IWS Featured on Business News Network (BNN)
International Wastewater Systems (IWS:CSE) Featured on Business News Network (BNN)
– Momentum Public Relations –
IWS was selected to be featured in an episode of Business Television (BTV) that will air on Canadian cable television on the Business News Network (BNN) and on U.S. cable television on the Biz Television Network.
|
Here’s your early access to the clip now:
http://video.b-tv.com/previews/uKxbtt8o-oN97cVjN
About International Wastewater Systems Inc.
International Wastewater Systems Inc. is a world leader in thermal heat recovery. IWS systems recycle thermal energy from wastewater, generating the most energy efficient and economical systems for heating, cooling & hot water for commercial, residential and industrial buildings. IWS is publicly traded in Canada (CSE: IWS), the United States (OTC: INTWF) and Germany (Frankfurt: IWI). For more: www.sewageheatrecovery.com/
- Published in Blog, Green Technology, International Wastewater Systems, News Home, Technology
MOBI724 (MOS:CSE) at the vanguard of payments and coupon revolution
MOBI724 at the Vanguard of Payments and CouponRevolution
Original Posted by ProactiveInvestors
Card-linked technology is transformative for credit card points programs, the firm said
We all know that shopping isn’t what it used to be since the arrival of smartphones and e-commerce.
What you might not be aware of is that the payments, promotions and coupon landscape is also undergoing a seismic shift due to emerging technology.
At the vanguard of this revolution is rapidly growing fintech (financial technology) company MOBI724 Global Solutions Inc. (CSE:MOS), which provides consumer services that weren’t available as recently as two years ago and is participating in an expanding global market that this year has an estimated worth of $10 billion.
Specialising in card payments
The company specialises in card payments and its core business, explained Chief Executive Officer Marcel Vienneau, is its card-linked platform, which when combined with digital marketing represents a new ecosystem allowing banks, merchants and customers to transact more efficiently with each other.
Card-linked technology is transformative for credit card points programs, and in addition enables card users to receive a tailored stream of offers and promotions on their smart devices.
To give a sense of scale, the company’s website says there will be just over 1 billion mobile coupon users by 2019, up from just under 560 million this year.
MOBI724 also offers digital payments solutions.
“This type of technology simply didn’t exist two years ago,” said Vienneau. “We are selling our solutions primarily to card issuers or banks in different countries,” he adds, pointing out that the company has customers in Canada, Asia Pacific and Latin America. In the Canadian market alone it has 400 customers.
“Most banks, anywhere in the world, have points programs where they issue points when you spend with their cards. Most of these cards enable customers to redeem points and get a reward,” he said.
Reinventing the technology
Perhaps the most significant aspect of MOBI724’s technology is that it has reinvented a clumsy, 20-year-old cost and payment structure, and thereby helps banks to make more money from card transactions.
Vienneau offers some examples of how the system worked in the past and how MOBI724’s better approach makes a difference.
A credit card customer has been awarded 25,000 points for using his or her card and can therefore buy a product with a $250 gift card. The card-issuing bank bears the cost of producing a rewards catalogue and the shipping costs of any product bought.
Now, say that a customer goes to an actual store and wants to buy a gift for $400 and include the $250 gift card value as partial payment. The current system is disjointed and the balance can be made up from cash, or another credit card, which might not be linked to the points system. Obviously, the customer doesn’t get the benefit of gaining more points.
MOBI724 simplifies the process by bringing all the strands together. It links the credit card, which issued the points, with the gift card. A customer can make a payment with an app and it both acknowledges that the gift card has been used and applies the balance owing to the credit card that earns points.
Similarly, when someone is in a store MOBI724 can send a coupon based on location or the customer’s profile, then the coupon can be used moments later at the cash register. The system can also send offers directly to a smartphone at any time, regardless of whether the shopper happens to be at a store or not.
In the preceding case of the $400 purchase, the bank charges a percentage of the transaction value when the points are redeemed, and so does MOBI724. The bank also wins by avoiding the necessity of having to pay for catalogues and product shipping.
“This is a new way to transfer a cost structure into a revenue-driven model, and it is seamless for the user and the bank,” said Vienneau.
