Category Archives: Shopping malls

To busy to Market your business and get new clients? by Diane Shawe

Posted on May 21, 2015 | Leave a comment

Without new customers your business dies.

No business can grow or survive without new customers!

article by Diane Shawe M.ED

If lead generation – in other words – getting more clients and growing your business – is something you keep put off and try to put right in a panic (when it’s too late!) because you are too busy the rest of the time, then it is essential that you adopt a system that generates new leads – even when marketing is at the bottom of your priority list.

That’s why websites such as pagewiz.com have done so well over the past 3 years.

But before you can even look at setting up your marketing strategy – the web pages, videos, emails and all the other things you need – here’s how we can help you, for a very small fee (£9.99 + vat) to shape up your campaign in a 3 hour bootcamp.

Step One: Visit http://www.clarity4d.softskills.expert and skroll down to the Bootcamp courses
Step Two: Select the bootcamps you would like to attend that will give you the most benefit.
Step Three: Complete the form and submit it to us and we will send you an invoice.
Step Four: We will confirm the venue details, you have already selected the time

As you can see there is no big sales pitch, you either need it or you don’t. We wont waste your time.

These will be the most constructive 3hours you have every spent in moving your business on.

This is deliberately designed to give the busy business owner world-class marketing – without the effort, hassle, time and stress needed to do it all by yourself.

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Posted in accreditation, apps, assisted technology, become a trainer, body language, Chelsea women business club, Coupons and vouchers, credit cards, educational apps, eLearning, eyebrow threading, free courses, Free Wi-fi, Global entrepreneur week, HR, i-send proximity, ipad, iphone 6, isend, kensington women business club, Shopping malls

Tagged business owner, diane shawe, entrepreneur bootcamp, express courses, express training courses, free online courses, hair extensions, lead generation, marketing, marketing bootcamp, marketing strategy, mobile learning, mobile marketing, sales bootcamp, virtual classroom

Hot summer hijacks heat on hair extensions by Diane Shawe

Posted on May 20, 2015 | Leave a comment

Become a qualified hair extension technician this summer

As the heat turns up this summer, celebrity hair stylist Diane Shawe offers exceptional training in the summer’s latest hair trend.

Predictions abound for the coming summer to be another scorcher, the trend for hair extensions is hitting headlines with TOWIE and Miley Cyrus amongst others. An expert in extensions, Diane Shawe has teamed up with Groupon to offer cut price courses to professionally train salon owners, stylists and enthusiasts in natural looking hair extensions.

Previous years have seen summer styles favour the short; taking the heat off the head. But… Oh! Those summer nights. Tell me more. As the evenings close in, unpinning long locks to wrap around shoulders is the perfect solution to shivering in the evening calm.

Specifically designed to showcase the most natural and seamless hair extensions, Diane’s courses range from a half day preparatory course at just £49 to the full day special, where delegates will gain globally recognised accreditation from the IAO for £99. Both courses are designed to bolster professional qualifications, and can be used to practise as a hair extension trainer or consultant; earning up to £30,000 a year.

Expert in hair extensions and stylist to the stars, Diane Shawe said, “This is a great way to empower people with an interest in extensions to create longer hair, in just a day. I’ve trained for 10 years to distil the secrets into these cut price courses.”

Diane was featured on the popular Jeremy Kyle show as the UK’s top wig maker, to help a young lady who was being bullied at school replenish her hair. From wigs to extensions, Diane is an expert in hair loss and consultancy.

Get this special deal from Groupon

Designed to ensure that hair is pleasingly soft to the touch with a subtle finish, the hair extensions training academy courses divulge 16 different techniques that epitomise discretion, comfort and allure. Impervious to an outsider’s eye, the natural looking hair flows, creating the season’s hottest look for clients, friends and enthusiasts.

Investing in the low cost courses will provide high return on investment for those interested, since their current pricing, in collaboration with Groupon can lead to savings of up to £350! For existing hairdressers and salon owners, the courses enable additional income, and they are also designed to teach novice hair extension consultants and technicians too.

One satisfied student, Stacey said, “When I felt I had acquired all of the knowledge and information to start my new business venture rolling! Diane gave me information on how hair is formed, where hair is sourced from, the difference between Synthetic and Human hair, I literally wrote a training manual for myself whilst on this course.”

Having previously run courses on Wowcher, Diane has been amazed at the success of her courses and is excited to be offering this excellent price in the run up to scorching summer. She said, “I’ve had wedding stylists, photographers and total hair novices come on my courses, and because I run them in small groups, they have all received some personalised training.”

With availability all over the UK, interested people can snap up Diane’s bargain by using the Groupon link

For more information about Diane’s extensive work on hair loss and consultancy, please see her website at http://www.hairextensionstraining.academy/

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Posted in accreditation, apps, assisted technology, become a trainer, body language, Chelsea women business club, Coupons and vouchers, credit cards, digital tickets, discount vouchers, educational apps, eLearning, eyebrow threading, free courses, hair extensions, Hair Extensions courses, kensington women business club, mLearning, mobile phone broadcasting, Networking, online colleges, online courses, online universities, Shopping malls, Smartphones, training courses

Tagged 1 day hair extension course, avpt, diane shawe, express courses, groupon, hair extension, hair extension courses, hair extensions, hook and latch, micro ring, start your own hair extension business, wowcher

The rise of the Andriod Smartphones

Posted on May 29, 2011 | 1 comment

Smartphone are here to stay! Whilst most people will bow down to the supreme way iPhone has dominated the market, lets take a look at the top 10 android smartphones.

