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434 Part Three Key System Applications for the Digital Age

databases of location-specific information (eMarketer, 2012). The largest provid-
ers of mobile display advertising are Apple’s iAd platform and Google’s AdMob
platform (both with a 21 percent market share) followed by Millenial Media.
Facebook is a distant fourth but moving rapidly to catch up. Alcatel-Lucent
offers a new service to be managed by Placecast that will identify cell phone
users within a specified distance of an advertiser’s nearest outlet and notify
them about the outlet’s address and phone number, perhaps including a link to
a coupon or other promotion. Placecast’s clients include Hyatt, FedEx, and Avis
Rent A Car.
Yahoo displays ads on its mobile home page for companies such as Pepsi,
Procter & Gamble, Hilton, Nissan, and Intel. Google is displaying ads linked
to cell phone searches by users of the mobile version of its search engine,
while Microsoft offers banner and text advertising on its MSN Mobile portal
in the United States. Ads are embedded in games, videos, and other mobile
applications.
Shopkick is a mobile application that enables retailers such as Best Buy,
Sports Authority, and Macy’s to offer coupons to people when they walk
into their stores. The Shopkick app automatically recognizes when the user
has entered a partner retail store and offers a new virtual currency called
“kickbucks,” which can be redeemed for Facebook credits, iTunes Gift Cards,
travel vouchers, DVDs, or immediate cash-back rewards at any of the partner
stores.
Fifty-five percent of online retailers now have m-commerce Web sites—sim-
plified versions of their Web sites that make it possible for shoppers to use cell
phones to place orders. Clothing retailers Lilly Pulitzer and Armani Exchange,
Home Depot, Amazon, Walmart, and 1–800 Flowers are among those compa-
nies with apps for m-commerce sales.

Games and Entertainment
Smartphones and tablets have developed into portable entertainment platforms.
Smartphones like the iPhone and Android-based devices offer downloadable
and streaming digital games, movies, TV shows, music, and ring tones.
Users of broadband services from the major wireless vendors can stream
on-demand video clips, news clips, and weather reports. MobiTV, offered by
Verizon Wireless, AT&T Wireless, and other mobile carriers, features live TV
programs, including MSNBC and Fox Sports. Film companies are starting to
produce short films explicitly designed to play on mobile phones. User-generated
content is also appearing in mobile form. Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and
other social networking sites have versions for mobile devices. In 2012, the
top 10 most popular apps on Facebook are games, led by Words with Friends,
FarmVille, and CityVille, each with over 5 million daily users.

10.4 BUILDING AN E-COMMERCE PRESENCE

Building a successful e-commerce presence requires a keen understanding
of business, technology, and social issues, as well as a systematic approach.
In 2012, an e-commerce presence is not just a corporate Web site, but may
also include a social network site on Facebook, a Twitter company feed, and
smartphone apps where customers can access your services. Developing and
coordinating all these different customer venues can be difficult. A complete
treatment of the topic is beyond the scope of this text, and students should

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