It also taps into the way people engage with their banks and financial institutions nowadays – namely, instead of going into branches and using ATMs, people are putting “plastic into phones” and want more personalised interaction.
“Banks are losing their branding abilities but this gives them more channel opportunities,” Vienneau explained.
MOBI724 has invested considerably in its “business intelligence” capabilities, which allow it to map out people’s past purchases, social media interests and other distinguishing characteristics so that it can target them with specific coupons and offers.
“We are not just throwing everything at them,” said Vienneau.
The digital marketing aspect of MOBI724’s technology should also be of interest to advertisers, he points out, as it reveals consumer spending habits and other tendencies.
To that end, the company has struck strategic alliances with several agencies to help further grow the business.
Sales projected to reach $2.75mln for 2016
And growing it certainly is. Two years ago,annual revenue at MOBI724 was just over $100,000, and last year came in at $450,000. For 2016, sales are projected to reach $2.75 million.
Vienneau, a tech entrepreneur who became Chief Executive Officer when the group listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange in February 2015, expects to double revenue in 2017, along with crossing the line into positive EBITDA territory around mid-year.
In the next 36 months, the aim is to have $50 million in annual revenue and an expanding sales pipeline.
Vienneau designed the card-linked technology himself, planning the concept on a single sheet of paper four years ago.
The digital coupon market is projected to be worth $50 billion in the next three years and he reckons MOBI724 is well positioned to win a meaningful piece of this.
The group already has a respected backer in the form of institutional investor Fidelity, which has been involved in four rounds of funding, the latest for a $1.5 million convertible debenture.
MOBI724 announced plans to raise $5 million in July, around half of which has already been obtained. The money will be used to drive growth, as the research and development phase is over and the various technology solutions are fully functional.
Significantly, MOBI724 owns all the intellectual property supporting its platform and has a patent pending.
Vienneau reckons that at a market cap of approximately $5 million, or around twice projected 2016 revenue, the share price offers good value to new investors. “The challenge for us is to go out there and tell our story,” he said. “In time, this should lead to the market understanding our huge potential.”
View Original – http://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/169469/mobi724-at-the-vanguard-of-payments-and-coupon-revolution-169469.html
- Published in Blog, Financial Technology, Mobi724 Global Solutions, Mobile Technology, Technology
Which States are Most Likely to Legalize Cannabis in 2016?
Which States are Most Likely to Legalize Cannabis in 2016?
Lisa Rough – Leafy
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/what-states-are-most-likely-to-legalize-in-2016
Our 2016 Predictions for Legalization of Cannabis in the U.S.
Cannabis supporters are looking towards November of 2016 with great anticipation. With the presidential election looming, there is guaranteed to be a massive voter turnout and the initiatives that are poised to include legalization of cannabis on the 2016 ballot stand a chance to make some big changes. But which states are most likely to legalize next? Here is what we think for 2016.
Cannabis Legalization is Almost a Sure Thing
NEVADA
If you’re searching for a sure bet, look no further than Nevada. It may have taken this state a while to legalize medical marijuana, but now that it’s on that path to legalization of recreational cannabis, it’s not stopping ‘til the end.Nevada’s was the first state campaign to officially gather the required number of signatures to qualify for the 2016 ballot, submitting 170,000 signatures last December. That’s about 60,000 more signatures than the 101,667 signatures needed, and nearly two years early. Nevada’s already opened a successfulmedical marijuana program that allows reciprocity without any issues. With any luck, it’s locked in on recreational and won’t stop until next November.
CALIFORNIA
One would think that California has a better chance than Nevada at legalization, considering that the state was one of the first to legalize medical marijuana back in 1996. The problem with California was the complete and total lack of statewide regulations to help keep its medical marijuana system in check. Without regulations, Cali’s cannabis scene exploded like the Wild West, causing friction within the city and county jurisdictions that tried to reign it in.
Luckily, Governor Jerry Brown signed three pieces of legislation this year as part of a broad initiative to quickly regulate the medical market before the big push for legalization. Although there are as many as 16 potential recreational measures, the one that seems to be the front runner is known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, which is endorsed by Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom and several major cannabis advocacy groups.
