CurrentC by MCX - The MCX Viewpoint

As everyone knows the internet is not the best place to go to find real-time fact checking.  Anything but.  Some examples of this are coming out now as the news surrounding CurrentC has been given some press.  I've posted extensively on Apple and their recent announcements.  Time for a bit more from some other quite interesting offerings.

Some of the blogger entries from websites I enjoy and find valuable have been wildly eccentric in their opinions.

Time for a bit more facts than opinion.

What is MCX?  Here is the company website:

http://mcx.com/

What is CurrentC?

http://currentc.com/

Want some facts from MCX regarding the recent speculations making the news (you'll find plenty of opinion online, how about some facts)?  Here are the blog entries by the CEO, Dekkers Davidson and others:

http://www.mcx.com/blog/

Interesting times we live in if you love technology, mobile, and retail.

Happy Halloween!

J.W. Gant

CurrentC by MCX in the News

Want to see a slew of stories on the primary Apple Pay competitor, CurrentC?

Just Google it.

Here is the best one, with the best facts (and only the facts):

http://www.pymnts.com/news/2014/what-currentc-didnt-say/#.VFKYeyLF_9Y

Here is the summary from that story:

According to it’s CEO, [Dekkers Davidson], CurrentC is a healthy and robust platform that will launch at some point in early 2015 and have “many fabulous features,” that may or may not include loyalty programs and may or may not allow users to use credit cards in the future.

CurrentC will be offered at retailers through out the country who may or may not also be offering Apple Pay, because they may or may not be allowed to do so under the terms of their agreement with MCX. However, if any of those merchants offer Apple Pay, they won’t be subject to penalties.

MCX houses its data in a totally secure cloud based platform that has been under siege from cyberthieves for the last seven days. That system may or may not be similar to Apple’s in some way, and it is being tested by an unknown number of consumers and retailers at various undisclosed locations nationwide, where it may or may not be going well.

For more specifics, stay tuned to sometime in early 2015, when CurrentC goes live. Or not.

Interesting times we are living in.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Ron Johnson Launches New Retail Company

When the previous head of Apple's retail stores makes a move it is worth taking a look at.

While the Apple formula doesn't appear to have worked at JC Penney, what could be done from a completely blank slate?  We'll get to find out in 2015.

http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/ron-johnson-launching-start-helps-online-shoppers-choose-products

Here is a snippet from that piece:

The cat is finally out of the bag. Former J.C. Penney CEO and Apple retail head Ron Johnson confirmed that he is launching a new company—but it’s not a tech-gadget delivery service as was widely rumored. Instead, the new initiative, set to launch in 2015, is designed to help online hoppers make the right product choices.

Johnson told the Wall Street Journal his new start-up, called Enjoy, is a service that will change the way consumers buy "things that matter," and enable shoppers who start their shopping on the Web to connect with a product before making a decision.

I'll be following Enjoy Technology to see what comes.  Would be fun to peak in to the making of this new endeavor.

To visit the company's website click here:

http://www.enjoytech.com/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Retailers Turning Off Apple Pay

The biggest news in payments over the past week hasn't been Apple Pay, but rather the retailers that first accepted but no longer accept Apple Pay.

CVS and Rite Aid are in the news for this:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/10/26/cvs-follows-rite-aid-shuts-off-apple-pay/17959213/

The various takes on the story are a story unto itself.  Balanced news can be found here:

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-27/why-rite-aid-and-cvs-stopped-taking-apple-pay

Here is a snippet from that piece:

That’s not the whole story. Objections to Apple Pay aren’t actually about convenience, reliability, or security—they are about a burgeoning war between a consortium of merchants, led by Walmart (WMT), and the credit card companies. Rite Aid, CVS, Walmart, Best Buy (BBY), and about 50 other retailers have been working on their own mobile payments system, called CurrentC. Unlike Apple Pay, which works in conjunction with Visa (V), MasterCard (MA), and American Express(AXP), CurrentC cuts out the credit card networks altogether. The benefit to the merchants is clear: They would save the swipe fees they now pay to the credit card companies, which average about 2 percent of the cost of transactions.

Unbalanced news can be found here on Gizmodo:

http://gizmodo.com/how-corporate-greed-is-trying-to-kill-apple-pay-1651233601

Here is a snippet from that piece:

When Apple Pay launched last week, it was a huge step towards the pay-with-your-phone future that's been in the works for years. But a few big retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and CVS want to blow the whole thing up and replace it with something shittier, because they don't care about you at all.

