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Notice TS cannot buy or sell Neom within 30 days before or after changing their published recommendation since Neom had a market cap less than $300 million.
If I interpret this disclosure correctly, it appeared that he still owned Neom as of October 3, 2006 or was it as of September 5, 2006? 30 days prior to October 6th sell recommendation was September 7th.
Of course, there is the possibility that his personal investment goals and risk tolerance are different and that he continues to hold Neom stock.
Here again is the relevant paragraph from the Changewave Microcap Disclosure:
The Editor has agreed not to buy or sell any of the above-listed securities within a minimum period of five trading days before or after making any new recommendation, or changing their published recommendation, regarding these securities in their Newsletter (calculated from the date the Newsletter featuring such recommendation is first posted on www.changewave.com/microcap or, if such recommendation is made in the applicable telephone hotline, the date the telephone hotline is first made available to subscribers), unless the market capitalization of the security at the close of business on that date is less than $300 million (the current Standard and Poors’ requirement for inclusion in the S&P SmallCap 600 index) in which case, the Editor has agreed to not buy or sell such security within a minimum period of thirty trading days before or after the applicable date. After the expiration of this period of five or thirty trading days, the Editor may hold, buy or sell such securities, and may cease to own any of the securities listed above. Since the Editor’s personal investing goals and risk tolerance may be different from those discussed in the Newsletter and/or circumstances may have changed by the expiration of the five or thirty day restricted period, the investment actions taken by the editor in the accounts the Editor directly or indirectly owns may vary from (and may even be contrary to) the advice and recommendations in the Newsletter.
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8eights, regarding your second question (will the call be recorded and available on line afterwards), I have emailed Chuck Jensen a very similar question since I have a business conflict that I cannot change at the time of the conference call. I will advise the board if I get a response.
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Jonesieatl, I completely agree with you. Neom must address the concerns you expressed as well as those in Joedimaggio's post / email to the BOD's. I do believe Management is currently working to address these points, and would expect that we will see more PR's in the next few days. The big question is: Will Neom be able to directly anwser these concerns with tangible evidence?
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Bill Fritz email: bfritz@neom.com EOM
Clawmann, You have my full support. PM or email me if I can help out in any way.
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Joedimaggio, I too would like to request that you send these sentiments to the entire BOD. You are right on target with what must happen!
Thanks,
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I received a similar response from Management. They will be working this weekend on a PR that will refute Tobin Smith's claims and give reassurance that their business plan is on track including the release of qode and the strength of their patents.
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joedimaggio, well said. EOM
OT Thanks Sean EOM
This looks somewhat similar to the Starbucks Summer Pursuit promotion:
http://obey.msn.com/
http://sprite.msn.com/Register.asp
More DD required...I don't have time this morning.
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OT Thanks GONEOM and YJ. EOM
dlethe01, another brilliant find. Here is another related link: http://www.mobedia.eu/english/connect.html
These solutions link the physical word of traditional media (print, posters, packaging, pos, …) with the virtual word of internet, delivering informations, communications, promotions and contents on the end customers’s mobile phone.
It's in the code!
qode® is a breakthrough patented technology allowing companies to link their products and communications to specific contents on the mobile web. Brands can speak directly to their consumers through logos, packaging, ads, etc … anytime and anywhere. “Clicking” with the cameraphone on a Smartcode or a normal barcode, or entering a keyword in a qode®window, end customers are automatically linked to mobile web contents: informations, communications, video, trailers, contests, ringtones, wallpapers,… Thanks to a sophisticated software platform, qode® guarantees real-time personalized connections. Possible applications are endless, “the only limit is fantasy”.
Quick and easy to use, mobot is a powerful tool available for any brand, media or content provider.
Thanks to a sophisticated technology (Visual Search Technology), the system recovers, recognises and matches images sent by end users and connect them to informations, contests, mobile contents, mobile web pages. Users take a picture of the object, then send it via MMS or WAP to the platform. The system identifies the image matching it with the available database and sends back the corresponding answer: SMS, MMS or link to a web content depending on the activity.
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OT JP, Thanks for the warm welcome. I enjoy all the positive aspects this thread has to offer, and will do my best to keep it a productive experience for all concerned.
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soontoberetired, TS has not sent out his NEOM alert yet.
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Mobile_Marketing, Be very careful not to betray CJ's trust in what he told you. I am confident he didn't tell you anything confidential, but I also know that he doesn't like his conversations to be posted publicly either. Whatever else you post, use extreme discretion. Otherwise, it just makes it that much more difficult for other shareholders to have conversations with him. Thanks in advance.
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Success622, I want to personally thank you for the outstanding job you have done as moderator of the Neom I-hub board. Your contributions are very much appreciated. You seem to always be at the "top of your game."
I enjoyed meeting you at the June SHM, and I can just say for those that haven't had the pleasure of meeting you in person that you are truly "first class."
I also appreciate the opportunity to become assistant moderator, and look forward to working with Kokonutguy and Steelers_Fan. I will certainly do my best to help moderate this board in the excellent manner that it has been under your leadership.
We will definitely miss you as our moderator, but look forward to your continued excellent contributions.
Thanks again.
Best regards,
SS9173
Competition-Related DD: Hodges Joins Enpocket: Cable, Online Ad Vet To Oversee Sprint Mobile
by Joe Mandese, Wednesday, Oct 4, 2006 10:01 AM ET
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=4913...
DAN HODGES, A PIONEER IN cable TV and online advertising sales is jumping into the mobile advertising marketplace. Hodges, known as the key advertising strategist at Discovery Networks during its heyday, has joined Enpocket as executive vice president-sales, responsible for developing advertising sales across a range of new mobile services and applications ranging from text, to banners and even full-motion video on the Sprint Mobile Media platform. The Sprint mobile platform, which currently has an installed base of about 10 million subscribers, is one of the biggest and most developed among the major telecommunications players. Enpocket also powers mobile marketing services fro Cingular, Alltel, Vodafone, BT, Orange, Airtel and Virgin, and works with media companies such as News Corp. CNBC, A&E and Clear Channel and marketers including McDonald's, Dunkin Donuts, Pepsi, Subway, Motorola, Samsung, Panasonic, and General Motors.
"The telephone was invented in 1876. The portable cell phone was invented 100 years later. And then the Internet came along in 1995. Now all these things are coming together to create a rich platform that is changing the way people use media," says Hodges, who most recently was a principle with Greenwich Consulting Partners, a consultancy that worked with media companies, including mid-size and emerging cable networks.
Hodges describes the moment as a "strategic inflection point" for the mobile advertising business. The major telecommunications companies now have a critical mass of mobile services subscribers, and those subscribers are beginning to expand their usage from conventional voice services to a range of new features including photography; music, game and software downloads; and even television. But Hodges admits the market still has a way to go before it becomes embraced the way cable or the Internet have as a formal part of advertising budgets.
"Right now, it feels like the Internet in 1997 or 1998," he says. "People understand what it is, and how to use it, and we're beginning to build standards."
Standardization has emerged as a key issue among a number of emerging mobile advertising developers, and trade groups ranging from the Mobile Marketing Association to the Interactive Advertising Bureau are working quickly to establish guidelines for mobile marketing formats in an attempt to avoid the early ad anarchy that plagued the first iteration of the online advertising marketplace.