ARIZONA
Arizona may seem like a logical next state in line to legalize, but it’s got a long road ahead in the fight for legalization. When Arizona voted to legalize medical marijuana in 2010, the initiative won by a measly 4,000 votes, which does not bode well for the state’s recreational legalization initiative, the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona. Furthermore, the campaign has already faced some controversy over advertising efforts.
The latest polling from Arizona State University showed that 49 percent of the state supports legalization, while 51 percent oppose. A previous poll from June indicated that 53 percent support legalization, which shows just how wide the margin of error can be and just how close the 2016 race will likely end up. Looks like Arizona will get down to the wire — every vote will count!
MAINE
Maine has one of the best, most stable medical marijuana programs in the country. It offers a limited number of medical marijuana dispensaries (that cater to out-of-state patients, too!), but Maine’s caregiver program is so robust that dispensaries are less of a necessity and more of an obligation to meet patients’ needs.
Not only that, but on a lower jurisdiction level, cities in Maine have already taken it upon themselves to attempt to legalize on a smaller scale. Portland, South Portland, and Lewiston all attempted to legalize the possession and use of cannabis by adults, and although Portland’s initiative passed with flying colors, the idea was not popular with local authorities. Seems like a sure thing, right?
The state’s legalization initiative, the Marijuana Legalization Act, which would allow anyone over the age of 21 to legally possess up to 2 ½ ounces and grow up to 12 plants for personal use, nearly took a massive blow when the Secretary of State only accepted 51,543 of the 99,299 signatures submitted in support of the initiative, due to a discrepancy in one particular notary’s signature. However, a legal challenge from the organizers forced the Secretary of State to reconsider and accept 11,305 of the 21,797 rejected signatures. This brought the total submitted signatures to 62,848, just over the 61,123 signatures needed to qualify for the November ballot.
Legalization in Maine? Stay tuned!
Fingers Crossed for Cannabis Legalization
CONNECTICUT
Connecticut took the plunge for medical marijuana in 2012, and a year after its first dispensaries opened, its program was running smoothly with a patient base of 6,700 registrants and six state-licensed dispensaries. Not only that, but a poll from the University of New Haven found residents overwhelming support cannabis, with 56 percent polled saying they agreed that legalizing marijuana would have a positive impact on Connecticut’s economy. There were two legalization initiatives considered during the 2015 legislative session that stalled eventually, and Connecticut cops are already preparing for legalization as an inevitability, so the real question is will 2016 be the year it happens?
MICHIGAN
Michigan legalized medical marijuana in 2008, but its relationship with cannabis is strained at best. State legislators go back and forth nearly every session restricting and loosening cannabis laws, even going so far as to outlaw medical dispensaries, essentially forcing business owners to continue operating at risk of prosecution. Additionally, patients in Michigan have dubious legal protection, facing criminal charges for edibles or hash oils due to an oversight in the language of the law.
However, one might argue that Michigan’s muddy cannabis climate has created an environment that is ripe for change. There have been efforts to revise the state’s medical marijuana law, including a bill under consideration right now that would re-legalize medical dispensaries. Several groups have also been trying to make change happen. The Michigan Cannabis Coalitioncreated a legalization initiative but it has not gained traction in several months, while the group MI Legalize is currently on track to collect 252,000 signatures before the June deadline in order to qualify for the 2016 ballot. You can find a location to sign MILegalize’s petition here. May the strongest initiative win!
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island is an example of a successful medical marijuana program withreciprocity for out-of-state certified patients, but does it have what it takes to legalize? A poll by Marijuana Policy Project from April 2015 shows some promising numbers, with 57 percent of respondents saying that they would support legalizing marijuana to be regulated like alcohol. Not only that, but Rhode Island also took the prize of highest consumption rate for cannabis two years running, no small feat for the unassuming, 1200-square-mile state.Regulate Rhode Island, the state’s legalization leader, pushed unsuccessfully for 2015 legislation and is ready for its fight to carry over into the next year.
Probably Not Legalizing Cannabis in 2016
DELAWARE
Delaware is certainly a curious case for cannabis. Although the state is slightly larger than Rhode Island, when drafting its medical marijuana program, the state health department restricted the number of dispensaries and now, four years after medical marijuana became legal, there is only one dispensary operating to serve the entire state. Admittedly, there are only 700 patients registered, with requests for other dispensaries to open in other counties, and the program has had nothing but positive feedback, particularly regarding the lack of tax and low-income discounts available.