Here is Karen Webster's take:

http://www.pymnts.com/news/2014/the-real-reason-rite-aid-dumped-apple-pay/#.VE6XyCLF_9Y

Here is a snippet from her piece:

Last week, it was announced that Rite Aid abruptly deactivated its terminals and would no longer be able to accept Apple Pay. There was speculation swirling that it was because of concerns over security or data privacy, both totally ludicrous claims/spin given Apple’s highly secure payments scheme and total inability to see transaction or cardholder data. Say what you will about Apple Pay and its chances of success, but it is a highly innovative and secure method of payment using the mobile device.

...

But I also offer that horror movie playing between Treasury/Marketing folks at every CurrentC/MCX merchant could get pretty gruesome. And, I think that this could even foreshadow the second big post Apple Pay shift in payments – the unraveling of CurrentC.

For my part I was at Walgreen's over the weekend to pick up a prescription for my daughter.  The payment terminal was advertising Apple Pay.  Right above that was a placard on the wall that read "Please Turn Off Cell Phone".  Well, we have a ways to go yet.

Quite a lot of news this past week huh?

TechCrunch has some inside views of the CurrentC app.  Wow.  How did they get their hands on this stuff?

http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/25/currentc/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Pay Has Launched

October 20 was the word on the street.

Apple Pay will launch October 20.

Okay.

October 20 rolled around and I started fiddling with my very new iPhone 6 to see if I could figure this out.  Passbook?  Nope.  Update?  None available.  I was on 8.0.2 and Apple told me there were no updates available.  Okay what?  October 20 right?

Time to Google.

Eventually I found news that Apple Pay would come with the 8.1 iOS update due to hit October 20.  As I was travelling I had to wait a bit before I could perform the update.  Here is what other people were saying in the meantime:

Apple Pay Works, But It Can’t Speed up Lines of Non-Users
http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/Apple-Pay-Works_-But-It-Can_t-Speed-up-Lines-of-Non-Users

WHY BANKS LOVE APPLE PAY

http://www.pymnts.com/news/2014/why-banks-love-apple-pay/#.VEe9RyLF_9Y

That headline shouldn't be encouraging to merchants.  

Moving on, here is the New York Times and others:

Apple Pay: Seamless in Stores, but Quirky Online

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/technology/personaltech/shopping-with-apple-pay-seamless-in-stores-but-quirky-online.html?_r=0

Some Banks See Apple Pay as a Threat

http://www.paymentssource.com/news/emerging-payments/some-banks-see-apple-pay-as-a-threat-3019482-1.html

So, wait, what?  Banks love Apple Pay.  Banks Hate Apple Pay.  Huh?

Google may have to make a move:

Google plans to ride Apple Pay popularity to cash in with Google Wallet

http://www.mobilepaymentsinsider.com/2014/10/22/google-plans-to-ride-apple-pay-popularity-to-cash-in-with-google-wallet/

So how did it go with me?

Tuesday night I went through my usual careful backup routine with my iPhone before updating to iOS 8.1.  There within Passbook was a '+' sign and simple instructions to add a card to Apple Pay.  My Capital One card is now available for use with Apple Pay and ... I have nowhere I shop to use it.  Walgreens?  Nope.  Whole Foods?  Sometimes maybe.  Panera?  I eat at my desk every day.  I may shop at Macy's over the holidays.  

What about my bank debit card?  Tried to add my Santander card and Apple Pay told me this issuer does not currently support Apple Pay.  500 banks on-board with Apple Pay and I can't add my debit card.  

Maybe some day I'll try Apple Pay.  Meanwhile on my trip I stopped at Starbucks two or three times and paid with my Starbucks app earning a gold star each time.  I'll swing in to Dunkin Donuts shortly to try out those Pumpkin Donuts again this year. Probably buy some for the office.  Yeap, I'll pay with my Dunkin App so I get the DD Perks.

How about you?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

**UPDATE**  Two quick updates.  First is this excellent piece from Re/Code:
http://recode.net/2014/10/24/apple-pay-review-the-recode-bi-coastal-team-test/

Next is news of Rite Aid first allowing, then turning off Apple Pay:
http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/Would-Be-Apple-Pay-Users-Disappointed-When-Rite-Aid-Apparently-Turns-Off-NFC

**UPDATE #2**  I missed this excellent article on Time and feel it is worth checking out:
http://time.com/3532199/apple-pay-winners-losers/

Extraordinary Experiences Isolate You Socially

I find this bit of research to be extraordinarily interesting.

