MobileWebsiteWatch

While m-commerce continues to grow in many areas, tickets is probably the fastest moving and the easiest

for people to grasp and adopt. In the USA, tickets for movies, travel and performances are more and more commonplace on mobile. On Nov 12th, Tickets.com made a major step that gives it a serious competitive edge over even big competitors like Ticketmaster by offering it new service, ProVenueMobile.

ProVenueMobile is really the mobile version of tickets.com regular site. It is the 1st full complete mobile web commerce solution of its kind, that allows the user to fully complete the ticket purchase transaction from the mobile web, and does not require any click-to-call or telephone use. This is not only a major convenience and time saver for the user, but also a big cost saver for tickets.com, relieveing the need for 24/7 phone sales staff. Tickets.com notes to the press:

“We are excited about this technology, and view it as a major breakthrough for our company and for our clients,” said Larry Witherspoon, CEO, Tickets.com. “Staying ahead of the curve through industry-leading innovation, as well as delivering unparalleled customer support, is our chief mission. Offering this versatile and convenient mobile platform gives Tickets.com the opportunity to reach new milestones in both areas. We are delighted to be able to introduce a green, paperless technology into the marketplace. In early 2009 we look forward to offering website mobilization services to our clients.”

By extending the functionality and services of Tickets.com — including full e-commerce — to the mobile web platform http://mobile.tickets.com, full- circle ticket purchases can be made 24/7 on any handheld mobile device. Missing an on-sale time, waiting in line and being put on hold will be things of the past. The Usablenet Mobile-supported site integrates seamlessly with all web-enabled devices from smart phones (Blackberry, iPhone, Treo, etc.) to basic cell phones with web access. It supports all browsers, file formats, carriers and other technologies, so that Tickets.com customers can shop for and purchase tickets from anywhere, anytime.

The ticketing boom is not only limited to concert and movie tickets. Most major airlines now not only offer full mobile sites, but are extending mobile boarding pass functionality to thier passengers. This technology, being implemented at airlines like American Airlines and Northwest Airlines allows mobile users to use their phone as their boarding pass without any special software or hardware and regardless of what carrier they are using.

With mobile on the rise to buy more and more things, any company not allowing its customers to access them on the device they have on them at all times and look at the most for both personal and business purposes is outright loosing ground.

A new study released by Juniper Research reveals that the global market for physical and digital goods purchased directly on mobile phones is growing at an alarming rate. The total value of mobile transaction is, at present, estimated to exceed $300 billion inside of 5 years. This represents an increase of more than 5 times the current volume.

Clearly, this points to some very large opportunities for companies. The study notes that by getting into the mobile game sooner rather than later, vendors can reap significant early bird rewards. Companies that can offer the features and functionality available on their websites to mobile users immediately will gain growing market share and avoid the rising barrier to entry as the market is complicated by multiple technologies and competitors that will sap loyal customers.

Some of the highlights of the paper include:

• Global annual gross transaction value will grow over 5 times by 2013

• The ticketing segment will be driven by consumer usage on rail, air and bus networks as well as sports and entertainment events This will represent over 40% of the global transaction value by 2013

Report author Howard Wilcox noted:

“Merchants in North America and Western Europe are just starting to realise the potential of a mobile web presence as a fourth channel to market. Retailers should be evaluating the benefits of the mobile web, and…they need to move quickly to exploit the opportunity presented, and ensure that they maintain ease of use for their customers who are already familiar with web shopping from their PCs.”

The full report is available on Juniper’s website for the low price of $3,440 for a single license.