Earlier this year, Delaware Governor Jack Markell went a step further in decriminalizing the possession of cannabis for personal use. As a result, although there has been a lot of talk about possible legalization in the state, the cannabis decriminalization was enough to appease the masses for now.
MARYLAND
Ah, Maryland, home of “The Wire,” delicious blue crabs, and, coming soon to a county near you, medical marijuana dispensaries. Maryland Governor and Democratic candidate Martin O’Malley played the good guy bydecriminalizing the possession of small amounts of cannabis, and he’s been an instrumental part of implementing the state’s emerging medical marijuana market, which is slated to be quite extensive. All told, there will be nearly 100 dispensary licenses issued, along with 15 cultivator licenses, upping the ante for Maryland to become a major contender jumping into the MMJ realm.
The question now is whether or not Maryland is ready to contend with recreational cannabis yet. Earlier this year, state lawmakers introduced the Marijuana Control and Revenue Act of 2015, a pair of companion bills in the House and Senate, but there hasn’t been any action on them since October. A March 2015 poll puts support for legalization at 52 percent, but it would probably be wise to work out the kinks of a functioning medical program before opening up a new can of worms with recreational legalization.
MASSACHUSETTS
Oh, Massachusetts, we had such high hopes for you. Along with 13,000 medical marijuana patients, we watched the Massachusetts Department of Health bungle the licensing process, the lawsuits that followed, and the realization that your own criteria for selecting distributors was literally impossible for organizations to meet.
Well, the Bay State might be down, but it’s not out. There’s solid support for legalization, showing 53 percent of respondents from early 2014 saying they favor legalizing cannabis. With two competing legalization measures, The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Massachusetts submitted more than the required 64,750 voter signatures, while a countermeasure from Bay State Repeal was still scrambling to garner support.
NEW YORK
The Empire State has been under the microscope since passing legislation to legalize the production of medical cannabis, and everyone’s been waiting and watching as the program has slowly developed. New York has chosen the five producers to cultivate medical marijuana and sales are scheduled to begin in January, but the success or failings of an emerging medical marijuana market could be a defining predictor as to whether the state will be able to follow through with an additional push for recreational cannabis.
With that being said, Senator Liz Krueger (D-NY), cosponsor and author of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, will continue to push for an end to prohibition in New York. Does it have a chance? Yes, but a slim one.
MISSOURI
Missouri is the last on our list for a reason. While most of these states have a fighting chance due to support, emerging medical marijuana programs, or cannabis-friendly politicians, the sad truth is that Missouri is sorely lacking in all of those things. Okay, that’s not entirely true. Missouri was able to pass a cannabis extract law for epilepsy and seizure patients whose symptoms are resistant to conventional treatment. The Missouri Department of Agriculture even issued licenses for two non-profit organizations, BeLeaf and Noah’s Arc, to produce low-THC cannabis oil. It’s not quite a patient-accessible statewide system of medical dispensaries, but it’s definitely a big step for the Midwestern state.
With that in mind, it’s fairly implausible that Missouri will be able to successfully transition from a severely limited CBD program to full recreational legalization. Maybe someday, but for now, the Show-Me State can show us stronger support than just 36 percent in favor of legalization. Do I sense, perhaps, an expanded medical marijuana program in Missouri’s future?
VERMONT
Vermont’s legalization seemed all but a sure thing. Governor Peter Schumlin had been watching Colorado very closely, even going so far as to organize meetings on the logistics of legalizing cannabis for recreational purposes from a regulatory perspective.
With a February 2015 poll registering 54 percent of Vermonters in support of legalization, the possibility of legalization being pushed through the Vermont legislature seemed imminent, but, alas, when it comes to cannabis, never count your chickens before they’ve hatched.
Support from the current and former Attorney General, and Governor Shumlin’s promise to sign the bill shows that even with the backing of the highest officials in the state, a legislative measure can still fail. S.241 passed through the Senate, but died during a vote from the House. Legalization will have to wait for the Green Mountain State.