After doing a little research on what’s happening in the market, i-send came across some info set up by Street.com.

Street.com claims that Apple’s iPhone had a good run atop the smartphone league, but 10 Google Androids aim to bury the tuckered-out leader this year.

Motorola Mobility, Samsung, HTC and LG have promised to deliver supercharged, ultra-thin, 4G Android devices in the coming weeks and months. (It’s interesting that they don’t mention any Nokia phones but let’s watch this space)

But not always. Before the mobile phone industry got all busy with design makeovers and tummy tucks, there were — and still are — some delightfully hideous phones that represented the other side of the beauty trend. The Street has gone back through the past decade to dig up some of the best examples of designs that make you wince and stare in disbelief. The clueless stylings, the flights of fancy into odd shapes, the obsession with square versus rounded — it is a wonderfully colorful history.

The giant Android attack features bigger screens, better cameras, faster processors and speedier 4G connections than the upcoming iPhone.

The Android’s phone screens, for example, start at 4 inches and go to 4.5 inches, advancing the size standard for this generation of touchscreens. By comparison, Apple’s next iPhone is expected to have a 3.5-inch screen.

The new Androids are 4G phones either on AT&T HSDPA-Plus network or Verizon’s LTE network, and four of the 10 will come with dual core processors.

Apple, on the other hand, is expected to upgrade to a dual-core processor this year, but the 4G LTE iPhone has been delayed to 2012, as first reported.

The presumed delay of the next iPhone from June to September, and the decision to wait a year on 4G LTE upgrade highlight just a few of the areas where Apple has been lagging behind the leaders in the Android pack.

“The processor and display quality improvement in the Android camp is proceeding at such a clip that Apple will be under a lot of pressure to deliver a substantial jump in iPhone specs next autumn,” MKM Partners’ analyst Tero Kuittinen.

“It’s not clear how Apple can battle the rapid Android evolution,” says Kuittinen, “unless it picks up the pace of its iPhone launches.”

Here’s a look at the top 10 Androids that could dwarf the iPhone:

10 Cities Unaffected by a Bad Economy

Samsung Nexus S

Samsung Nexus S, Sprint

This is Google’s second run at making its own phone, only this time Samsung is manufacturing the device and Sprint is selling it. Two years ago, the Nexus One was made by HTC and sold online by Google. It was an experiment in retailing that was far less revolutionary than Google hoped.

The Nexus S runs on Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system and works on Sprint’s WiMax 4G service. Because it is a phone built to Google’s specifications, it includes some of Google’s favorite projects including NFC or near field communications that may one day allow phones to make purchases with a swipe at a sales counter.

The Nexus phones are big among Android fans who see them as more purely Android than other versions in the market. The Gingerbread system has been a little hard to find and the Nexus S will continue to be among the most advanced Androids until Ice Cream Sandwich arrives as early as year-end.

LG Optimus

The LG Optimus is one of the sleeker members of the new Android class. Even though it has a 4-inch screen, the phone is nearly a third of an inch thick, and at 3.8 ounces, it is a full ounce lighter than the iPhone.

The LG Optimus runs on Android 2.2 or Froyo and is powered by a 1-gigahertz OMAP processor from Texas Instruments, one of the key wins for TI in the most recent round of Androids.

The LG Optimus is expected to debut in Europe this month and arrive in the U.S. later this year. AT&T and possibly T-Mobile will likely get the phone since it is configured for the HSDPA network.

Samsung Droid Charge

Samsung Droid Charge, Verizon

After a little delay, No. 2 phone maker Samsung finally gets into Verizon’s Droid franchise and continues the robotic theme for another year.

The Droid Charge runs on Android 2.2, has a 4.3-inch LED screen and is powered by a 1-gigahertz Samsung Cortex A8 processor. According to analysts, Samsung has built the phone to consume about half as much battery power than its 4G LTE predecessor the HTC Thunderbolt.

Another area where it exceeds the Thunderbolt is on price. Verizon has a $300 price tag on the phone with a two-year contract.

Samsung Function, Verizon

Samsung is pushing hard to get on the 4G LTE bandwagon where Verizon has a speedy lead over the rest of the telco field. The Function is a member of the Samsung Galaxy family and a follow up to the 3G Fascinate, which debuted last year at Verizon.

The Function is a truly muscular phone. It runs on Android Gingerbread, it is powered by a dual-core 1.2-gigahertz processor, with 1-gigabyte of memory and another 32-gigabytes of built-in storage. And the 8-megapixel camera shoots 1080p HD video.

The Function is due later this year, and depending on the timing, may be one of the more formidable opponents to the iPhone next iPhone.

Motorola Mobility Targa, Verizon

Speaking of formidable, Motorola Mobility apparently wasn’t happy with how the Bionic was coming together and reworked the phone under the code name Targa. Bionic was expected to be the blockbuster 4G LTE phone for Verizon from Motorola, and aimed not just at the iPhone but at the Android superphones from Samsung and HTC.

There’s not much information about what powers the Targa, but the specs are likely to be similar to the Bionic. That list would include a dual-core processor, and an 8-megapixel camera.

Verizon and Motorola were expected to have the Bionic available by the end of June, but a revamped Targa will likely be a pre-holiday fall arrival. This would also pit it squarely against the next iPhone.