Big companies like Sprint Nextel, Verizon and AT&T all are beefing up their advertising sales operations in anticipation of a rapidly expanding mobile marketplace, and most big agencies on Madison Avenue have either formed specialty units, or are integrating mobile as part of their general media services practices.
Hodges points to overseas markets, especially Asian markets like Japan and Korea where mobile already is maturing as part of a base advertising buy, and he says the U.S. will begin to move rapidly now that consumers are embracing mobile as part of their media lifestyle. He cites research from Ball State University's Center for Media Design indicating that the average American is now using mobile services as much as 30 minutes per day. The usage levels are even higher among younger consumer groups, many of whom no longer subscribe to land line services. "Think about it. There are two things you do when you leave your house in the morning. You look to see if you have your wallet. And you look to see if you have your cell phone," says Hodges. "No other medium is as compelling as that. No other can provide that mobility, reach and targetability."
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Competition-Related DD: Enpocket Named 'Best Mobile Marketing Provider' by Industry Peers from Across the Globe; Intelligent Mobile Marketing Company Takes Top Honors at Mobile Entertainment Awards 2006
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/09/21/1919011.htm
BOSTON --(Business Wire)-- Sept. 21, 2006 -- Enpocket, the Intelligent Mobile Marketing(TM) company, has beaten competition from around the world to take Best Mobile Marketing Provider at the September 2006 ME Awards, hosted by Mobile Entertainment magazine. Enpocket was presented with the award at a ceremony at The Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, London, topping a category that included companies from Europe, US and Asia.
The award was voted for by over 300 independent industry figures who had to choose from the shortlist of Enpocket, Ipsh!, Flytxt, 12 Snap and others.
This honor comes at a key time for the mobile marketing industry now that more marketers, media companies and mobile operators are making mobile a part of their marketing mix.
Mike Baker, CEO of Enpocket, said "This award is a welcome confirmation of our efforts, dating back to 2001, to make the mobile channel an effective medium for marketers. As the mobile advertising market rapidly expands around the world, we will continue to strive to provide best-in-class technology and services to our customers."
Tim Green, executive editor of Mobile Entertainment magazine, said: "These awards recognized the talent and hard work that is making mobile content the world's most exciting new industry."
About Enpocket
Enpocket, the Intelligent Mobile Marketing(TM) company, enables organizations to foster and maintain valuable relationships with mobile consumers. Enpocket technology powers the mobile marketing efforts of operators and media companies around the world, and Enpocket services help leading brands effectively market in the mobile channel. Customers include:
Mobile Carriers: Cingular, Sprint, Alltel, Vodafone, BT, Orange, Airtel, Virgin
Media Companies: News Corp, CNBC, A&E, Clear Channel, Chrysalis, Internet Broadcast Systems, Sony Pictures, TNT, Trinity Mirror
Brands: McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, Pepsi, Subway, Motorola, Samsung, Panasonic, BenQ-Siemens, Sprite and GM.
Enpocket has offices in Boston, London, Singapore, and Mumbai. To learn more see www.enpocket.com.
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I am still hopeful that TS will issue a neutral to positive alert to subscribers by the end of the week. He may put a "hold" on buying or may continue to keep "buy up to .14" pending hard launch of qode by year-end as Management has implied will happen. That's only a quarter away.
If Neom doesn't launch qode by year-end (or Q1-2007 at the latest), I think there may be a bunch of shareholders dumping Neom regardless of what TS advises. Quite honestly, I just can't see that worst case scenario materializing. There is too much momentum going on behind the scenes to get qode launched within the next few months.
JMHO.
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Summary of TS update tonight: There is concern with the pps drop during the 3rd quarter (-48%). They have been checking with a number of people in and around Neom, and will issue a subscriber update prior to the end of the week.
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DD Mobile Results Stem from Direct Contact with Consumer
http://www.wirelessdevnet.com/news/2006/oct/02/news5.html
After trying various marketing techniques to reach out to a responsive audience, Addictive Mobility experimented another method and hit the jackpot. The mobile marketing company found that the most effective way to reach its youth audience was through direct contact and going face-to-face with the target market on campus locations. Instead of the usual print, radio and online campaigns, the best results were found on university and college campuses.
The company is working with the Pepsi-Lipton brand Brisk for a second year in a mobile campaign aimed towards students. While campus representatives enticed students at York University with free cans of Brisk Iced Tea, Addictive Mobility gathered 400 unique opt-in text messages in a couple of hours for the Brisk Campus Chill Campaign to win prizes and receive updates. At a single university in Canada, this number is staggering when compared to the results gathered through radio marketing. Director Nussar Ahmad comments, “After a variety of different marketing methods, it’s interesting that radio offers different results compared to direct contact. Radio does work but it has to be in your face. Also, giving away drinks is always a good thing for debt-filled students.”
The youth audience today operates on speed and efficiency. By contacting the direct target market in person, instant results are guaranteed. Compared to previous radio marketing techniques, which yielded low participation over the course of one month, campus representation showed a definite improvement. The face-to-face contact created an instant consumer and a willing participant.
About Addictive Mobility:
Addictive Mobility, a subsidiary of Addictive Tech Corp, is a leading wireless technology company based in Toronto. The company specializes in mobile-based marketing solutions powered through its Addictive Mobility Platform (AMP). Our licensed technology and experience affords us the ability to facilitate the strategy and coordinate the delivery of tailored promotion programs. (http://www.addictivemobility.com/)
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DD Research Shows that Targeting and Relevance are Key to Making Mobile Advertising Work
Global Research Reveals Consumers Are Most Receptive to Mobile Advertising When It is Tailored to Their Interests
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20061002005...
BOSTON & LONDON & MUMBAI, India--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Enpocket, the Intelligent Mobile Marketing™ company, today unveiled the findings from the first global report into consumer acceptance of mobile advertising, conducted by Harris Interactive Inc. Mobile advertising enables brands to serve clickable display ads to mobile Internet sites and alongside mobile editorial and content.
The Consumer Mobile Advertising report, conducted with more than 1,200 mobile Internet users across the US, Europe and India, reveals that consumers are far more accepting of mobile advertising when it is made relevant. The research shows that targeted mobile advertising is 50 percent more acceptable to mobile Internet users than untargeted ads. 78 percent said they would be happy to receive mobile advertising that is tailored to their interests. Of those, 64 percent would be willing to provide personal details to be analyzed to improve relevance of targeted ads. In addition, 58 percent of respondents would prefer banner ads displayed on mobile Internet pages to mobile marketing text messages.
“Consumers are ready for mobile advertising but with an important caveat: ads must be targeted. Operators have the demographic, transactional and behavioral data necessary to deliver marketing and advertising that meets the consumer need for relevant advertising on this most personal of devices. Forward thinking operators, publishers and brand advertisers are realizing that this is a key requirement to long-term success in the medium,” said Mike Baker, CEO, Enpocket.
The report also shows that mobile operators can reduce churn and increase average revenue per user (ARPU) if they leverage consumer data to personalize content merchandising and promotion. 57 percent of respondents said that they would be more willing to continue their service if their carrier personalized services and products to their needs. 42 percent said they would be more likely to buy more mobile content if they received personalized recommendations.
