IBM eases online shopping experience
By siliconindia   |   Thursday, 12 November 2009, 19:33 IST
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New York: IBM is introducing WebSphere Commerce 7, a new release e-commerce software that enhances the shopping experience for mobile consumers. The software incorporates new social networking capabilities and the ability for retailers to reach consumers with personalized promotions, coupons and other content, regardless of how or where the customer chooses to shop with them. Shoppers can even place orders online and pick up their merchandise at the closest store - which can be automatically mapped out for them on their mobile phone. With the new IBM technology, retailers can also instantly deliver timely, relevant and personalized brand information and promotions, based on past purchases, to a customer's mobile device through text messages or e-mail. Advancements in mobile devices are reshaping the way customers interact with brands, expanding beyond mere information exchange to true online commerce. Increasingly, the beneficiaries of this growth are online retailers. According to independent research firm Forrester, consumer retail sales from websites is projected to reach $211.7 billion by 2012 in the United States alone, up from $125.1 billion in 2007. According to IBM's Institute for Business Value, the number of mobile users will grow by 191 percent from 2006 to 2011 to reach approximately one billion users worldwide. These numbers are being driven by people in both industrialized as well as developing nations. Because broadband access remains difficult in many places, hand-held devices are often the only means of access to the Web. IBM's new software allows retailers to more effectively leverage the growing influence of online social networks, bringing brand and product discussions back to the retailer's site and converting them into transactions. For example, with one click a product review or blog post with a link back to the retailer's site can automatically be sent to Facebook or other social networking sites. Online sellers can augment their brand experience further with rich content that includes ratings and reviews and threaded discussions with photo sharing. Sam Ash, a leading retailer of musical instruments and DJ equipment, is using WebSphere Commerce to drive the customer's online experience, using it as a base to provide customer-provided ratings and reviews. "By using IBM's WebSphere Commerce, Sam Ash.com has been able to enhance the shopping experience in ways that we never believed were possible," said David Ash, CEO at Sam Ash.com. "We want to provide our online customers with more ways to research and virtually test drive our products online. Our site has proven that it resonates well with shoppers." The mobile and social commerce aspects are enhanced further through another new IBM capability called Cross-Channel Precision Marketing, which gives retailers the ability to understand customer buying behaviors and respond by delivering targeted promotions or other content instantly. "New sales channels and points of interaction now define and fragment the consumers' retail journey, forcing companies to change the way they market, build relationships and deliver brand value," said Beth Smith, Vice President of WebSphere at IBM. "WebSphere Commerce is designed to help retailers around the world execute marketing campaigns and build rich customer relationships that span sales channels and interaction models." IBM WebSphere Commerce 7 is immediately available starting at about $30,000 for 100 Processor Value Units (PVUs).

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