HTC Sensation, AT&T

HTC Sensation

When and if it arrives at T-Mobile, the HTC Sensation promises to be a big step up from the HTC Thunderbolt. And that’s no small feat. The Sensation is expected to have one of the first dual-core 1.2-gigahertz Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, which holds big promise for Qualcomm.

The Sensation has a 4.3-inch display, a 8-megapixel camera and it runs on Android’s Gingerbread operating system. The phone has an aluminum unibody structure, a trend Apple started with its laptops.

The Sensation runs on the HSDPA network that AT&T and T-Mobile call 4G. The phone is expected to arrive as early as next month.

LG Revolution, Verizon

LG’s focus on feature phones made it a weak player in the smartphone game, but the Korean electronics giant now wants to make up for lost ground in the super-phone category.

The LG Revolution is the heaviest of the five Androids, weighing 6 ounces. But it carries the weight well in a sleek half-inch-thick form with a large 4.3-inch display screen.

The phone runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 1-gigahertz processor and has a whopping 16 gigabytes of storage. It has two cameras, one front-facing for video chats and the rear a less-than-robust 5-megapixel shooter.

The Revolution is a 4G LTE phone that was expected to start selling at Verizon in the first quarter.

Samsung Infuse, AT&T

Samsung seems to be trying extra hard to be the iPhone replacement for AT&T. By appearances, the Samsung Infuse looks very much like a large version of the iPhone 4, at least from the front.

Samsung had reasonable success with Android phones in its Galaxy series; with the Infuse, it hopes to take that one more step higher. The phone has a massive 4.5-inch super-AMOLED-plus screen that is designed to provide better resolution and easier daylight viewing.

The Infuse runs on a speedy 1.2-gigahertz Hummingbird single-core processor. Its front-facing camera is a wimpy 1.3-megapixels, but the rear camera captures 8-megapixels. The Infuse runs on the HSDPA-Plus wireless technology, which AT&T started calling 4G.

The Infuse, sort of like the 5-inch Dell Streak, attempts to push the limits of super-phone sizes in an effort to skirt the fringes of the larger tablet market.

AT&T starts selling the Infuse this spring.

HTC Thunderbolt, Verizon

We got our hands on the HTC Thunderbolt when it arrived in March. Its speed is astonishing, but its battery life is terrible.

The Thunderbolt has the best name of the new crop of 4G devices that Verizon has introduced so far. The Thunderbolt looks very much like HTC’s popular EVO at Sprint, with the same convex back and kickstand.

The Thunderbolt runs on Qualcomm’s 1-gigahertz Snapdragon processor, has a 4.3-inch screen and a front-facing camera as well as an 8-megapixel rear camera. All those specs, by the way, are identical to its 4G WiMax brother, the EVO at Sprint.

The difference with the Thunderbolt is that it runs on Verizon’s 4G LTE network. The Thunderbolt arrived in March quarter and was hailed as the first Verizon 4G LTE phone.

Motorola Atrix, AT&T

If there was one phone that caught the most attention at CES, it was the Motorola Atrix, which AT&T had been promoting like crazy.

This Atrix uses a dual-core Nvidia processor like its sister phone the Bionic, and has similar specs. But it also features 1-gigabyte of RAM, the same deployed by small laptops. And curiously, that’s how Motorola is pitching this device — as a pocket computer.

During the Motorola demonstration, the Atrix was docked in an empty laptop shell, which, powered by a keyboard and big screen, made the Atrix the core of a notebook computer. The Atrix is designed to serve as both your super-phone and through a docking system, your PC.

With processing power and memory comparable to a netbook, the Atrix may help push Motorola devices further into the workplace, bumping up against Research In Motion and Hewlett-Packard’s Palm business.

Well they all look very good, but I am a Nokia fan and I am looking forward to purchasing my N7. It works so well for business users.

In the mean time, as we see the rise of the smart phone, every business needs to look at how they can cost effectively advertise within proximity. Click here to learn more.

Samsung Droid Char

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Posted in apps, assisted technology, Coupons and vouchers, credit cards, digital tickets, discount vouchers, educational apps, Free Wi-fi, GSMA, i-send proximity, ipad, location-based technology, mobile phone broadcasting, mobile phone communications, Networking, nokia vodaphone O2, Proximity Marketing, retailers loyality, shopping apps, Shopping malls, Smartphones, Town centres, Wireless Intelligence

Tagged andriod smart phones, top 10 mobile phones

Allowing comments on your website can aid SEO

Posted on May 18, 2011 | 1 comment

When I have reviewed some of the comments placed on youtube, I cringe. It certainly does not encourage you to allow any type of comments to be randomly placed on your own websites or blogs. But if you’ve been wondering whether or not you should allow comments on your business or personal blog, allow me to add some fodder for your decision making analysis.

Comments on your blog help you optimize your website and make it easier to be found for more key phrases and for the key phrases you are already targeting. How is that? well….

search engines love content. I know most of us think content is dead, and that video and social media are the optimum SEO’s. But the more the content, search engines are drawn to it like bee to honey. In other words, that 300-word blog post you wrote yesterday will get more search engine traction when it has 20 comments on it.

There are three ways blog comments help you:

a) Blog commentators will use the same key phrases in their comments that you used in your blog post. That will mean more instances of the keyword on the page and therefore you are more likely to be found for that key phrase.

b) Blog commentators will also use related key phrases that you didn’t use in your blog post. That will result in your blog post being found for key phrases that you didn’t target.

c) Thirdly, some blog posts, like forum posts, appear as separate pages in the search engines. Note that I said “some”. In order for your blog posts to appear as separate pages they’ll have to be threaded and coded just so.