Here is a bit from the write-up on Big Think:

Having a much more interesting time with life than your peers is a recipe for social isolation, according to their report published in Psychological Science. In an experiment which supported the group's conclusion, individuals given a very interesting video to watch later felt excluded when the majority of the group had watched a far more boring video. Contrary to what the people who watched the interesting video expected, conversation seems to thrive on the mundane.

Here is the full piece:

http://bigthink.com/ideafeed/extraordinary-experiences-are-socially-isolating-so-next-time-take-a-friend

I want to focus on that one quote just one more time:

...conversation seems to thrive on the mundane.

Very interesting.

Do you see this in your every day life?  Maybe you are having an interesting life and most of the people around you are merely more interested in last night's 'American Idol'.  How dare you take The Road Not Taken.  Though, don't look in to the real meaning of that poem or you'll find even more interesting thoughts to ponder.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0163 7-Eleven and Beacons

This isn't a move I can claim to understand.

7-Eleven, the company famous for the Big Gulp, wants runners to be pulled in to their stores by the use of beacon interaction with their mobile devices.

Huh?

Here is the story:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/7-eleven-uses-beacons-in-singapore-to-chase-runners-into-stores

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Convenience store retailer 7-Eleven is working with Japanese soft drink manufacturer Pocari Sweat on a beacon campaign in Singapore that tracks runners’ progress and offers rewards when they pass one of the chain’s locations.

The retailer’s efforts are due to a desire to promote healthy lifestyles and maintain a presence in the mobile fitness space, given the prevalence of consumers using their mobile phones to track their running. The technology works through a free mobile application available on iOS and Android devices.

Now, I have a 7-Eleven just a few blocks from my home and adjacent to one of my favorite local pizza places (Pizza Express in Wakefield, MA) so I go in there frequently (a long way from Singapore).  I've seen the increase in healthier options right next to the huge burritos and the slurpy machine.  So, maybe this isn't a crazy move all together.  However, I can't help but feel this company is reaching for customers it has no business laying a claim to.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Cable TV Transformed

Huge news has been hitting the last two days.  After years of denying interest, and in spite of a phenomenally successful video streaming app called 'Go', HBO is now making the move to directly compete with Netflix:

http://recode.net/2014/10/15/hbo-says-its-going-to-start-selling-on-the-web-next-year/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

HBO CEO Richard Plepler, speaking at an investor presentation hosted by HBO parent company Time Warner, said the company will start selling in 2015 a digital version of its service that won’t require a pay-TV subscription.

Plepler said the company will go “beyond the wall” and launch a “stand-alone, over the top” version of HBO in the U.S. next year, and would work with “current partners,” and may work with others as well. But he wouldn’t provide any other detail.

CBS is following suit in a fascinating move:

http://recode.net/2014/10/16/now-cbs-is-selling-web-subscriptions-to-its-shows-too/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Yup, CBS: The broadcaster is also getting into the digital video subscription business, with an offering that will let users watch almost any show it airs, live or on demand, on a variety of devices.

And like the HBO plan, this one doesn’t require users to have a traditional pay-TV subscription: All you need is an Internet connection and $6 a month.

But there are several big differences between CBS’s Web video service and the one HBO talked about yesterday.

For starters, CBS is selling access to shows that are technically available for free to anyone with a broadcast antenna. And unlike HBO’s service, this one isn’t theoretical: CBS is selling “CBS All Access” right now, via its CBS.com site and its mobile apps.

Needless to say Netflix shares tumbled in trading as it failed to hit its public mark for new user adoption.

I cut the cord from cable TV last year and haven't looked back thank you very much.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0162 Department Store Reinvented

Excellent article if you have any interest in retail:

http://www.businessoffashion.com/2014/10/reinventing-department-store.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

“At the beginning, department stores were monsters, anchoring the city centre, with an enormous collection of product coming from all over the world,” said retail veteran Vittorio Radice, the former head of London’s Selfridges and currently chief executive of La Rinascente, the Italian department store owned by Thailand’s Central Group. “They were the souk of the 19th century. You went to those stores not only to buy but basically to spend time, to browse. It was the flâneur going in and spending time admiring beautiful goods that they had heard about.”

But, today, department stores have lost some of their lustre, along with a significant share of total retail sales. The shift began in the 1960s and 1970s, as product categories that were better served by specialty chains and discounters — such as books, music, electronics and furniture — began a mass exodus from department stores and, later, became top sellers for e-commerce giants like Amazon.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0161 Cameras and the iPhone

How much do you know about photography?  How much do you think you know about photography?

Think again.