Enpocket research helps operators, brands and media companies to develop consumer-centric mobile marketing and mobile advertising programs.
Harris Methodology
This study on Consumer Advertising was conducted by Harris Interactive between 31st July and 23rd August 2006 among 1,240 adults in the UK, US and India who were aged 16 and over and who had used the Internet on their mobile phone at some stage in the past (whether that be daily, weekly, monthly or rarely).
About Enpocket
Enpocket, the Intelligent Mobile Marketing™ company, enables organizations to foster and maintain valuable relationships with mobile consumers. Enpocket technology powers the mobile marketing efforts of operators and media companies around the world, and Enpocket services help leading brands effectively market in the mobile channel. Customers include:
Mobile Carriers: Cingular, Sprint, Alltel, Vodafone, BT, Orange, Airtel, Virgin
Media Companies: News Corp, CNBC, A&E, Clear Channel, Chrysalis, Internet Broadcast Systems, Sony Pictures, TNT, Trinity Mirror
Brands: McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, Pepsi, Subway, Motorola, Samsung, Panasonic, BenQ-Siemens, Sprite and GM.
Enpocket has offices in Boston, London, Singapore, and Mumbai. To learn more see www.enpocket.com.
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JP, an outstanding post to my question on whether your qode-equipped Nokia phone could scan UPC 1-D barcodes. Thanks a bunch for the comprehensive reply. I have marked it as "keep" so I can refer back to it.
Best regards,
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OT I thought it looked familiar. EOM
DD Use high tech to find low prices
By Kevin Hunt
THE HARTFORD COURANT
Sunday, October 01, 2006
http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/other/10/01/1shop.html
Now you can take an expert with you on every shopping trip: your cell phone.
Scanbuy Shopper software, a free download from www.scan buy.com, gathers price comparisons, reviews and product information from the Web.
Whether you're pricing a jug of detergent or an LCD television, Scanbuy Shopper consults PriceGrabber.com, Shopping .com and Amazon.com, among others, before displaying info on your phone's screen.
All you do is use the phone's touchpad to enter the product's eight-digit bar code found on the desired item's box.
It works only with Java-enabled services from providers T-Mobile, Cingular and Sprint. (Depending on the plan, each call will cost about 25 cents. Consult Scanbuy's Web site for a list of compatible phones.)
Other free software — like NextCode's Connexto (www .connexto.com) and NeoMedia's PaperClick (www.paperclick .com) — also offers comparison prices. GPShopper (www .gp shopper.com) and its Slifter (www.slifter.com) technology even maintains a shopping list on a cellphone, updating with local and online prices.
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JP, Just curious have you tried to scan any UPC codes with qode?
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DD Going Mobile
Oct 1, 2006 12:00 PM , By Ann Meyer
http://multichannelmerchant.com/crosschannel/marketing/going_mobile_10012006/
What marketing medium is smaller and more portable than a catalog yet nearly as sophisticated as a PC? A browser-equipped cell phone.
As Americans have grown increasingly attached to their cell phones, a plethora of mobile marketing opportunities are emerging. Consumers can now use their phones to keep up-to-date on online auctions, to receive shipping notifications from merchants, to be alerted of flight delays, and to receive coupon offers from nearby restaurants.
Whether cell phones will become the next major shopping channel is still to be seen, but the growing prevalence of mobile devices is proving irresistible to some marketers. “It's another way to get to consumers. It's the new digital billboard,” says Read Ziegler, president of Vantedge Group, an Atlanta-based market insights and analytics firm whose research points to growing mobile marketing opportunities.
Mobile marketing is particularly ripe for online merchants because their shoppers also tend to be cell phone users, notes Greg Rable, chief executive of FactorTrust, an Atlanta-based fraud protection service that sends alerts via text message when a user's credit card is about to be charged for an online purchase. The consumer then has the option of entering “2” on his phone to decline the purchase.
FactorTrust's novel approach to fighting fraud is based on Vantedge Group research showing that more than 80% of online shoppers say they always have their cell phones with them and that most would rather be contacted on their cell phone than on their home phones. “We live in a mobile society,” Ziegler says.
More than two out of three American adults have cell phones, according to the Pew Research Center. Some have more than one, for a total of more than 200 million cell phones in use in the U.S., experts say.
“That dwarfs online penetration and will soon dwarf television penetration,” says Dov Cohn, vice president of product marketing for Motricity, a Research Triangle Park, NC-based provider of mobile commerce solutions. “It's the most pervasive interactive platform in the world — that's the opportunity.”
Users are increasingly looking to do more with their cell phones than make calls. About 35% of cell-phone owners use the text-messaging feature on their phones, while 13% would like to add text messaging to their plan, according to a 2006 survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, the Associated Press, and AOL.
In addition, 14% reported accessing the Internet from their cell phones, while 16% would like to do so in the future. About 7% use cell phones to search the Internet for movie listings, weather, and stock quotes, with 24% who aren't doing so yet hoping to in the future.
Text messaging is more prevalent among the under-30 crowd, with two-thirds using their cell phones to send text messages, while 38% access the Internet, according to the Pew survey. Many cell-phone users report being targeted by marketers, with 18% receiving unsolicited text messages on their phones from advertisers.
Service before sales
Using cell phones for text messaging got rolling in 2002 after short messaging service (SMS) interoperability arrived, allowing customers from different wireless carriers to communicate via text message, says Jim Manis, chairman emeritus of the Mobile Marketing Association. Businesses entered the scene in 2003 with short codes, five-digit numbers that allow the routing of an application to a handset. (See “The lowdown on short codes,” page 37.) And marketing applications have been expanding ever since.
The new-media campaigns are coming just as some forms of traditional consumer advertising, such as TV commercials, are showing signs of fatigue. “It's becoming harder to reach people” as traditional media outlets offer declining audiences, notes Doug Rothrock, vice president of marketing and sales of Vibes Media, a mobile marketing company in Chicago. In response, marketers are “moving to innovative technology like mobile marketing.”
While video messaging and other rich applications are the latest twists, most mobile marketing efforts remain somewhat primitive in nature. Given the minute size of most cell-phone screens, marketers favor a minimalist approach. “Make it interactive, make it interesting and useful for the consumer, but keep it simple and add value in that interaction,” Manis says. “To increase response rates, it's about giving the consumer some reason to participate and engage.”
So far U.S. marketers are using text messaging to engage consumers with services rather than ads. For instance, eBay shoppers who are watching a particular listing but don't want to be chained to their computers now can take advantage of mobile eBay Alerts, which notify users of listing updates via cell phone. “If you're away from your computer when an auction is going to close, it will send a text message, and you can rebid from your mobile phone,” says Ali Croft, spokesperson for the San Jose, CA-based online auction company. The system has been set up to notify users who have opted in with a text message about three minutes before a listing closes.
Using eBay Wireless, consumers also can search and bid on items, read product descriptions, and view pictures from their wireless devices, Croft says. “It's making things even more convenient.”
Orbitz also has tapped into growing cell-phone usage with its OrbitzTLC Mobile service, which sends updates on flight times, gate changes, and the like to consumers via text message or recorded phone calls. The Chicago-based online travel company has sent more than 50 million alerts during the past two years, says vice president of brand marketing Tom Russell.
