Visa app...Innovative!

Visa recently released an app for the iPhone, which has been regarded as highly creative for the credit card company. The app, free and available on iTunes, offers a somewhat similar service to Foursquare and Groupon.  

The application gives users access to offers stored on the app from various retailers. The offers can be redeemed online or offline. The app, like Foursquare, consist of a location-based technology giving users access to a map and directions to the stores and businesses offering redeemable deals. 
Additionally the app also provides Visa cardholders location to the nearest ATMs.

When launched, the Visa had 50 chosen retailers offering deals to their account holders through the app. The chosen businesses participating are inclusive of New York & Company, Holiday Inn, Hard Rock Cafe, 24 Hr Fitness & many more.

The app also gives users the option to customise the offers available on the app to their preferences. The users would simply have to select as many categories as they like to personalise the deals offered. The line of options are inclusive of purchases such as entertainment, travel, food, clothing, accessories and other commercial goods.

Visa also adopted a marketing and promotional approach with the app to attract more consumers, by offering extra special offers additional to the offers available to users to their account holders with Visa signature cards.

Creating an app is now considered a marketing tool and companies have various options in terms of choosing an app's functions depending on the relevance to their business trade. 

Pipon Solutions advises clients when appropriate to consdier constructing and designing apps to engage and interact with their customers in and through different channels. The Visa app is an excellent example and very innovative app for the company, as it gives it more personality and dynamism.

Facebook Release Top 10 trends of 2010

Following the likes of Google and Twitter, Facebook have recently released their own top trend of 2010.

Facebook acquired the top trends by analyzing status updates across 236 countries, and comparing each of the phrases' occurrences and rates between 2010 and 2009. The ones with the most increased percentage and volume were chosen as the top 10 trends.

The results emphasize the differences between Facebook, Twitter and Google. Facebook's top trend, 'HMU' meaning 'Hit Me Up' defines the engagement on Facebook as more of a communicative channel in comparison to Twitter. That's how we engage on it too, here at Pipon Solutions.

More detail on the Facebook's top trends can be found on their blog here.

Google Hope For Star Trek Future

Google reported another acquisition last week, to help them bring their Star Trek visionary concept to life. The acquired company, Phonetic Art, specialises in speech synthesis and Google hope to utilise it to enhance its voice output services. Google aims to integrate the technology into its products and services, to translate text to speech and address users with a more natural voice.

Google's speech technology manager explains that the concept and desire originates from Star Trek. He explains that "...in Star Trek, they don't spend a lot of time typing things on keyboards-they just speak to their computers, and the computers speak back," he says. "We're confident that together [with Phonetic Arts] we'll move a little faster towards that Star Trek future."

Phonetic Arts based in Cambridge, focuses on building technology that create expressive speech more humanly toned for computerised products. Meaning they specialise in creating features to make computers speak any text in any voice.

A Google product, which would benefit from this acquisition, is Google Translate. It is already equipped with the capability of translating text to speech, however with Phonetic Art advanced expertise; we at Pipon Solutions believe this could push the limitation it holds.
Additionally, it is possible Google could utilise this to translate Google search to a more interact multimedia platform, similar to Qwiki.com

Google Acquired Widevine, For YouTube?

We previously wrote a post on Google's new approach to YouTube services and features. Well Google has recently made a acquisition to broaden their video platform and it is believe this could be also part of YouTube's reform.

The acquisition of Widevine was reported last week on the Google blog. The company provide an on-demand video service recognised for its multiplatform DRM and adaptive streaming technologies.

The company's specialties is providing protected and branded video through multiple channels.
Additionally, it procure digital rights management technology licenses to company protecting their content from piracy.

The beneficial aspect of the Widevine is that their one of technology consist of a adaptive streaming feature, which functions by detecting a users bandwidth and follow by adjusting the video to comply with it. Superbly, Widevine is designed for mobile devices, and also works on desktops.

Pipon Solutions concur with buzz surrounding the industry, refering to Google's attempt to start providing premium content on their YouTube platform. This would be a direct competitive approach to Hulu, which already provide premium content. Premium content would provide YouTube with a better revenue stream in addition to their advertising based revenue.

Google Promotes Easy Access To Alcohol On The Web

Google has recently extended their advertising policy covering the promotion of hard alcohol and liquor. The policy was first introduced two years ago, allowing the promotion of branded hard alcohol and liquor.

The policy permitted ads promoting websites offering information about an alcohol or liquor brand, the  products or cocktail made with the products.

The latest policy now permits ads promoting websites selling hard alcholol and liquor online, ads directing users to retailers selling alcoholic products or featuring sales promotions on hard alcohol and liquor.

Now here at Pipon Solutions, we can't help by wonder how is this suppose to combat against underage drinking, especially here in the UK. The Licensing authorities, in charge of permitting the sell of alcohol in UK, have admitted of not having an effective approach to prevent alcohol being sold to minors on the internet. All is needed is a debit/credit card and the card holders address. However certain retailers' websites such as; ASDA and Tesco allow delivery of items in alternative addresses.

By allowing this policy Google could be accused of allowing easy access or worse baiting misuse of alcohol.
Their approach on preventing such as inevitable threats is to force advertisers, ads and websites to comply to certain restriction, which are mentioned on the Adwords Blogs entailing

 "...(but not limited to) not targeting minors, not implying that drinking alcohol provides certain advantages, and not showing inappropriate content". 

However, it is also mentioned that further restrictions apply in relation to the country being targeted.

Google explains the reason for changing the policy as a way "to help more advertisers use AdWords for the promotion of their products". From a marketing point of view, this does open a new market to target, and also acquisition of potential new clients.

However this could also potentially raise the debate on ethical advertising and marketing.

What do you think?

Ping Me, Write On My Wall, Message Me…Video Call Me?

Pipon Search Solutions utilizes various communicative channels to get a word to our client, or family and friends. The most used at the moment is Google Talk, Facebook, MSN but as some of our clients are international (also some of our friends and family) we also use Skype.

So on hearing the rekindled speculation rekindled that Facebook might integrate Skype on the platform seemed like an early Christmas presents. 
Last month Skype publicized a deep Facebook integration, which created speculation that Facebook might implement Skype video chat functionality within the social network platform; however nothing has been established…yet.

The rekindled assumption arose from a Facebook application developer, Tal Ater, who claim to have uncovered a “Video Chat object in Facebook’s code”
The application developer suggests that the code is possibly still at a testing stage, and could only be available to some users as it does not appear every time the page loads. He also describes the code as holding some properties similar to Skype and Skype user IDs.

If the speculation holds any truth, it could mean that Facebook plans to build its very own video chat feature, which would allow Facebook users to also video chat with Skype users without Facebook account from the social network’s platform.

However, claims of Skype codes on Facebook have been reported since 2009 and Facebook did respond to previous claims by confirmed that it was testing the feature, however it had no intention in launching it to its users.

The company’s business strategy and their latest messaging system, which both aim to connect all its users through a more seamless and synchronized communicative channel across multiple platforms, could potentially push Facebook to launch its Skype feature soon.