afgehandeld. C1000 is de eerste Nederlandse retailer die de techniek toepast.
Dat heeft Schuitema woensdag bekendgemaakt. Schuitema start de komende zomer de pilot met de zogenaamde NFC-technologie (Near Field Communication) in één C1000-vestiging, die een landelijke uitrol van de techniek mogelijk moet maken. In samenwerking met het RFID Platform Nederland worden honderd C1000-klanten uit het marktgebied geselecteerd die het startschot geven voor de techniek in Nederland.
Pinpas vervangen
Met behulp van de NFC-technologie wordt de pinpas bij het afrekenen van de boodschappen vervangen voor de mobiele technologie. Bovendien spuugt de emballagebon niet langer een flessenbon uit, maar verrekent het apparaat de emballagevergoeding met het banksaldo. Ook worden de traditionele spaarzegels vervangen voor een digitaal spaarsaldo op het mobieltje en kunnen klanten spaartegoed gebruiken om ringtones, wallpapers en spelletjes tegen betaling af te lezen van speciale apparatuur in de winkel.
Winkel aanpassen
Schuitema heeft nog geen besluit genomen over de vestiging waar de pilot plaatsvindt. Voor de start van de test worden de kassa's uitgerust met speciale scanapparatuur en wordt de emballage-automaat aangepast. 'We zijn nu aan het onderzoeken waar deze test het best kan worden uitgevoerd. We starten nu de voorbereiding en zijn bezig met het testen van de apparatuur die in de winkel wordt geplaatst', aldus Schuitema-woordvoerder Mirjam Weerd.
Investering
Volgens Weerd beschouwt Schuitema het project als een investering voor de toekomst. 'Schuitema maakt al gebruik van RFID-technologie in het logistieke proces. We willen nu ook onderzoeken welke mogelijkheden deze technologie de C1000-formule biedt in de winkels en wat de haalbaarheid hiervan is voor de toekomst.'
Hoge verwachtingen
De verwachtingen zijn hooggespannen, aldus woordvoerder Rena Warmerdam van RFID Platform Nederland. 'We hebben duidelijk het doel om de techniek na afloop van de pilot uit te rollen naar meerdere C1000-vestigingen. De test moet uitwijzen of dit nu al mogelijk is. De verwachting is dat deze techniek binnen enkele jaren voor een groeiend aantal activiteiten in de Nederlandse retail wordt ingezet, aangezien steeds meer telefoons standaard zijn uitgerust met de technologie. De mobiele telefoon is de portemonnee van de toekomst.'
Schuitema start deze zomer met de invoering van hypermoderne technologie bij C1000. De nieuwe techniek moet ervoor zorgen dat betalen bij de kassa en het sparen voor promoties en acties via de mobiele telefoon worden afgehandeld. C1000 is de eerste Nederlandse retailer die de techniek toepast.
Dat heeft Schuitema woensdag bekendgemaakt. Schuitema start de komende zomer de pilot met de zogenaamde NFC-technologie (Near Field Communication) in één C1000-vestiging, die een landelijke uitrol van de techniek mogelijk moet maken. In samenwerking met het RFID Platform Nederland worden honderd C1000-klanten uit het marktgebied geselecteerd die het startschot geven voor de techniek in Nederland.
Pinpas vervangen
Met behulp van de NFC-technologie wordt de pinpas bij het afrekenen van de boodschappen vervangen voor de mobiele technologie. Bovendien spuugt de emballagebon niet langer een flessenbon uit, maar verrekent het apparaat de emballagevergoeding met het banksaldo. Ook worden de traditionele spaarzegels vervangen voor een digitaal spaarsaldo op het mobieltje en kunnen klanten spaartegoed gebruiken om ringtones, wallpapers en spelletjes tegen betaling af te lezen van speciale apparatuur in de winkel.
Winkel aanpassen
Schuitema heeft nog geen besluit genomen over de vestiging waar de pilot plaatsvindt. Voor de start van de test worden de kassa's uitgerust met speciale scanapparatuur en wordt de emballage-automaat aangepast. 'We zijn nu aan het onderzoeken waar deze test het best kan worden uitgevoerd. We starten nu de voorbereiding en zijn bezig met het testen van de apparatuur die in de winkel wordt geplaatst', aldus Schuitema-woordvoerder Mirjam Weerd.
Investering
Volgens Weerd beschouwt Schuitema het project als een investering voor de toekomst. 'Schuitema maakt al gebruik van RFID-technologie in het logistieke proces. We willen nu ook onderzoeken welke mogelijkheden deze technologie de C1000-formule biedt in de winkels en wat de haalbaarheid hiervan is voor de toekomst.'
Hoge verwachtingen
De verwachtingen zijn hooggespannen, aldus woordvoerder Rena Warmerdam van RFID Platform Nederland. 'We hebben duidelijk het doel om de techniek na afloop van de pilot uit te rollen naar meerdere C1000-vestigingen. De test moet uitwijzen of dit nu al mogelijk is. De verwachting is dat deze techniek binnen enkele jaren voor een groeiend aantal activiteiten in de Nederlandse retail wordt ingezet, aangezien steeds meer telefoons standaard zijn uitgerust met de technologie. De mobiele telefoon is de portemonnee van de toekomst.'
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