Blog comments help you optimize your business website, it is particularly useful if you are trying to brand or generate interest. I strongly encourage you to allow at least permission based comments on your business blog to increase your search engine optimisation. If someone writes something or wants to link an inappropriate website to your you can terminate or trash the link before it goes live.

With lots of websites offering back links, text links and link exchange, this is one of the quickest ways to generate the same think without it costing you anything or taking up too much of your time.

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Posted in apps, assisted technology, educational apps, i-send proximity, isend, location-based technology, Networking, Proximity Marketing, Shopping malls, Smartphones

Tagged diane shawe, how to make a comment, optimising your website, SEO

British Leisure Show launch apps to connect exhibitors & visitors

Posted on March 5, 2011 | 1 comment

Welcome to the British Leisure Show who have launched there first apps to help promote their event and will be using Bluetooth location based broadcasting throughout the event to drive visitors to exhibitors stands.

By Diane Shawe

Click on the image below to Download the British Leisure Show Apps and find out more about the event.

This exciting, three day family friendly festival, provides entertainment and interaction for visitors of all ages. It’s packed with an exciting variety of things to SEE, TRY AND BUY, with the latest product models and accessories, competitions and demonstrations to watch and activities to try.

i-send will be holding a meeting designed to help business learn about apps and how it could help improve mobile marketing.

On of many events will be held throughout the year with the first one on the 10th March 2011 in London. Click to register

For a growing number of UK shoppers, the difference between off-line and on-line shopping will be no line at all.

What does this mean for retailers, sole traders, enterprise business and the retail sector?

Come join us at this free event when you will be able to listen, learn and ask.

With an inundation of new smart phone apps these hand held shopping tools are redefining the shopping experience and blurring the distinction between the in-store experience and the virtual world of information now available in the palm of your hand.

Advances in location-based technology, price-comparison apps, bar-code scanning apps and social-networking tools have turned the mobile device into a real-time third channel of commerce, empowering consumers while challenging retailers to rethink the way they do business.

The appetite for new apps seems voracious. A recent survey by comparison-shopping site PriceGrabber revealed that 36 percent of consumers plan to use their mobile phones for shopping-related activities this holiday season.

Around 4.2m of us in the UK are already using our mobiles to access the internet and browse retailer’s eCommerce sites.

This event will look at the pros of cons about introducing a apps into your business and all the pointers one should consider. Specialist speaks will be available to give you golden nugget advise.

Introducing our Panellist Speakers

Andrew Lamont

Cllr Andrew Lamont ‘Access Champion for the Royal Borough of Kenisigton & Chelsea’

Topic: Why Access & Apps go together

Partially sighted as a result of optic atrophy, Cllr Lamont is a seasoned campaigner on behalf of the blind and partially sighted. As a trustee of the charity BlindArt he has worked to remove barriers to the visual arts for all, inclusive of visually impaired people.

Andrew is currently the Access Consultant for i-send proximity and plays an important role in advising local authorities and Town Centre’s on managing the implimentation of Access.

Andrew is concerned about the new technolgy and feels that Apps and the new type of Smartphones should take into consideration access for over 2 million people throughout the UK

Diane Shawe

Diane Shawe Author of ‘How to Cyber kiss your business to Success’

Topic: Discovering the Pros & Cons for implementing Apps into your business

Project Director for i-send proximity, Diane has over 16 years experience in the Telecoms Fibre Optic and Microwave technology. Smartcard and internet audience measurement solutions.

Diane is often a guest speaker and training in business development and is currently working on several City and Town Centre Projects who want to build a PWAN Bluetooth Broadcasting Network.

The world of promoting your business has pivoted in a way that could leave a lot of businesses behind if they don’t implement a structured apps program.

Jason Cobine

Jason Cobine Founder of Beyond Networking runs a series of revolutionary, unique, branded workshop.

Topic: Apps & Profit and protecting infringed intellectual property rights.

Jason Cobine for the last 20 years have helped organisations around London with business insurance, indemnity insurance and reputation protection.

Jason has also helped businesses reduce the time and money spent finding new opportunities through business networking.

Jason is often a speaker and trainer at business related events and is going to shed some light on the protection of Intellectual property rights when using apps to promote your business.

Jason come’s highly recommended and will help you navigate yourself through this complex arena.

Abul Hussain Author of Grow your business with Internet Marketing

Topic: Why SEO don’t work so for some businesses

A Managing Partner at the Middle Man Marketing Group, Abul is an experienced marketing consultant, who consults with the marketing departments of many FTSE 100 companies.

His specialities include SEO, Pay Per Click Marketing, Social Media Marketing, amongst other marketing areas.

He often is a guest speaker at business association events and a guest author around the marketing blogosphere.

Abul will discuss the importance of implementing certain strategies to insure that localised and regionalised businesses can make better use of the SEO online strategy.

Jonathan Greensted

Jonathan Greensted Founder and CEO of Sentient

Topic:Apps defining the shopping experience

Sentient has help many large organisations such as AstraZeneca, Virgin Holidays, Pfizer, Commerzbank, Microsoft, MCI and Centrica leverage IT to increase profits, optimise costs or increase their business agility.