View Original: https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/what-states-are-most-likely-to-legalize-in-2016
- Published in Blog, Nutraceutical
Gold is likely to rise regardless who is elected U.S. President
Why Gold will rise no matter who becomes the next U.S. President
Published on MarketWatch: Oct 19, 2016 5:58 a.m. ET
By: Myra P. Saefong – Markets/commodities reporter
Sustained rise for gold if Trump wins, shorter climb if Clinton wins: analyst
Gold bulls might win either way.
Gold prices have enjoyed a hefty climb so far this year as the market continues to guess the pace and timing of the next U.S. interest-rate hike, but the battle for the U.S. presidency is set to take center stage as Election Day nears.
And it doesn’t matter if Republican Party nominee Donald Trump or Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton moves on to be the next president of the United States—gold is likely to come out a winner, George Milling-Stanley, head of gold investment strategy at State Street Global Advisors, told MarketWatch.
“I would look for a sustained rise if Trump is elected, with perhaps a gain of shorter duration if Clinton is victorious,” he said.
“There can be little doubt that a Trump victory would be disruptive in both political and economic terms, given that this is what the candidate has promised,” he said. “I would expect gold prices to head higher on increased safe-haven buying in the event of a Trump victory.”
Trump has promised sweeping tax cuts and a large jump in infrastructure spending, arguing that the plan would create millions of new jobs. Clinton has called for tax hikes on the wealthy. She’s also called for closing corporate tax loopholes and other reforms that would help pay for an infrastructure spending plan of her own.
‘I would look for a sustained rise if Trump is elected, with perhaps a gain of shorter duration if Clinton is victorious.’
George Milling-Stanley, State Street Global Advisors
But gold prices are likely to climb even if opponent Clinton wins the presidency, said Milling-Stanley.
Gold probably wouldn’t see quite as dramatic a rise in the event of a Clinton win, compared with Trump, but Clinton as president is expected to have inflationary implications, which would imply higher gold prices as well, he said. Gold is often used as a hedge against inflation.
“There is little detail available over [Clinton’s] plans for increased spending on infrastructure, but that could be a factor in raising the rate of inflation,” said Milling-Stanley.
Still, the presidential election is likely a temporary distraction.
Milling-Stanley said interest rates will remain the gold market’s primary focus.
So far, “I have not seen convincing evidence of any significant moves in the gold price contingent on developments in the presidential election campaigns, and I would expect that to continue,” he said. “Shifts in the financial markets’ interpretation of whether new comments from FOMC members should be seen as hawkish or dovish look likely to continue to dominate.”
Gold is much more “responsive to interest-rate concerns, than to presidential politics,” ensuring further volatility for gold and financial markets across the board, he said.
And given the current climate of uncertainty, Milling-Stanley said he does “not see a lot of downside risk for gold.”
December gold futures GCZ6, -0.09{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} settled at $1,262.90 an ounce on Tuesday. The precious metal is up roughly 19{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} year to date, leaving it on track to break a three-year streak of annual losses.
Once the Federal Open Market Committee actually raises rates, Milling-Stanley expects the U.S. dollar DXY, +0.43{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} to decline and gold to rise—which is what happened when 25-basis-point rate increase was announced in December of 2015.
“Movements in the dollar look very much to me like a repeat of the ‘buy the rumor, sell the news’ activity we saw last November and December,” he said.
View Original on MarketWatch
- Published in Blog
IWS in Scotland: A Billion Dollar Opportunity
IWS in Scotland: A Billion Dollar Opportunity
Published by RockStone Research October 17, 2016
View Original: Here
Last Friday, International Wastewater Systems Inc. (“IWS”) has announced a strategic alliance with Scottish Water Horizons Ltd., the commercial subsidiary of Scottish Water, a public water utility owned 100{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} by the Scottish Government.
Also on Friday, Scotland’s national newspaper The Herald called IWS “a Canadian renewables giant”. From a strict market capitalization perspective (currently at $44 million CAD), IWS is not really a “giant” (yet), but let´s take a look at the market potential as Scottish Water Horizons has estimated that up to 750 SHARC systems are needed to be installed to enable Scotland to achieve its carbon savings targets by 2020.
One SHARC system has already been installed successfully at the Borders College in Scotland, at costs estimated at $1.7 million CAD. If 750 such systems are to be installed in Scotland within the next 4 years, the market potential for IWS translates into a massive $1.3 billion CAD opportunity. This figure excludes any potential revenue sharing and cash distributions between IWS and Scottish Water from the heat and energy sales agreements that can be generated from such projects, which typically run for >20 years. The Borders College project has a revenue sharing agreement in place whereby IWS earns its share of revenue from heat sales to Borders College over the life of the project.
The IWS press-release disclosed that Scottish Water Horizons and IWS have collaborated for over 2 years, resulting in an identified pipeline of projects valued at £20 million GBP ($32.4 million CAD). From this it’s clear that Scottish Water Horizons and IWS are already executing against their ambitious goal of 750 SHARC systems; this is not simply a ‘blue sky’ target.
IWS may be a growth stage company but it’s already executing a >$1 billion dollar mandate with a world-class, national water utility in Scottish Water. And Scotland is only one, relatively small market (population of 5.3 million) when considering the global potential for the IWS technology.
In August 2016, IWS announced a $80 million CAD joint venture with RENEW Energy Partners LLC, a US-based clean energy developer and funding company committed to finance capital expenditures for 1,000 PIRANHA systems from IWS to be installed in California. Therefore, a single PIRANHA system installation averages about $80,000 CAD.
PIRANHA is a small, self-contained water heating system with a capacity of up to 100 kW, designed to be an easy to install “plug and play” system for commercial and 50-200 unit residential applications.
SHARC is a large, custom-designed water heating and space conditioning system with a capacity of 440-880 kW (source), which can be scaled to serve large district heating networks by adding multiple SHARCs. SHARC installations are individually designed and engineered for industrial, commercial and >200 unit residential applications. Thus, the price for a single SHARC system is much higher than a PIRANHA (also due to customized engineering on site), whereas the PIRANHA module can be shipped in a container to be installed easily on site with less engineering.
Federal and state grants totalling $1.3 million USD (1.7 million CAD) were made available to install a single SHARC system at the Camden Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant in New Jersey, USA (source):
Susan Rice, Chair of Scottish Water, gave the following statement in the company´s Annual Report and Accounts 2015/2016:
“In 2015/16, we also commenced a 6 year, £3.5 billion investment programme which will see further improvements to water and waste water infrastructure around Scotland, improving drinking water quality, enhancing the environment and supporting jobs in the Scottish economy.”
Rockstone is looking forward to the release of further information from IWS and its alliance with Scottish Water Horizons, as they continue to execute on a billion dollar opportunity in Scotland over the next few years, which indeed would make IWS “a renewables giant” in due course.
Disclaimer: IWS has not reviewed this content prior to publication and may not agree to the statements made herein. Please read the full disclaimer here.
- Published in Blog, Green Technology, International Wastewater Systems
The Many Pros of Mobile Couponing
The Many Pros of Mobile Couponing
– Momentum Public Relations –
Gone are the days of sitting down, browsing the newspaper for weekly deals and daily coupons. Over the past few years, the weekly coupon cutting has been replaced with online daily deals, loyalty cards and digital coupon apps. In fact, in the United States alone, 103 million adults used digital coupons online. This represents 52{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} of the population, with numbers only expected to grow within in upcoming years.
Mobile coupons have also grown in popularity over the last few years, and have benefitted companies who can now add deals and coupons in Apple’s passbook and through other mobile apps. This allow consumers to browse deals from brick and mortar stores, credit card in hand, rather than at home in front of their computers. Interestingly enough, 47{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} of consumers would like to receive promotions and coupons on their devices when they are in or near retailers. Consumers carry their mobile phone wherever they go, using it as a main organizational tool in their lives. Knowing this, mobile coupons offer many advantages, even when compared to their digital counterparts.
For one, mobile couponing is mutually beneficial to both the consumer and the retailer. While consumers can view deals while in-store, saving them both time and money, the underlying technology allows merchants and retailers to measure real-time data on consumer purchases and buying habits, not to mention ROI. This information is vital in order to provide consumers with targeted discounts and coupons, which in turn creates more brand loyalty. We now see top retailers like Sephora, Target and even Starbucks offer coupons, conveniently accessible on a consumer’s smartphone. Retailers can also use special geo-targeting and proximity to end-user to ensure the most relevant ads are sent to certain consumers – they hit at the highest moment of impact, when the consumer can smell the fresh baked bread standing right outside the store.
