Updates: Google's Aggressiveness and MySpace's Last Hope

How would you feel if you were able to go to the grocery store, and purchase bread and milk by simply waving your mobile phone at the register? Cool, right? Well it may no longer be just an idea now that Google has joined in on the mobile payment service industry. After seeing the success that Starbucks has had with their system, Google has to decided to join in on the fun, and who's to blame them? With the amount of resources and exposure within their grasp, anything is possible with them. With the advances in technology in the recent years, it's no surprise that such ideas are being invented, and what better corporation than Google to join in on the fun?

Many merchants and consumers already use much of Google's technology, putting them in a good position to make a difference in the payment industry. Android's are one of the most popular phones used today, and if this new system is implemented, it would grow even larger and more lucrative to Google and their associates. Consumers would also be able to receive targeted ads, discount offers, and manage credit-card accounts all through their phone. The technology is also so advanced that there shouldn't be any concern over fraud and security

I wrote on my blog several weeks ago that MySpace's key to staying alive is to rely on the music industry. It seems someone was listening, and listen well they did. Their decision to stream live from the SXSW Music Fest was a brilliant thought out strategy. This is the path that they must take to be successful. Why stop at SXSW fest tho? Why not broadcast live from artists and bands from all over the world? Just think about all the people who would log on to listen to their favorite artist or DJ that resides halfway across the globe. The group Thursday views MySpace as an opportunity for their fans all around the world to listen to them live as they perform songs from their new upcoming album. If MySpace were able to get more major artists to do the same, they should have no problem receiving more traffic.


http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2010/tc20101231_087039.htm

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2011-03/28/c_13801313.htm

http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/2034298/myspace-player-woos-gen-sxsw-music-fest

http://www.pluginmusic.com/news/article/thursday-invite-fans-to-stream-no-devoluci-243-n

Groupon : The Future of Online Discounting Is Here!

In today's economy, everybody is looking to get the most out of their money. Whether it's comparing alternative sources , using sales and/or discounts, people try to get the maximum value out of their dollar. Don't expect that to change any time soon, and it's because of that reason, that Groupon has soared in value over the last two years, and is looking at a very bright and profitable future. Even when the economy is booming, smart consumers are always looking for ways to get the best deals possible, and that's one major reason why Groupon should have no problems being successful in the future.

In the past couple of months alone, Groupon has expanded into new markets and has more than doubled their previous amount of subscribers. (As reported here by Bloomberg) Since Groupon's decision last November to decline Google's $6 Billion dollar offer, the company has obtained over 70 million users and has added over 200 new markets. Also consider that in December 2008, Groupon had a mere 400 subscribers. The image above displays the revenues per month since January 2010. In January 2011, Groupon reported an estimated income of $88.9 million, that's eight times their profit just a year earlier. Talk about serious progress, and considering that the company is just a couple of years old, the sky could be the limit.

The fact that Groupon has grown incredibly large over such a short period of time would lead you to believe that today's social media network frenzy has played a huge role in it's success. It's never been easier for friends or family to share discounts with one another. The company has grown so large, that it was reported by the New York Times, that seven out of eight suggested possible deals by merchants have been turned down by Groupon. The fact that over 87% of suggested deals are declined shows how much demand their is to be listed on the website. As more people learn about Groupon, and actually use some of the discounts, the company will only grow larger and become more of a success. 

http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/23/groupon-u-s-revenues/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748704828104576021481410635432-lMyQjAxMTAwMDEwODExNDgyWj.html