Netsize » mobilegroove

In brief: Moving on with another in the “best of” selection of executive interviews from the Netsize Guide 2010 and setting the stage for a new white paper revealing the results of the Netsize Mobile Trends Survey looking at mobile commerce acceptance and attitudes. We speak with Scott Dunlap, Founder & CEO of NearbyNow, a U.S. - based provider of personal shopping services.

The sale of digital goods continues to be a robust business. In fact, the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF) – the global trade body for the mobile media and entertainment industry – told MSG in this podcast that overall confidence in the mobile entertainment market continues to climb. Little wonder that the organization projects that the value of the mobile media market will rise from $32 billion for 2009 to $36 billion for 2010. (listen to the podcast here.)

In brief: Moving on with another in the “best of” selection of executive interviews from the Netsize Guide 2010. This week we speak with M&S, a major U.K. retailer to find out how mobile is improving the consumer journey from browsing to basket. Sienne Veit, Social and Mobile Commerce Development Manager, M&S Direct, discusses the technology (2D barcodes, mobile coupon vouchers) and techniques (reaching out to people who have opted in for marketing messages) that deliver success.

The evidence is mounting for a new and profound mobile mega-trend: retail is going mobile. In fact, a weekly roundup of must-read mobile permission marketing news from Optism points us to survey results from Harris Interactive (commissioned by Placecast) that show mobile marketing messages delivered to people who ask for them have indeed influenced their decision to purchase goods.

In brief: Moving on with another in the “best of” selection of executive interviews from the Netsize Guide 2010. This week John Ellenby, CEO of GeoVector, a pioneer in the Augmented Reality (AR) space, looks at the opportunities for AR in business verticals. Will we point and buy? Sure looks it…

What you see is what you get? Advances in AR are transforming this idea into an ideal business model. This was a message that came across loud and clear at the Mobile Marketing Forum in June (an event organized by the Mobile Marketing Association) when agencies such as The Hyperfactory outlined recent marketing campaigns and impressive results.

In brief: The "best of" series showcases Netsize Guide 2010 interviews and insights that set the bar. We take a look at new entries and recount the lessons in a contribution from Andreas Constantinou, Research Director at VisionMobile. PLUS details on a new app store report that offers business model advice and exclusive stats.

The app store market continues to grow beyond expectation.

In brief: App Store Billing, a new report from Netsize, draws from survey to identify business models that will likely bring app store providers and developers mass-market success. The vast majority of respondents report chief enablers are operator-billing methods, not just credit card billing. However, in-app billing, which puts providers and developers in control, may drive the real revenues.

The Apple app store model – which relies on credit card billing to effectively bypass the mobile operator – may be staggeringly popular in markets such as the U.S. But it doesn't dictate the direction for the global mobile applications market and the 75+ (and counting) app stores jockeying for position and competitive edge.

In brief: This week we set the stage for a soon-to-be released Netsize report that reveals the business models and payments mechanisms necessary for app stores to achieve mass-market commercial success. Perfect timing to continue the Netsize Guide 2010 "Best Of" series with Patrick Mork, GetJar VP Marketing, and his sober look at the app store landscape.

With 75 app stores (and still counting) open for business it's clear that creating competitive differentiation is going to be critical in the next weeks. What will likely separate the leaders from the laggards? Choice? Ease of payment? Content discovery? Something else?