Unless you are a pro this article will not only sharpen your understanding of photography, and what makes great photographs great, but will also help you see the strengths and the limitations of the camera in our smartphones.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/10/smartphone-camera-vs-dslr/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

This is a fair amount of scratch to lay down for a camera, especially when the Internet is full of examples of pro photographers going the opposite direction, ditching bags of expensive gear in favor of smartphone cameras for most applications. The idea here is that the person, not the gear, takes the picture. And there is a (likely apocryphal) story that tells the tale of an encounter between famous novelist Ernest Hemingway and famous photographer Ansel Adams. In the story, Hemingway is purported to have praised Adams’ photographs, saying, "You take the most amazing pictures. What kind of camera do you use?"

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS  If you take the time to flip through each of the slideshows you'll find extra benefit to reading this article.

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0160 Whole Foods' Mobile Efforts

At least one executive at Whole Foods has it right regarding mobile.  The article's author writes:

"... the brand’s planned rollout of a new mobile platform [will]... serve as a companion during the in-store experience."

Here is the story:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/whole-foods-upcoming-mobile-platform-to-expand-in-store-experience

Here is a snippet from that piece:

“Lifestyle in terms of the mobile space is really a merit of the lifestyle of the customer with the brand,” Mr. Wilson said. “The mantra I have is mobile is a physical experience.

“The blend of physical and digital has been done to death,” he said. “If there is a digital plus physical 2.0, it’s just physical. Everything physical is inherently supported by digital."

I've been working in this space for a couple of years now, mobile for grocery retail, and can attest to the quality of thinking indicated in these statements.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

When Should You Unplug?

It is increasingly clear we should be focused on one thing when operating an automobile: driving.

A new study has debunked hands-free as a distraction-free driving option.  No.  Not even hands-free or Siri or anything else will keep you from becoming a distracted driver.

Here is the article:

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/talking-to-siri-while-driving-is-pretty-dangerous-99428536494.html?src=rss

Here is a snippet from that piece:

The greatest challenge to stopping distracted driving comes from the fact that it’s a mental state rather than a physical one. We can measure vehicle speed, and alcohol stays in the blood for hours, but drivers can go from paying attention to distraction with no notice and sudden, tragic effects. Yet so far, attempts to stop distraction have focused on physical changes — making it illegal for drivers to use their hands to text or dial, while allowing voice commands or Bluetooth links.

But a new study backed by AAA contends that voice-control systems can be just as distracting to drivers as texting by hand, and that a system’s design, whether it’s an automaker’s in-dash controls or Apple’s Siri assistant, can make distractions worse.

Unplug whenever you get in the car.  Set the smartphone aside, ignore your smartwatch.  Don't bother with the hands-free options.  Turn on the radio before you get moving and leave it.  Just drive.  Nothing else.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0159 Marriott Mobile

Marriott hotels has been doing some very fun things in mobile with much more planned in the future.  The folks over at Mobile Commerce Daily have an excellent write-up:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/marriott-seeks-mobile-contextual-moments-that-matter

Here is a snippet from that piece:

A Marriott International executive at the Mobile Shopping Summit 2014 said that figuring out what are the right contextual moments on mobile to engage with customers is a big lesson that needs to learned.

During the panel discussion, “From First Click To Last Click- Overcoming The Disconnect Between Discovery And Purchase,” executives from Marriott, Staples, Swrve and ZineOne touched on how to drive ongoing engagement with mobile users.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Twin Peaks Returns in 2016 on Showtime

Color me excited.

If you have never seen the crazy show titled 'Twin Peaks' from a couple decades ago now is as good a time as any to take the jump.

25 years later we get a season 3 of this crazy little show.  What is 'Twin Peaks'?  I'm glad you asked.

Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It follows an investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) into the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). Its pilot episode was first broadcast on April 8, 1990, on ABC. Seven more episodes were produced, and the series was renewed for a second season that aired until June 10, 1991. The show's title came from the small, fictional Washington town in which it was set. Exteriors were primarily filmed in the Washington towns of Snoqualmie and North Bend, though additional exteriors were shot in southern California. Most of the interior scenes were shot on standing sets in a San Fernando Valley warehouse.

For the rest of the story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Peaks

I'll take a slice of cherry pie now please.

Now how to get through 2015 without this?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0158 Game Design with Sid Meier

Computer.  Geeks.  Games.

They all go together, and in the guise of Sid Meier you find it all and then some.  Products in the digital space are all related in one common way, the 0's and 1's behind the scenes.  That makes this read quite compelling.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/10/the-road-to-civilization-a-conversation-with-sid-meier/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

One of the keys to being a good game designer, according to Meier, is the ability to throw out ideas you thought were good. "You can't have a lot of ego," he said. "If you have an idea you thought was great, you put it in, [and] it's no fun, you've got to be willing to take it out."

