The Catalyst Code Blog takes our two-sided platform concepts to heart by bringing together contributors and readers to deliver thought-provoking fodder in the payments, web 2.0, loyalty, advertising, mobile and social networking spaces. We hope you’ll join the conversation.


To learn more, visit MarketPlatforms.com


 

 




Subscribe (RSS-feed)

Or subscribe via email:

  •  

    Contributors

  •  

    Related Publications

  • Author Archive for karen.webster Archive Page

    Verizon May Say No: Where Does This Leave Google Wallet?

    By: Karen Webster on December 9th, 2011

    Couldn’t resist the opportunity to weigh in, briefly, on the story that had the Web in an uproar yesterday. Seems as though Verizon may be giving Google the proverbial lump of coal a little early this year by saying ixnay to its Wallet. (Read Verizon’s latest statement.) Now, having the largest mobile operator in the […]

    Comments

    And Visions of Smartphones Dance in their Heads (and in the Stores)…

    By: Karen Webster on November 28th, 2011

    The holiday season is upon us. I know, wasn’t it just July? That aside, ‘tis the season of parties, gift buying and giving, holiday songs and TV and movie classics that put the meaning of the holiday season in the proper context. 
    And the holiday season wouldn’t be complete without at least one viewing of that […]

    Comments

    Is 2012 The Year Mobile Payments Take Off?

    By: Karen Webster on October 4th, 2011

    Mobile. Everywhere. Opportunity. Everywhere. This was the theme of the GigaOm Mobilize 2011 conference held one week ago in San Francisco. Over two days during 50 sessions, participants debated the impact of the mash-up of cloud computing and the mobile Web for driving new opportunities for everyone in mobile - certainly a familiar theme for […]

    Comments

    Handicapping PayPal and Google in the Mobile Transaction Platform Race

    By: Karen Webster on September 28th, 2011

    Over last two days, I handicapped PayPal and Google in their race with each other and potential players to grab a big share of the emerging mobile transaction platform ecosystem. Today, I’m going to share some final thoughts.
    One thing that I think that the Starbucks mobile experience has shown us is how willing consumers are […]

    Comment

    Handicapping Google in its Mobile Race with PayPal and Others

    By: Karen Webster on September 27th, 2011

    Yesterday, I gave my thoughts on what PayPal had going for it in its race to win or at least get bronze in the mobile transaction platform race. Here’s my take on Google.
    Consumers: There are a couple of important things to look at here. First, Google is the largest search engine on the planet, has […]

    Comments

    Groupon IPO Delay: Is a Strategic About-Face Next?

    By: Karen Webster on September 7th, 2011

    OK, having just written a little analysis on the deal space, I was feeling pretty prescient about the Groupon IPO delay story that popped up literally hours after my story was published on PYMNTS.com. No, it had nothing to do with Andrew Mason reading my piece and deciding they needed a strategic about face, but, […]

    Comments

    Drama in Deal-Land

    By: Karen Webster on September 6th, 2011

    Could it be that the bloom is off of the daily deal rose? The news out of daily deal land these last few weeks has been grim. It has made those last few lazy, hazy days of summer, well, a little crazy too, if you are in the deal business or thinking about getting into […]

    Comments

    Prof. Steve Jobs: Lessons from His Legacy for the Payments Sector

    By: Karen Webster on August 26th, 2011

    The resignation of Steve Jobs as Apple’s CEO has prompted a zillion articles on its impact on everything from Apple’s ability to continue to innovate to the future of the mobile industry. I don’t have much to add to that score. News of his resignation brought to mind two things, though, that might be new […]

    Comments

    From Search to Swipe… Google Does Cards

    By: Karen Webster on July 22nd, 2011

    So, I wonder how many payments industry hearts stopped beating yesterday morning when the news hit the wires that Google was issuing a credit card? Turns out that it was not THAT kind of credit card, but rather a small business financing tool that happens to be a plastic card carrying the MasterCard bug and […]

    Comments

    Dangers of Assuming Invincibility - Could Your Firm Go the Way of the Typewriter Makers?

    By: Karen Webster on June 29th, 2011

    There was a lot of great stuff that came out of the Payments Innovation Institute at Harvard last week but two anecdotes that have absolutely nothing to do with payments specifically, I think, provide some of the more thought provoking insights around the pitfalls and promise of innovation. See if you agree.
    The story of the […]

    Comments