About 65% of Orbitz customers provide their cell-phone numbers to the company for notification purposes, and the alerts have become a popular value-add, Russell says. “As people continue to book with us, it has been growing.”
Orbitz in August launched Mobile Access, which enables users to surf a sripped-down version of its site from their cell phones. Users can choose from five options: “my trips,” “flight status,” “find hotels,” “contact Orbitz,” and “terms of use.” The “find hotels” feature searches the main Orbitz Website and pulls up the best five deals available at that moment, the company says.
To book a hotel or make a flight change requiring payment, Mobile Access users still must make a phone call. Orbitz does not allow for credit-card transactions via text messaging, Russell says. But Mobile Access provides real-time availability of flights and hotels, and it can be used by anyone, not just current customers.
The program's purpose at this point is to enhance service, not generate revenue. “It is not about how can you market and send them ads on their mobile phone. This is about providing another level of service,” Russell says.
Though Orbitz is exploring other mobile applications, it is cautious about the information it will push out to cell phones, Russell says. “I am very concerned about turning that lifeline of service to our customers into a way to push advertising messages to them.”
But the fact that consumers like receiving alerts via cell phone is encouraging some marketers to explore sales applications. In a secondary component of FactorTrust's fraud protection program, consumers who choose the free service agree to accept four special discounts or offers each month via text message from participating merchants. The offers are selected in part based on preference information the consumer supplies.
It's one of the first blatant sales opportunities being pushed to consumers in the U.S., though the mobile marketing concept is more entrenched overseas. “In the U.K., it's absolutely a hot-button topic,” says Alex Vlasto, senior communications manager at London-based mobile marketing company MIVA.
In London, for example, cell-phone users are accustomed to receiving responses via text messages when they dial directory assistance in search of a phone number; since March, MIVA has been offering ads in conjunction with the phone numbers provided. Between March and July, about 500,000 ads had been served to callers, Vlasto says. MIVA offers both pay-per-click and pay-per-call fee models, so advertisers can pay only when they receive a lead, Vlasto says.
Searching for applications
Text messaging isn't the only cell-phone application marketers are adopting. Mobile search marketing is growing in the U.S. as well. An August survey of nearly 600 U.S. cell-phone users by the Mobile Marketing Association shows the category is just emerging: Three out of 10 respondents had used mobile search for the first time in the past month. Half of nonusers were interested in trying mobile search during the next few months. And 48% planned to start using mobile search at least once a week.
And while text messaging remains associated primarily with teens and young adults, that's not the case with mobile search. According to the Mobile Marketing Association, “consumers age 45-54, college grads, and people with children at home all reported using search more than 11 times per month.”
Search ads, because they are driven by the user, avoid the nuisance factor that many advertisers worry about. “You can set these things up as opposed to slamming someone with information” they didn't request, says Tim Solt, senior vice president of sales at go2 Directory Systems, a mobile marketing company in Irvine, CA. Go2 was launched in 1999 as the first mobile Yellow Pages directory and has since morphed into a full-fledged provider of mobile search and movie information. The company reported more than 24 million unique user sessions last year, and that has piqued the interest of many advertisers.
In a development announced in August, go2's search results will include sponsored search listings from Yahoo! advertisers. Previously go2's mobile search results showed basic listings from third-party providers such as InfoSpace, infoUSA, and Bell South as well as featured listings paid for by marketers on a cost-per-impression basis, Solt says.
“Advertisers in our network want to be able to reach consumers on their cell phones,” says Yahoo! spokesperson Nicole Leverich. “As long as we make it relevant, it will be useful to consumers and advertisers.” Leverich notes that Yahoo! Mail users have been able to forward e-mails to their cell phones as text messages for several years.
Ads will appear differently on go2 than they do on Yahoo!, Solt says. Go2's mobile search is menu-driven because the company has found that's the easiest way to navigate from a cell phone.
Consumers can find go2 through the phone carrier's deck — the menu used to select content such as ringtones and games — under several categories, including movies, search, and shopping. Links between the categories move users from movie theaters to restaurants. Within the broad categories, menus take users to various subcategories, such as type of cuisine, Solt says. Go2, which has more than 10 million store listings, uses location-based technology to provide mobile users with listings of nearby businesses without their having to enter a zip code or a starting point. A company also has the ability to advertise when users are near one of its stores or restaurants.
A growing number of companies are paying to get premium mobile search placement, just as they do to get premium Web search placement. “Just being in the directory, that's not going to get you noticed,” Solt says. Go2's premium listings include priority placement in relevant categories with the logo and an offer, such as “free local delivery.” Only three priority listings appear on the screen at one time.
Rates typically are calculated according to number of stores and locations. “Everything is a custom quote at this point because everyone wants something unique,” says Solt.
Banner ads that display across the top of the cell-phone screen by themselves are another option. For example, in August restaurant chain Chili's advertised on go2's Movie directory with a banner ad offering a gift card. It was the only offer on that menu page. When users clicked on the ad, they received the full offer — “Give a $25 gift card, get a free $5 Chili's card” — and were instructed to enter their e-mail address for more information.
Location-based technology makes mobile search advertising effective for regional and local businesses. And being in the right location can be a drawing card. “People aren't going to a mobile device just to search. They are actively looking for something,” Solt says. Click-through rates vary; Solt cites 3%-5% as a standard, with some distinctive campaigns gaining click-through rates of more than 10%.
“It's a great way to drive retail traffic,” says Leland Kroll, chief data strategist at Wired Assets, who also runs Kroll Direct Marketing in Plainsboro, NJ. For example, a restaurateur whose bookings are soft could send out a text message to clients with a special offer to entice them to visit the restaurant that week, Kroll says. “Send them a mobile coupon in order to fill those slots. Announce a special event or a personality attending the store.”
A number of mobile marketing campaigns tie in to traditional ad media such as print ads, billboards, and commercials. As part of its “What is beautiful?” campaign, for instance, personal-care brand Dove allowed consumers to use their cell phones to “vote” on which images featured on a Times Square billboard they found most beautiful. Print ads directing readers to online and cell-phone drawings are another way of integrating old and new media.
Conversely, some marketers are using mobile messaging to direct consumers into stores. Manis of the Mobile Marketing Association recalls a promotion at a Cambridge, MA, mall offering cell-phone-generated coupons for 20% off at mall merchants. Consumers brought their cell phones to participating retailers and showed them the coupon code on their phone screens.
Vibes Media's Rockroth suggests offering an interactive scavenger hunt within a store, with different short codes leading to prizes hidden around the store. You can introduce the campaign through direct mail or e-mail announcements that encourage customers to come to the store at a certain time. “It gets people to go around the store and have fun doing it,” he says.
Handle with care
Although the Can-Spam Act of 2003 applies to some cell-phone messages (for more information, visit the Federal Communications Commission online at www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/canspam.html), it does not not cover SMS communications. Even so, getting a marketing message to pass muster with cell-phone carriers can be a challenge, Kroll says.
No cell-phone company wants to run the risk of upsetting users, so “each telco has someone who will review and authorize the data. They want to see the sample text message that goes out,” Kroll says. And most aren't willing to take a chance on anything that's of a sexual nature. For example, Playboy Enterprises, which has a strong business selling adult pictures and ringtones via cell phone overseas, tried to launch a domestic mobile business in late 2004 but couldn't make it work.