Sounds like something any Product Manager should be proficient at.  Well done Sid!

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0157 Visa Finds Technology

The world is going digital, that much is clear, and the mobile internet is here.

Visa is not sitting still.

This excellent article on Bloomberg.com tells their story and tells why Visa signed in to Apple Pay:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-02/visa-fends-off-usurpers-by-joining-apple-in-pay-system.html

Here is a snippet from that piece:

A 4-foot-tall robot with a video screen for a head swerves past an orange couch and bumps into the wall of a conference room. A few feet away, an engineer tests a virtual reality headset that can allow a coffee-shop owner to forecast hot-chocolate sales during a blizzard.

This is Visa Inc.’s new outpost in San Francisco -- part executive office, part design laboratory and entirely the brainchild of Charlie Scharf, Visa’s chief executive officer.

Scharf, who this July day had unveiled the latest version of the company’s digital wallet, is sitting in an office overlooking San Francisco Bay...

My thoughts ...

I have a bit of professional expertise in the area of payments and mobile payments.  The large payment networks of today essentially state the two most important players in retail are the consumer and them, forget the merchant.  I've always felt this is out of balance a bit.  What real value do the payment networks provide?  Ubiquity, I can use my Visa card just about anywhere in the world.  Nice.  Beyond that?

Seems like the merchants are left out in the cold in this arrangement and what is shopping without them?  Shouldn't they be in the loop?

Seems like it to me.

The future will be different from today.  Who knows what that will look like.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Waze, Wal-Mart, Capitol One Apple Pay, and iPhones in China

Several pieces of news today.

First is news that seems to me to be overdue.  Waze is going to begin providing its crowd-sourced traffic data to municipalities and government entities.  Seems like a no-brainer to me.

http://www.cnet.com/news/waze-to-share-traffic-data-with-governments/

Next is big news from Wal-Mart.  They are enabling online ordering and same-day pickup of grocery items.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/walmart-tests-mobile-driven-click-and-collect-grocery-service

Apple Pay continues to influence the traditional issuers.  Capitol One is out with a new app that integrates closely with Apple Pay, coming later in October.

http://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/capitol-one-apple-pay-mobile-wallet

Finally is news that indicates what I think is the single biggest reason Apple added NFC chips to its iPhones.  Sales of iPhones in China have hit the millions of online pre-orders.  NFC payments is huge in Asian markets so if Apple wanted their phones to sell there they had to include it.  2 million pre-orders in just 6 hours is proof of the success of this approach.

http://appadvice.com/appnn/2014/10/new-iphones-are-a-big-hit-in-china-as-preorders-top-2-million-units-after-just-6-hours

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

MS Windows 10, Beacons, PayPal, and the New York Times

Quite a few pieces of news.

First is word on the next iteration of Windows, dubbed "Windows 10" by Microsoft recently (yes they jumped from Windows 7 to 8 to ... 10).  I'm on record saying Microsoft badly handled the advent of tablets with Windows 8, leaving desktop users and the Enterprise out of consideration.  Here is a good article on Windows 10:

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/windows-10-undoes-the-disaster-of-windows-8-mostly-98835840904.html?src=rss

Next is news on eBay spinning off PayPal.  Looks like the move to integrate PayPal with Samsung TouchID technology spurred Apple to kick PayPal out of Apple Pay.  The NYT is stating Apple Pay is changing retail permanently.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/technology/apple-pay-signals-new-era-at-cash-register.html

Beacons are in the news again in a few ways.

Beacons deliver for Marriott Hotels:

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/235116/beacons-deliver-local-perks-at-marriott.html?edition=76551

Shopkick is acquired:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/shopkick-acquired-amid-growing-importance-for-beacon-enabled-shopping

Macy's doing much more than just Beacons:

http://risnews.edgl.com/retail-news/Macy-s-Rollout-Goes-Beyond-Beacons95568

Facebook has added the ability to purchase items directly from your news feed.  As someone who cut back to weekly or monthly visits to Facebook I view this as one more bad idea from Facebook.

http://www.mobilepaymentsinsider.com/2014/09/26/facebook-adds-buy-button-to-news-feed/

Finally is a bit about the continuing problems traditional printed news is having. The New York Times is laying off staff to cut costs.

http://recode.net/2014/10/01/the-new-york-times-app-plan-isnt-working-so-its-laying-off-staff/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant