Magento Mcommerce: Open For Business
It may not have caused a stir beyond ecommerce circles, but Magento has launched the world’s first mcommerce platform, which could open up the entire industry for good.
Some Background
Mcommerce is worth approximately $2.5 billion every year, but in the next five years, its value could reach $24 billion. Retailers all want a piece, and, for many, mobile apps are a must-have – but they’re expensive. An alternative is a mobile website, but this lacks stability, accessibility and can provide a substandard, cumbersome experience.
Now, however, Magento is enabling smaller retailers to build effective apps by tackling one of mcommerce’s biggest problems: fragmentation. iPhone or Android, BlackBerry or Windows Phone: too many platforms, too many confused customers.
What Does It Do?
Magento Mobile provides a user-friendly interface to create branded, customised retail apps that easily integrate with catalogues, finance (including PayPal) and inventory systems, all via a single platform.
For a monthly fee, Magento removes the complexity of supporting native apps by managing the platform, with a client-facing ‘Admin Manager’ module. While the final app might not be of the calibre of multinational giants like Amazon.com or Nike, it gets retailers’ products into consumers’ hands via a satisfying user experience.
So what’s needed to get started? Well, a smartphone helps. At present, Magento Mobile supports iPhone, but it’s set to expand across other platforms, including iPad and Android, later in the year. The Admin Manager module, for day-to-day access, supports open source CMS and mcommerce applications including Community Edition 1.3+, Professional 1.8+ and Enterprise 1.6+.
A Better Mcommerce Experience
Evidently, more consumers are using mobile shopping, but there’s been a delayed reaction from retailers. Magento Mobile, being the first to market, has found a niche, and as more retailers use it, its dominance will grow. But with less complexity and a more streamlined experience, the real winner will be mobile shoppers.
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