Cell-phone marketing in general has to be done carefully, even overseas, where according to MIVA, 93% of cell-phone users surveyed said they would be willing to receive text ad campaigns. Nonetheless, MIVA is careful to screen out offers it thinks will be perceived as nuisances — or worse. “If you get it wrong, it can have an incredibly negative impact on the brand,” Vlasto says.
THE LOWDOWN ON SHORT CODES
Mobile marketing got a huge lift in 2003, when business began using “short codes,” five-digit numbers that enable the routing of an application to a handset. By securing a vanity short code that's easy to remember, marketers can easily tie in cell-phone marketing with other campaigns, says Leland Kroll, chief data strategist at Wired Assets and the principal of Kroll Direct Marketing.
Ebony magazine, for example, could use EBONY as a five-digit vanity short code, tying a mobile game or sweepstakes offer to a print ad. Short codes that spell a name or brand can prove powerful, Kroll says. “It's like a URL — it's their signature on the marketplace.”
The Common Short Code Administration (CSCA) opened registration for six-digit selected short codes in May, adding greatly to the available options for vanity codes, while random five-digit codes are still available. Merchants can register for them online at www.usshortcodes.com. Registration and licensing fees are $1,000 a month for a selected code and $500 a month for a random code.
Even random short codes are highly user-friendly. If consumers see an ad with an offer while sitting in an airport, with just a few keystrokes they can act on it, says Dov Cohn, vice president of product marketing for Motricity, a provider of mobile commerce solutions. “It's real-time no matter where they are.”
The popularity of short codes tied into television programs, such as American Idol on Fox and NBC's Deal or No Deal. In fact, many credit American Idol with convincing millions of Americans to try text messaging for the first time. Last season the show drew some 64 million text messages as Cingular Wireless customers texted the word VOTE to the short code provided for the contestant they preferred or participated in Idol trivia contests and sweepstakes.
While the Idol campaign was limited to Cingular customers, most other mobile marketing programs can be accessed by customers of any cell-phone carrier, with the carriers earning a portion of the premiums generated. Marketers often charge from $0.49 to more than $3.00 for premium text messages that can have an impact on a TV program or a live performance.
At concerts, ballgames, and other events, mobile marketing firm Vibes Media runs text-to-screen programs that allow users to send text messages to performers or athletes and see their messages appear on large screens at the concert halls or stadiums. The messages typically carry a price tag of about $2-$3, says Doug Rothrock, vice president of marketing and sales.
— AM
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There are several references from Neomedia Management that qode will be launched by year-end - from the shareholder meeting to yesterday's PR.
SS9173
I am still very concerned about Neom's present financial situation, but hopeful that eventually the anticipated qode announcements by year-end (and revenues that will accompany them) will contribute towards positive cash flow, profitability, and an increasing pps.
SS9173
Wooger, your thoughts mirror my own. I am anticipating some big announcements between now and year-end.
SS9173
DD MindMatics Gives Boost Mobile Customers the VIP Treatment
Mobile CRM Helps Boost Mobile Capture Information on its Prepaid Customers
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060927005...
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MindMatics, a global leader in the development and implementation of mobile services, today announced that it is supporting the Boost V.I.P., an opt-in program that will deliver tailored services and products, and special promotions and updates to Boost customers who want them. MindMatics will help Boost Mobile learn more about these customers. Boost Mobile will use the information to create a better, more customized mobile experience for its subscribers, dubbed Boost VIPs.
Boost VIP is indicative of the increased sophistication of the U.S. prepaid market, which has grown exponentially over the past few years. Because there is no subscriber agreement, prepaid customers usually remain anonymous to their carriers and thus may miss out on tailored offerings. To change that, Boost Mobile will seek to connect with customers who want tailored offerings based on information about them. The MindMatics CRM solution gives Boost Mobile the means to collect this information.
“When we conceived Boost VIP, we knew it had to be easy to use and seamlessly integrated; and it had to provide us with valuable information to customize the user experience. Given these parameters, MindMatics stood out to us,” said Melissa Hilton, Director of Customer Base Marketing, Boost Mobile. “Members who opt in to the Boost VIP program will learn about special deals, content, and other special features that cater to their needs. This will lead to a better customer experience.”
“Knowing your customer is essential in providing a program that gets users excited and engaged,” said Hans Henkes, General Manager of the Americas, MindMatics. “MindMatics customer relationship management solution will give Boost Mobile the means to offer a VIP program that will create a thriving, loyal user base.”
About Boost Mobile Based in Irvine, California, Boost Mobile, LLC, a division of Sprint Nextel Corporation, (NYSE: S), is a lifestyle-based telecommunications brand focused on offering premium Pay-As-You-Go wireless phones and services to the youth market. Boost is among the fastest growing wireless services in the U.S. and now has more than 3.6 million customers - the majority of which are under the age of 25. Boost-branded wireless phones with its exclusive BoostTM Walkie-Talkie service and Re-Boost® Cards are available nationwide from merchants that focus on fashion, music, and action sports-related activities. Experience Boost on the Web at www.boostmobile.com
About MindMatics LLC MindMatics is one of Europe’s leading providers for the development and implementation of Mobile Services. As a full service provider, MindMatics comprises four divisions: Mobile Messaging and Payment, Mobile Applications, Mobile Content and Mobile Marketing. MindMatics enables more than 500 businesses to realize their mobile services; Unilever, T-Mobile, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, ProSieben, Budweiser, McDonald’s and Ferrero are but a few of their customers. MindMatics AG was founded in March 2000 and employs more than 130 members of staff at its offices in Munich, Cologne, Vienna, London, New York and Los Angeles.
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DD Amtrak Mobile Uses UsableNet's Lift Mobile to Provide First Real-time Booking From Any Device
Monday September 25, 6:06 pm ET
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060925/lam108.html?.v=56
NEW YORK, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- UsableNet, the leader in providing mobile and assistive web solutions to corporate, university, and government agency web sites, today announced that Amtrak is using UsableNet's Lift Mobile to make Amtrak.com the first mobile travel site to offer ticket sales, real-time train status information, and access to the same user account features available on Amtrak's main site.
"With this solution, mobile users get a real-time, specialized view that works on all devices," said Jason Taylor, Director of Mobile Products, UsableNet. "By using Lift Mobile, Amtrak was able to deliver these services without requiring any additional IT or web development resources."
Ease of Use
Customers do not need to register for Amtrak Mobile and there are no special downloads required. The mobile site may be accessed simply by logging onto Amtrak.com from any web-enabled PDA or cell phone. The user will automatically be taken to a mobile device-friendly view. From there, customers may check the status of any train in the Amtrak system; make, change, or cancel a reservation; or sign into their personal profile.
More About Lift Mobile
Lift Mobile is a complete, seamless solution that allows organizations to provide users with mobile access to their web sites without requiring any IT or marketing resources, or the need to develop separate sites for mobile users.
Lift Mobile accomplishes this by creating a dynamic view of existing web content and services specialized for viewing by users of RIM BlackBerry, Palm Treo, all PDAs, and web-enabled cell phones -- all without requiring special registration, downloads, or going to a separate mobile site.