Sentient’s innovation incubator has pioneered retail energy management (1995), web content management (1997), teleco billing (1999), social networking (2002), mobile software (2004), GPS tracking (2006) and Software + Services (2008).

He often is a guest speaker at business events.

Jonathan wil discuss the changing face of the retail business as the inundation of new smart phone apps enter the market.

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Posted in apps, assisted technology, Coupons and vouchers, credit cards, digital tickets, discount vouchers, Free Wi-fi, health apps, i-send proximity, location-based technology, mobile phone broadcasting, mobile phone communications, Networking, Proximity Marketing, retailers loyality, shopping apps, Shopping malls, Smartphones, tourism, Town centres, Wireless Intelligence

Tagged British leisure show, car festival

US Wireless Data Market Grows 23 Per Cent Year-on-year

Posted on March 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

All I can say is WAKE-UP SME’s and start smelling the COFFEE!

by Diane Shawe

I-send was sent a recent post from the the analyst, Chetan Sharma, who released its US Mobile Data Market Update for Q4 2010 and 2011.

The report reveals that the US wireless data market grew 5 per cent quarter-on-quarter, and 23 per cent year-on-year, to reach $14.8bn (£9.1bn) in mobile data service revenues in Q4 2010. The final tally for the 2010 year was $55bn, which the analyst expects to increase by 22 per cent to $67bn in 2011.

US mobile subscriptions officially crossed the 100 per cent penetration mark in Q4 2010. The connected device category (including tablets, M2M, telematics, eReaders, etc.), registered the highest growth at 55 per cent, while postpaid subscriptions grew by only 3 per cent for the calendar year. Connected devices now account for 7 per cent of the installed base.

Smartphone shipments overtake computers
The report notes that 2010 marked the milestone of the start of a new computing and communications era. For the first time in the US, smartphone shipments exceeded the traditional computer segments (desktops, notebooks and netbooks). In 2011, the smartphone segment, along with connected devices will not only exceed the computer segment in unit shipment but more importantly, in overall revenues as well.

While connected devices ARPU is low, Chetan Sharma believes this segment will prove to be the most profitable in the coming years, due to higher margins. By the end of 2011, connected devices will be commanding double digit market share.

However, not all sub-segments are going to be successful in the operator channel, until multi-device data pricing plans are introduced. Most of the tablets and eReaders can work well with only wi-fi most of the time. Monthly data plans make sense for enterprise users but not for consumers who might use these devices occasionally. As such, the report says, tablets will be more successful in direct and traditional retail channels. Operators who start to bundle multiple devices by single data plans and data buckets are going to see a better yield in this category. Similarly, OEMs who rely on operators for sell-through of tablets/eReaders will see low volumes compared to players who have more diverse distribution channels, such as Apple and HP.

As previously noted by Chetan Sharma, the iPad and other tablets are making Netbooks irrelevant. In fact, tablets are starting to eat into the laptop category as well. As expected, the device has been a hit with many enterprises with mobile workers. Many enterprises are giving out iPads to their workforce instead of laptops or Netbooks. The analyst expects iPad to dominate the space in 2011 as competitors will find it hard to compete across all dimensions – price, performance, ecosystem, distribution, and brand power.

Data traffic more than doubles
Mobile data consumption continued to grow across all networks, increasing by 2-5 times on major US networks. While average data consumption in the US at the end of 2010 was 350 MB/month, many of the superphones introduced in the second half of 2010 are clocking 1-1.5GB/month on average. Thus, while data revenues for the year increased by 23 per cent, mobile data traffic grew by 132 per cent.

The significant rise in smartphone sales and usage in the US market – over 50 per cent of devices sold in the US in 2010 were smartphones, almost twice the global average – means that by the end of 2011, in the US, the smartphones will consume more data than data cards for the first time. Chetan Sharma also expects the US to become the number 1 nation in mobile data consumption this year, edging out Sweden.

The report notes also that the center of gravity of the mobile market has shifted back to the US, which is also the most dominant market in terms of revenue generation for the industry. While the US represents less than 6 per cent of the subscription base, it accounts for over 21 per cent of data revenues, with Verizon Wireless becoming the number one mobile data operator in 2010, edging past the decade-long leader, NTT DoCoMo. AT&T also went past China Mobile to gain its current number three ranking. By the end of 2013, the US market will account for 25 per cent of global mobile data services revenues.

Wake-up call
Chetan Sharma calls the Nokia-Microsoft announcement “a wake-up call to many in the industry who were in denial”, and praises Nokia for decisiveness, and for moving quickly under pressure. But it concludes that the impact on Nokia remains uncertain, saying: “While there were risks with Android, going with Win7 is not an assured path to resurrection either. It all comes down to execution…Nokia has significant talent and it’s a proud company, but jumping into the shark-infested cold waters miles away from the shore will require all the stamina, good weather, and skill it can muster to make landfall before thanksgiving”.

Looking ahead, the report notes that Android and iOS are completely dominating the developer and ecosystem mindshare, and says the race to become a viable third option is on, with operators keen to see another competitive force emerge in the market. Chetan Sharma will be discussing how the industry is going to evolve in the next decade at its mobile thought leadership summit – Mobile Future Forward, in September.

I-send proximity is launching a series of workshop/expert forums to discuss the implementation and road mapping of apps into any type of business, visit http://www.i-send.co events page for more information.