Lift Mobile is a full-service, secure solution that allows organizations to rapidly expand their services beyond desktop web users to the handheld and mobile phone market. It can be implemented and launched with no impact to IT and web development resources.
For more information visit the Lift Mobile microsite at: http://liftmobile.usablenet.com/index_2.html
Other UsableNet Products
UsableNet also offers Lift Assistive which creates a dynamically-generated, text-only, and accessible view of web sites to meet W3C and section 504/508 standards. The product improves support for people with disabilities and users of assistive technologies. For more information about this product, visit www.usablenet.com.
About UsableNet
UsableNet develops market-leading solutions to support universities, government agencies, and corporations in delivering Web-based applications and content to mobile and assistive devices. Customers include Amtrak, University System of Georgia, Oregon.gov, University of Illinois, CTIA Wireless Association, and UNESCO. For more information, visit www.usablenet.com.
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DD Air2Web Announces $25 Million Financing Led by The
Carlyle Group to Extend Global Leadership as Full-Service Mobile
Marketing Provider
http://www.netherlandscorporatenews.com/archive/en/2006/09/26/f056.htm
Air2Web, the leading provider of mobile messaging and marketing
applications, today announced it has completed a $25 million round of
new financing led by The Carlyle Group with participation from
existing investors including Vantage Point, technology luminary Jay
Chaudhry, and UPS. With these funds, the company plans to strengthen
its leadership position as the world's first full-service mobile
marketing solutions provider, expand its global footprint and continue
to enhance its portfolio of mobile marketing services. Air2Web
provides a unified platform that enables marketers, ad agencies,
broadcasters, enterprises and carriers to create, deploy and manage
mobile marketing campaigns, including advanced multimedia and premium
text messaging, alerts, and mobile content delivery, all with
carrier-grade reliability.
Offering the most robust portfolio of services to companies
bringing their brands mobile, Air2Web is trusted by a number of
notable customers including American Express, Cingular, Citibank,
SpikeTV, The Weather Channel, and UPS. The company boasts live
deployments across the world of mobile solutions including campaign
management, mobile couponing, mobile branding and brand presence,
interactive polling, games, trivia, news alerts and notifications,
secure instant messaging, wireless customer relationship management,
group messaging and global content distribution.
"According to our data, Air2Web is well-positioned as a provider
of full-service, message-based mobile marketing solutions to
marketers, TV studios, advertisers and carriers. Text messaging has
become a mainstream application, as 70.9 million Americans reported
using SMS in July, with 8.9 percent of mobile subscribers reporting
they participated in a TV or radio poll," said Will Hodgman, CEO and
president, M:Metrics. "The company's global footprint will serve
Air2Web well in exploiting the many opportunities in mobile marketing
around the world."
The financing was led by The Carlyle Group, one of the world's
largest private equity firms with more than $44.3 billion under
management and a diverse set of assets in relevant sectors including
telecommunications, media and consumer brands. As part of the
financing, Jay Koh of Carlyle will join Air2Web's Board of Directors.
"The market for mobile marketing products and services is taking
off quickly. We looked extensively for the best platform company to
back in a rapidly growing and maturing market, and selected Air2Web as
the early market leader with a strong management team, carrier proven
technology and a successful track record of executing volume campaigns
for leading global advertisers and brand marketers," said Jay Koh,
Principal of The Carlyle Group.
"Air2Web is well positioned in a rapidly growing market with blue
chip customers, a global presence and scalable technology platform.
This new investment will help us leverage our strengths to consolidate
our position as a leader in the mobile marketing space," said Sanjoy
Malik, President and CEO of Air2Web. "We are pleased to have a top
tier group of investors led by The Carlyle Group in this round. We
feel confident that this, combined with our world-class team,
established success with carriers and global brands, and strong
balance sheet will lead to the rapid expansion of Air2Web's presence
in this explosive industry."
About Air2Web:
http://www.air2web.com.
About The Carlyle Group:
www.carlyle.com.
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SS9173
DD Mobile Marketing Association Creates m-Commerce Committee
Committee to Develop Mobile Commerce Best Practices and Guidelines
http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/news.html?d=105762
NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) (www.mmaglobal.com), today announced that it has launched an m-Commerce Committee to develop best practices, standards and other guidelines for mobile-commerce initiatives. The committee will serve as a consortium between wireless carriers and key players in the m-commerce ecosystem, including brands, retailers and media. The committee's goal is to create a framework that provides consumers with a simple, consistent, user-friendly m-commerce experience across the industry.
The m-Commerce Committee, chaired by Mark Kaplan, founder and chief strategy officer of Assembly, LLC., and Eswar Priyadarshan, founder and chief technical officer of Quattro Wireless Inc., will focus on three key areas:
-- Defining the m-commerce ecosystem, marketplace and customer
experience
-- Creating guidelines and best practices to enable a "one-click"
m-commerce experience for consumers
-- Creating a consortium for carriers and select members of the
ecosystem to facilitate guidelines, best practices, operations
and intellectual property for both digital and physical goods
"Mobile commerce will become a critical element to drive the adoption of the mobile channel and mobile advertising both for digital and physical goods," said Laura Marriott, executive director of the MMA. "The MMA continues to take a leadership position in the development of the emerging mobile marketing industry."
"Consumers and carriers both want the same thing: an open, standardized, secure but easy-to-use m-commerce experience for the physical goods marketplace," said Mark Kaplan, founder and chief strategy officer of Assembly, LLC. "The m-Commerce Committee has been created to help achieve that vision and, in turn, ensure that m-commerce lives up to its potential for both brands and consumers."
"We're pleased to be working with the MMA to further drive the use of the mobile medium by way of establishing more consistent and consumer-friendly m-commerce experience for mobile advertisers and digital goods merchants," said Eswar Priyadarshan, founder and chief technical officer of Quattro Wireless Inc., a leading mobile advertising service enabler.
For more information, please contact committees@mmaglobal.com. For information on MMA membership, please see www.mmaglobal.com.
About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global association which strives to stimulate the growth of mobile marketing. The MMA is an action-oriented association designed to clear obstacles to market development, to establish standards and best practices for sustainable growth, and to evangelize the mobile channel for use by brands and third party content providers. MMA members include agencies, advertisers, hand held device manufacturers, wireless operators and service providers, retailers, as well as any company focused on the potential of marketing via the mobile channel. The Mobile Marketing Association's global headquarters are located in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com
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SS9173
Enpocket seems like they are on a roll...
DD go2 and Enpocket Form Strategic Mobile Advertising Alliance
Companies Partner to Provide Advanced Campaign Mechanics That Drive More Value for Mobile Advertisers
http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/news.html?d=105685
IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 26, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- go2 Directory Systems (www.go2.com), a leading provider of local search and movie guide information over mobile devices in the U.S., and Enpocket, the leader in intelligent mobile marketing, today announced a strategic alliance for designing and integrating sophisticated campaign mechanics into mobile advertising and marketing programs. go2 and Enpocket will work together to jointly design, develop, operate and market enhanced mobile marketing solutions with a focus around go2's expertise in location-based services and Enpocket's deep experience in mobile advertising.
"Having delivered close to one billion mobile page views of local directory information since our inception in 1999, go2 has learned that its users want quick and easy access to local information when they're on the go," said Lee Hancock, CEO of go2. "go2's goal is to use the mobile medium to create solutions that are valuable and appreciated by users. Enpocket's mobile marketing platform is unique in its ability to integrate and scale up our mobile advertising and marketing programs, including mobile internet, messaging and advanced data targeting. A robust mobile marketing solution enables go2 to drive advertising revenues and provide a means for advertisers and wireless consumers to connect."
The strategic alliance will enable go2 to offer its brand advertisers best-of-class integrated mobile marketing campaigns, including:
-- Click-for-coupon advertising
-- Click to locate retail outlets
-- Mobile internet-based micro-payments
-- Affiliate partner text message programs
-- Advanced end-to-end campaign reporting and analytics
"Marketing on the mobile web has become very attractive to advertisers because of the ability to target consumers more precisely than ads on television, online or in print," said Enpocket CEO Mike Baker. "By combining go2's location-based search and directory offerings with Enpocket's marketing platform, we're creating campaigns that work for brands and deliver relevant information to consumers on-the-go."
About go2(r)
go2 owns and operates numerous location, event and category-specific online and mobile websites as integral components of the go2 Mobile Content Network, including go2 Movies(r), go2 Dining, go2 Travel and go2UCLA. go2 websites have industry-leading distribution through one-of-a-kind multi-category placements on the wireless Web menus of most major U.S. carriers, providing mobile users with easy access to information on-the-go, including driving directions, horoscopes, magazine articles, movie times, sports trivia, travel information, weather and more. All go2 mobile content sites are fully integrated with any GPS-like automatic location services provided by wireless carriers, and feature one-touch calling and turn-by-turn directions together with detailed information on thousands of U.S. businesses. go2 advertisers include ABC, American Express, AOL, Delta, ExxonMobil, Holiday Inn, MasterCard, Nokia, SBC, Shell, Sony and Visa. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., go2 is a privately held company. go2 holds or licenses several U.S. patents for location-based, local search and directory services on mobile devices. For more information, visit www.go2.com.
go2(r), go2 Movies(r) and go2 mGuide(tm) are registered and unregistered trademarks of UDS Directory Corp., dba go2 Directory Systems.
About Enpocket
Enpocket, the Intelligent Mobile Marketing(tm) company, enables organizations to foster and maintain valuable relationships with mobile consumers. Enpocket technology powers the mobile marketing efforts of operators and media companies around the world, and Enpocket services help leading brands effectively market in the mobile channel. Customers include:
Mobile Carriers: Cingular, Sprint, Alltel, Vodafone, BT, Orange, Airtel, Virgin
Media Companies: News Corp, CNBC, A&E, Clear Channel, Chrysalis, Internet Broadcast Systems, Sony Pictures, TNT, Trinity Mirror
Brands: McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts, Pepsi, Subway, Motorola, Samsung, Panasonic, BenQ-Siemens, Sprite and GM.
Enpocket has offices in Boston, London, Singapore, and Mumbai. To learn more see www.enpocket.com.
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DD Akoo and McDonald’s at Woodfield Mall Launch m-Venue, First-of-Its-Kind, in-Store Entertainment Service Activated by Mobile Phones
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060925005...
McDonald’s Customers Can Now “Order Up” Audio and Video Content from Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Sony Pictures Using Text Messaging, the Mobile Internet, or Wi-Fi; Selections Are Performed Publicly on Demand in Designated Multimedia Zones within the Restaurant
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Akoo and McDonald’s at Woodfield Mall today announced the launch of m-Venue™, a patent-pending entertainment and marketing platform that enables McDonald’s customers to search, select, and “activate” in-store digital content -- including music, music videos, and movie previews -- with their mobile phones or Internet-connected mobile devices.
m-Venue allows patrons to choose a wide variety of audio and video content from Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Sony Pictures, among others, via text messaging (SMS), the mobile Internet, or a Wi-Fi-enabled laptop. Selections are performed on demand in designated multimedia zones within the restaurant or placed into a queue if another selection is already playing. For a limited time, the service is available at no cost to customers, compliments of participating McDonald’s locations.
m-Venue debuts in McDonald’s at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois, where 10 multimedia flat-panel screens have been established. Additional McDonald’s locations throughout the Chicagoland area and the southeastern region are launching m-Venue by year’s end. Akoo is also in discussions to roll out the platform at numerous “big box” retail, dining, and leisure entertainment chains by early 2007.
“Since launching m-Venue, we’ve increased our restaurant’s sales by nearly 17 percent compared to the same period last year,” said John O’Keefe, owner/operator of McDonald’s at Woodfield Mall. “m-Venue empowers our customers to create compelling, interactive entertainment experiences. As a result, we’ve created a unique destination that brings us competitive advantage and attracts more customers to our restaurant,” he added.
In addition to on-demand digital content, m-Venue offers McDonald’s customers day-parted ambient audio/video programming; a music ID and discovery feature, whereby users can identify the artist and name of any song playing in participating locations by sending a text message; and ultimately, a digital store where patrons can purchase and download digital content over-the-air to their mobile devices.
Since the m-Venue platform also tracks consumers’ usage behaviors and preferences in a non-intrusive way, McDonald’s locations will be able to employ more effective mobile-based promotions, loyalty & rewards programs, and opt-in targeted marketing campaigns.
“We’re extremely pleased to help McDonald’s owners/operators connect with their customers in more compelling ways and differentiate the company’s great brand in an increasingly competitive quick-serve restaurant marketplace,” said Niko Drakoulis, Akoo’s chief executive officer. “m-Venue is the only platform that extends the exponential growth of digital media consumption and social networking on the Internet into public places where mobile device users gather, shop, eat, socialize, and play. As our location partners are discovering, it’s an innovative way to attract, convert and retain target demographics. The return on investment is immediate.”
Akoo’s m-Venue platform was recently featured in the Innovations pavilion at the 2006 Worldwide McDonald’s Convention, where 15,000 attendees gathered. “The reaction to our platform from top executives was overwhelmingly positive,” added Drakoulis. “The demand for our service by owner/operators was especially strong because they see m-Venue as an ideal way to interact with customers ‘where they live’ – that is, via their mobile phones and mobile devices.”
For more information about the m-Venue platform, prospective strategic partners – including retailers and major brands, venue owners/operators, content providers, advertisers, wireless operators, device manufacturers, and diversified media companies – should visit www.akoo.com.
About Akoo International Inc.
Akoo’s patent-pending digital media and marketing platform, m-Venue™, enables partners to offer location-based entertainment to mobile consumers visiting their establishments. For the first time, consumers can use their mobile phones or Internet-connected mobile devices to search, select, and “activate” in-location audio/video content and interactive entertainment. Simultaneously, the m-Venue platform tracks consumers’ usage behaviors and preferences to facilitate more effective mobile-based promotions, loyalty & rewards programs, and opt-in targeted marketing campaigns. Akoo was formed in 2001 and is based in Chicago. Visit www.akoo.com for more information.
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SS9173
dotmobi launches today
http://pc.mtld.mobi/
SS9173
DD Mobile Assets
http://www.mobileassetscorp.com/
Mobile Assets is accelerating the mobile future. We’re introducing next-generation technology that delivers valuable mobile content and services into the hands of government, businesses, the education market and consumers.
The mobile phone and PDA market is entering a new level of functionality beyond simply communications, and Mobile Assets is delivering the building blocks.
http://www.mobileassetscorp.com/aboutus/
About Mobile Assets
THE COMPANY
Mobile Assets (OTCBB: MBAP) is an emerging growth company creating scalable and global mobile technologies and applications through aggregation and development. The company has expertise in mobile content marketing and distribution and intends to leverage that expertise into delivering strategically valuable mobile applications, content, and services to the market in unique ways to acquire and retain consumer clients.
OUR VISION
Through development, partnerships and acquisitions, Mobile Assets will provide businesses and consumers quality mobile products and services globally, ensuring a market growth leadership position, thus increasing the company’s strategic value to its shareholders.
DRAMATIC MARKET OPPORTUNITY
Marshall McLuhan predicted more than 30 years ago, the convergence of media – text, audio and interactivity. To this, Mobile Assets will add a fourth element – mobility.
Global communications is on the verge of what will be the most sweeping change since the discovery of telephony itself. Soon, communications, entertainment, m-commerce and access to vital information will be available anywhere, anytime. The mobile phone will become the personal "smart phone" and ubiquitous link between the consumer and the digital universe.
Mobile Assets intends to set a benchmark of innovation and excellence in the mobile communication market.
The development of mobile multimedia services, remote data accessing capability, and new data formats has culminated in a revolution for the telecommunications industry. 3G (third generation) technologies are now available that access online interactive services and innovative applications such as video streaming, multi-player online games, and online corporate applications. These are just the beginning of a whole new wave of exciting and profitable applications.
GSM, the world’s leading mobile technology, is also fast on its way to becoming the top technology in the Americas and globally. Subscriber numbers are exploding with an annual growth rate of 66% in the US and Canada.
BUSINESS MODEL
Mobile Assets generates revenue from four market sectors: Government, Education, Business and Consumers with six major technology/product/services offerings.
Mobi Axxess Wireless Network
Mobi Axxess provides turnkey wireless technologies with true user-defined "always on" broadband. Download speeds can be guaranteed anywhere from 9 MBps to 270 MBps per modem with upload speeds up to 75 MBps. Mobi Axxess includes a full compliment of products, functions and guaranteed Quality of Service that local telcos and cable companies simply cannot compete with.
With its superior delivery, each Mobi Distribution broadband system will support multiple profit centers spanning numerous industries. The Mobi Distribution broadband system also integrates with existing Global Cellular (GSM) networks. The Mobi Axxess Mobile Broadband and Cellular default service are available in Canadian Radio-Television & Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-approved appliances for nomadic use.
Mobi Emissary (MIA)
Mobile Assets is developing Mia™, the first to market mobile personal assistant application and associated services. The company's intent is to develop patented Mia™ software and then license it to application developers, service providers, mobile phone, and other portable digital communication platform manufacturers as an integral part of all portable devices.
Mobi Bar Code
You are reading a newspaper, visiting a museum or purchasing something, and you want to know more. Using your cell phone, simply take a picture of the Mobi Bar Code® printed on or near the item and within seconds your cell phone screen is filled with a detailed audio/video of what you want to know.
• Imagine… you are reading an sports article and you want to see the game-winning play
• Imagine... you are a museum curator and you want to enhance the visitor’s experience by providing in-depth display information in multiple languages
• Imagine... you are a retailer and you want to provide detailed product information videos from the manufacturer - Mobi Bar Code® is your solution.
Mobi Gold Banking Systems
The Mobile Transactions revenue channel is based upon the digital phone's capability of becoming a personal transaction device. Simply put, the phone can act as a debit or credit card and transactions can flow through the phone, allowing all necessary partners to participate in the revenue stream.
Mobile Assets will use its exclusive micro-payment system, Mobile Gold, to market m-commerce gateway services to established clients with geographical and/or large customer bases to develop this application.
Mobi Business Systems
mb³, which stands for ‘Mobile Business Building Blocks’, is a portfolio of hardware, software and application support that gives small and medium businesses independence from the major phone companies. With mb³, a business can operate as its own phone company in a mobile-to-mobile world, exchanging personalized information with its customers on a 24/7 basis. mb³ is an inexpensive technology option with far-reaching implications in mobile communications.
Mobile Assets' first mb³ business application is Cyber Distribution, a multi-level inventory sales and distribution program.
Virtual Video Store
The Virtual Video Store (VVS) set-top box allows the owner to download Hollywood movies and other video content over high-speed Internet Protocol and view them directly on their television (no computer required). VVS has agreements that make movies from major motion picture studios available as soon as they are released on DVD.
This is the next generation for in-home movie viewing and is destined to replace much of the DVD sales and rental market. The software and accounting package allow retailers of the set-top boxes to share in the revenues of the movies, thereby replacing revenue streams that will be lost from declining sales and rentals of DVDs. A number of retail partners have been secured, while North America’s largest DVD retailers have expressed an interest to participate.
http://www.pinksheets.com/quote/quote.jsp?symbol=MBAP
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DD Mobile Life Network
http://www.mobilelifenetwork.com/
Corporate
The Mobile Life Network publishes a suite of applications enabling effective marketing, e-commerce, and media distribution on today's mobile phones. Our mission: to bring the mobile world to life.
If you have any questions about our products or are interested in a potential partnership, please contact us using the information below.
The Mobile Life Network is a privately held company based in Toronto, Canada.
MobiMarketing
MobiMarketing provides mobile cell phone users the ability to leverage the camera as a searching tool, similar to how they search the Internet from a PC, MobiMarketing is leveraged by organizations that have already put time and money into a brand (e.g. Pepsi Cola), to leverage that brand with mobile camera phone subscribers who want information on the go. All of this is possible, thanks to our patent pending technology. We use sophisticated algorithms and messaging that match images captured via a camera phone with those we have ingested into our database. A match will trigger a range of possible results, including downloading video/MP3's, promotions, ring tones, purchasing information, pricing, contests, maps and general search results. MobiScan uses the award winning Shot Code technology that has been a pioneer with mobile marketing.
http://theponderingprimate.blogspot.com/2006/09/mobilelifenetwork-goes-live-today.html
Thursday, September 21, 2006
MobileLifeNetwork Goes Live Today
MobileLifeNetwork is a new mobile marketing company that went live today.
They offer various forms of mobile marketing tools, (MobiCash, MobiLife, MobiMarketer and MobiShopper) but the one that caught my eye is their MobiMarketer application.
Mobimarketer allows the camera to act as a search engine.
Add them to the list .
MobiMarketer provides mobile cell phone users the ability to leverage the camera as a searching tool, similar to how they search the Internet from a PC, MobiMarketer is leveraged by organizations that have already put time and money into a brand (e.g. Pepsi Cola), to leverage that brand with mobile camera phone subscribers who want information on the go.
All of this is possible, thanks to our patent pending technology.
We use sophisticated algorithms and messaging that match images captured via a camera phone with those we have ingested into our database.
A match will trigger a range of possible results, including downloading video/MP3's, promotions, ring tones, purchasing information, pricing, contests, maps and general search results.
Google just purchased a company that does the same thing
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SS9173
JP, excellent work. This is the kind of DD that makes this board invaluable. Thank you for sharing these results with us.
Best regards,
SS9173