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Posted in apps, assisted technology, Coupons and vouchers, credit cards, digital tickets, discount vouchers, educational apps, Free Wi-fi, GSMA, health apps, i-send proximity, ipad, isend, location-based technology, mobile phone broadcasting, mobile phone communications, Networking, nokia vodaphone O2, Proximity Marketing, retailers loyality, shopping apps, Shopping malls, Smartphones, tourism, Town centres, Uncategorized, Wireless Intelligence

Tagged apps for business, bluetooth broadcasting, diane shawe, i-send.co, location based, proximity marketing, small business and mobile broadcasting, text messaging, wirless mobile communication

Invitation to our forthcoming Apps Network Event

Posted on February 20, 2011 | Leave a comment

Come along and join us at our informal networking meeting on Thursday 10th March 2011 in London to take a closer look at apps and how they could impact on your future business.

For a growing number of UK shoppers, the difference between off-line and on-line shopping will be no line at all.

What does this mean for retailers, sole traders, enterprise business and the retail sector?

Come join us at this free event when you will be able to listen, learn and ask.

Around 4.2m of us in the UK are already using our mobiles to access the internet and browse retailer’s eCommerce sites.

This event will look at the pros of cons about introducing a apps into your business and all the pointers one should consider. Specialist speaks will be available to give you golden nugget advise.

Introducing our Panellist Speakers

Andrew Lamont

Andrew Lamont ‘Access Champion for the Royal Borough of Kenisigton & Chelsea’

Topic: Why Access & Apps go together

Andrew is currently the Access Consultant for i-send proximity and plays an important role in advising local authorities and Town Centre’s on managing the implimentation of Access.

Andrew is concerned about the new technolgy and feels that Apps and the new type of Smartphones should take into consideration access for over 2 million people throughout the UK

Diane Shawe

Diane Shawe Author of ‘How to Cyber kiss your business to Success’

Topic: Discovering the Pros & Cons for implementing Apps into your business

Project Director for i-send proximity, Diane has over 16 years experience in the Telecoms Fibre Optic and Microwave technology. Smartcard and internet audience measurement solutions.

Diane is often a guest speaker and training in business development and is currently working on several City and Town Centre Projects who want to build a PWAN Bluetooth Broadcasting Network.

The world of promoting your business has pivoted in a way that could leave a lot of businesses behind if they don’t implement a structured apps program.

Abul Hussain Author of Grow your business with Internet Marketing

Topic: Why SEO don’t work so for some businesses

A Managing Partner at the Middle Man Marketing Group, Abul is an experienced marketing consultant, who consults with the marketing departments of many FTSE 100 companies.

His specialities include SEO, Pay Per Click Marketing, Social Media Marketing, amongst other marketing areas.

He often is a guest speaker at business association events and a guest author around the marketing blogosphere.

Abul will discuss the importance of implementing certain strategies to insure that localised and regionalised businesses can make better use of the SEO online strategy.

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Posted in apps, assisted technology, Coupons and vouchers, credit cards, digital tickets, discount vouchers, educational apps, Free Wi-fi, GSMA, i-send proximity, ipad, isend, location-based technology, mobile phone broadcasting, mobile phone communications, Networking, nokia vodaphone O2, retailers loyality, shopping apps, Shopping malls, Smartphones, Town centres

Tagged apps event, apps seminar

Startbucks and McDonalds have launched contactless payment apps

Posted on January 31, 2011 | Leave a comment

A few days ago I wrote about the coming of the mobile phone credit card! Well it’s here. Many people across the industry have been excited about the prospects for mobile and contact-less payments for some time now – myself included.

To catch the public’s imagination, awareness and indeed a widespread frenzy similar to that experienced at the launch of iphone 4 or the ipad, it has a lot of impact when well known merchants and locations that people see in the high street or mall and buy from every day start to offer and promote new ways of paying.

This is what has happened in the last few days.

First we had Starbucks. The Starbucks Card Mobile App is now available at its 6,800 U.S. company-operated Starbucks, and all U.S. Target stores. Extensive rollout here. Just scan your phone and go with your coffee – it’s promoted as the fastest way to pay. Excellent move and my guess is that in future assuming it goes well we’ll see apps for other smartphones to add to BlackBerry and iPhone.

Next comes McDonalds, who have announced that contact-less card payments will be offered in all of its 1,200 UK restaurants by this summer, working with Visa. Oh, and, wait for it – the company is emphasising speed – McDonalds prefaces “contact-less” by labelling it “lightning fast”. McDonalds explains that “Contact-less payment saves time and effort, allowing customers to quickly pay for items which cost £15 or under without having to search around for cash.”

Whilst customer convenience is one of the key benefits, there are more benefits too. Reduced queues or lines for example. How many times have we walked up to a fast food or drink outlet, seen eight people waiting, and moved on? So moves like this reduce customer loss and increase customer throughput. They also mean less cash is handled by the merchants – with attendant risks of errors in counting, theft, mistakes in giving change and slower transaction speeds.

this is why several research organisations are forecasting a big future for mobile payments with nearly 1 in 2 of us having made a mobile payment of one sort or another by 2014. With iconic fast food and drink brands like Starbucks and McDonalds leading the way, we’re sure to see more launches in the future. After all, 2011 has only just begun…. But what about the small retailers, what can they do to get a slice of this market? Well perhaps one of the first things to consider is getting your own business mobile apps in place and then look to belong to a partner offering a wider service and mobile access to consumers passing outside your shop front.

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Posted in assisted technology, Coupons and vouchers, credit cards, digital tickets, discount vouchers, Free Wi-fi, ipad, isend, location-based technology, mobile phone broadcasting, mobile phone communications, Networking, nokia vodaphone O2, Proximity Marketing, retailers loyality, shopping apps, Shopping malls, Smartphones, tourism, Town centres, Uncategorized

Tagged contactless, mobile commerce, mobile coupons, mobile payment, ntc

Launching marketing apps can backfire for retailers

Posted on January 27, 2011 | 1 comment

by Diane Shawe

more than just a phone

For a growing number of UK shoppers, the difference between off-line and on-line shopping will be no line at all.

What does this mean for retailers and marketing companies?

With an inundation of new smart phone apps these hand-held shopping tools are redefining the shopping experience and blurring the distinction between the in-store experience and the virtual world of information now available in the palm of your hand.

The appetite for new apps seems voracious. A recent survey by comparison-shopping site Price Grabber revealed that 36 percent of consumers plan to use their mobile phones for shopping-related activities this holiday season.

Around 4.2m of us in the UK are already using our mobiles to access the internet and browse retailer’s e Commerce sites

Recession-wary consumers are embracing new tools that can instantly call up product specs, reviews, price comparisons and input from Facebook friends and Twitter followers, all while they’re standing in the aisle.

David Dorf the Director of Technology Strategy states ” The United Nations estimates about 60 percent of the world’s population has access to a mobile communications device. More Americans have a mobile phone than own a credit card, and an increasing number of those are smart phones capable of Internet access. This proliferation is so unlike that of any other modern-day consumer technology that it is difficult to fully measure the impact on consumers and the industries that serve them.

With what is effectively a computer in the palm of their hands, consumers are finding new ways to do everything from banking to managing healthcare and household services. Shopping is a natural fit, and the retail industry has emerged as a front line for innovation in mobile applications. The mobile commerce revolution has changed almost every aspect of the retail business, from the way that we think about customer relationships to the way that we manage inventory and complete transactions”

So where are the retailers in all this? Playing catch-up with their customers as fast as possible in most cases, often looking for the quick wins.

Shopping is changing, and while the urge to please customers, capture sales and compete with competitors is very hard to resist, as the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) pointed out in a recent survey of 57 retailers, only four had fully mobile-optimised websites.

Chris Brassington is CEO ofStarfish360 stated in a recent article “It ’s true that many retailers are launching apps and/or a mobile site in an effort to capture the mobile customer, but the survey showed that a tactical approach to mobile marketing is likely to backfire, as 82 per cent of consumers said that if a retailer’s website performed badly, it would dissuade them from buying goods from that organisation, on the web or even in store.

And in today’s social media-driven society, a poor, fragmented customer experience could turn off not only the customer who experiences it, but many more too, if that customer chooses to share their experience on the web. So getting the customer experience wrong on mobile carries a big risk”

Many retailers, instead of providing a joined up mobile experience that will enhance customer service and reduce costs, have instead bolted on a piece of technology that does not provide an integrated shopping experience. These are often bespoke builds from marketing agencies, with one eye on what the competition is doing and increasing revenue for themselves, rather than a clear focus on how their clients customers’ behaviour is changing.

We have all used the phrase ‘blind leading the blind’. In this case we often see no integration, no alignment to the business’ challenges; no strategy in terms ownership; and no cyber psychology lead program to customers needs. So instead of mobile potentially being a progressive channel, it has, in most cases, provided only frustration for the shopper.

Mobile marketing roadmap

Diane Shawe the Project Director for i-send proximity is passionate about helping not only retailers benefit from proximity based mobile commerce and marketing, but how to address the retail sector’s operational challenges when implementing a mobile commerce strategy which can be measured in real time and assist a wide cross section of mobile phone users.

I-send proximity is leading the way towards helping different Boroughs to build a private Bluetooth wide area broadcasting network within a geographical area that will benefit consumers and visitors. By using this low energy, green, permission based and wireless controlled broadcasting network , retail town centre management teams and local authority regeneration departments can implement a cost effective and cost neutral solution. Click to read more

Because we believe that playing catch-up will be significantly more expensive than taking the strategic approach. Adopting the strategic approach will provide the blueprint and the roadmap to ensure the successful implementation of mobile marketing as a consumer channel, from both a business and a strategic viewpoint.

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Tagged bluetooth proximity marketing, diane shawe, mobile apps, mobile marketing, mobile strategy, retailers using bluetooth marketing

Tablets Force Developers to Refocus Strategies on Apps

Posted on January 25, 2011 | Leave a comment

I-send most recently came across several articles which have highlighted changes about to take place in the Apps market due to the growth of the tablet such as the Ipad and others fast in pursuits.

Appcelerator, maker of tools for building mobile, desktop and tablet applications, and IDC have announced results of a joint survey showing that the onslaught of tablet systems has caused some developers to refocus their development efforts.

Indeed, the joint Appcelerator-IDC survey of more than 2,200 developers around the world, indicated that tablet interest spikes across the board: Android Tablet interest jumped 12 points in three months to 74 of respondents saying they are “very interested” in developing for these devices. Interest in Blackberry Play book nearly doubled from 16 percent to 28 percent. iPad rose three points to 87 percent, while web-OS Tablet interest remained flat at 16 percent, the study showed.

With 85 new, primarily Android tablets announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in early January, developers are pushing these devices to the top of their priority list, Appcelerator officials said.

Overall, the survey reveals how new entrants to the tablet market are changing application development priorities and how businesses large and small are accelerating their efforts to build a mobile application strategy to deal with an explosion in apps, mobile devices, operating systems, and capabilities, Appcelerator officials said.

Moreover, Scott Schwarzhoff, vice president of marketing at Appcelerator, said, taken January 10-12, the Appcelerator-IDC Q1 2011 Mobile Developer Report shows that Google has nearly caught up to Apple in smart phone popularity and is closing the gap in tablets. Microsoft and RIM made solid gains through their product line update, while interest in Google TV and Apple TV dropped off.

And as these trends unfold, it is also becoming clear that the days of mobile app experimentation are over, Schwarzhoff said. This year, developers expect to triple their app development and the average developer is now building for four different devices, the survey showed. Meanwhile, a dramatic increase in the integration of geo-location, social, and cloud-connectivity services underscores new focus on sustaining user engagement, while increased plans to integrate advertising and in-app purchase business models points to a new focus on longer-term financial viability over free brand affinity apps.

With the Android Tablet market set to explode this year, 57 percent of developers said price will be the most important factor for success, followed by minimized fragmentation (49%) and then Android Honeycomb OS capabilities (33%).

“The tablets, unlike smart phones will have wildly different pricing,” Schwarzhoff told eWEEK. “Smartphones are about $199, but tablets will be different. There will be some sub-$100 tablets and developers see this as a big opportunity

Android phone interest, at 87 percent, rose 5 points to tie iPad and close to within 5 points of iPhone, which has 92 percent. Yet Apple continues to be the number one priority with over 10 billion app sales to date. Schwarzhoff said a common refrain from developers is: “after iPhone, do I go Android or iPad?” For Apple, topping the iPad 2 wish list included: new camera capabilities, a USB connector, and an improved retina display, the survey showed.

As indicated, interest in building mobile apps for connected TVs decreased across the board as Google dialed down its launch plans, TV networks blocked access to their content and developers increasingly focused on tablets. Google TV interest slumped 11 points to 33 percent, while Apple iTV dropped 10 points to 30 percent. Developer interest in other alternatives like Yahoo TV, Boxee, and Roku was also minimal, the survey showed.

Meanwhile, Windows Phone 7 rose 8 points to 36 percent of developers indicating they are ‘very interested’ due to a better-than-expected launch, Schwarzhoff said. Respondents said that Windows Phone’s improved UI was a critical factor for the increase.

“No one is ruling out Microsoft, at least in the enterprise,” Schwarzhoff said. He said Microsoft’s strategy of more stringent control over OEM implementations will limit fragmentation, which could become a concern for Android. Also, Microsoft’s tie-in to business apps is a plus for its platform, he said.

“As apps are becoming more social, more local and more cloud connected, it’s a long way to go [for Microsoft],” Schwarzhoff said. “Are they going to blow it open this year? It’s daunting, but they will improve it. They will be maniacally focused on iterative improvement. With Windows Phone 7 they made it through the toughest launch in their history.”

Regarding app stores, Schwarzhoff said Amazon’s newly announced Android Appstore shows early promise. While 82 percent of developers said they are interested in distributing their apps through the Android Market, 37 percent said they are interested in the Amazon Appstore, 13 percent for Verizon VCAST, and 9 percent for GetJar. Interestingly, developers are about equally as interested in the Mac App Store, at 39 percent, as they are in Amazon’s new Android Appstore.

Appcelerator said the proliferation of apps, devices, platforms, and capabilities has triggered a race among businesses large and small to define a sustainable mobile strategy. This quarter, Appcelerator and IDC introduce a new “Mobile Maturity Model” to identify three phases of mobility adoption shaping up in the enterprise and consumer markets: ‘exploration’, ‘acceleration’, and ‘innovation’. Last year, most respondents (43 percent) said they were in the ‘exploring’ phase of their mobile strategy. A simple app or two – typically on iPhone – and a focus on free or $0.99 branded apps was standard practice. This year, 55 percent of respondents said they are now shifting into the ‘acceleration’ phase. This phase is defined by the following trends and mobile strategies.

For instance, on average, each respondent said they plan to develop 6.5 apps this year, up 183 percent over last year. And businesses are increasingly taking a multi-platform approach. On average, respondents said they plan to deploy apps on at least four different devices — such as iPhone, iPad, Android Phone, Android Tablet this year, up two-fold over 2010.

Moreover, 87 percent of developers said their apps will connect to the cloud this year, up from 64 percent last year. Interest in commerce apps is also on the rise, with PayPal beating Apple and Google as the number one preferred method for payments. And business models are evolving to stay in lockstep with these more engaging mobile app experiences. Developers are shifting away from free brand affinity apps and becoming less reliant on $0.99 app sales. Increasingly, the focus is on user engagement models such as in-app purchasing and advertising, with mobile commerce on the horizon. And 81 percent of respondents said they “insource” their development, with the majority saying they have an integrated in-house web and mobile team.

For a complete summary of the findings, visit: http://bit.ly/appcelerator_idc_q1_2011_mobile_developer_report.

At this point it is becoming even more important for town centres and Cities to explore how they can build a private WAN on the platform for Bluetooth Proximity Broadcasting. This will provide a controlled and direct way to communicate with consumers on a wide range of topics and encourage them to look for specific offers once they have downloaded the cities own integrated apps. Just take a look at what it did for one town centre.

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