Mobile coupons are also much more convenient over the traditional paper coupons – it’s much easier to show a barcode than to carry around countless pieces of paper, scurrying to find a relevant one at the cash register. As mentioned, consumers no longer need to browse weekly flyers and spend time cutting out relevant coupons. Because of the technology, companies can also send reminders to use mobile coupons, rather than leaving it up to the consumer to redeem.
Certain tech companies like Mobi724 Global Solutions have taken mobile couponing to the next level by allowing for the streamlining of mobile deals and couponing into what they call smart transactions. They allow the consumer to link all of their coupons and loyalty programs onto one banking card in order to benefit from a wide variety of discounts without even having to scan a barcode. With this technology, consumers can pick their interests and Mobi will find and link all relevant coupons to a credit or debit cards. This allows consumers the convenience of having to carry only one card, and to pick out areas of interest so that their deals are especially relevant. Using this smart transaction technology allows companies to target their coupons and advertising to the right consumers all while building brand loyalty and better customer relations. If there’s one thing the consumer has become less tolerant to through mobile couponing, it’s irrelevant advertising that is more difficult to ignore than through more traditional paper and digital couponing. This service also benefits the banks by ensuring constant use of the same bankcard on which the savings, thus ensuring better customer loyalty.
Statistically, mobile coupon users have higher household incomes, are better educated, shop more frequently than users of paper coupons. There will also be an estimated 1.05 billion mobile coupon users by the year 2019. These numbers show that smart transaction technology like Mobi’s will become increasingly popular, not to mention relevant. By offering targeted advertising, companies and larger retailers can create better relationships with their consumers and in turn, maximize their profits.
MOBI724 Global Solutions Inc. (CSE:MOS), a leader in the Fintech industry based in Montreal (Canada), offers a unique and fully integrated suite of Payment & Digital Marketing solutions. They are innovating in our market with a combined EMV Payment, Card Linked Offers, and Digital Marketing platform that works on any card and any mobile device. We pioneered in adding intelligence to all types of transactions benefiting banks, retailers and cardholders.
For more information on Mobi724 please visit: www.mobi724globalsolutions.com
- Published in Blog, Financial Technology, Mobi724 Global Solutions, Mobile Technology, Technology
Study: Mobile shopping and purchasing have become the norm worldwide
Study: Mobile shopping and purchasing have become the norm worldwide
Mobile Payments Today
http://www.mobilepaymentstoday.com/news/study-mobile-shopping-and-purchasing-have-become-the-norm-worldwide/
Mobile shopping and purchasing have become the norm across the globe as 75 percent of smartphone and tablet users said they have purchased a product or service on their devices in the past six months, according to new report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
The study, Mobile Commerce: A Global Perspective, is an in-depth survey of mobile users from 19 countries around the world, according to a press release about the report.
Among these recent mobile purchasers, nearly a quarter (23 percent) buy on mobile devices on a weekly basis. Mobile purchasers in Turkey and China report the greatest percentage of their total monthly purchases on smartphones or tablets (44 percent and 42 percent, respectively). Those in the U.K., Singapore, and Australia say they make a third or more of purchases on mobile screens.
Overall, 57 percent of the mobile purchasers surveyed say that they have been buying on mobile for over a year. More than a quarter (28 percent) made their first mobile purchase in the last six months. Austria, Peru, and Colombia are key new adopter markets, with significantly more consumers making their first purchase on mobile within the past year, followed by Mexico, France, Turkey, and Chile.
The mobile shopping experience, enhanced by the combination of convenience, time saving, and price, won high marks from the majority (80 percent) of those polled. Sixty-two percent plan to purchase more products and services via their smartphone or tablet in the next six months. Mobile purchasers in the U.K., Brazil, France, Ireland, and Peru expressed the greatest propensity for increasing their mobile shopping activities.
Seventy-six percent of mobile purchasers said that they had engaged with a mobile ad in the last six months. On average, 33 percent clicked on the ad to find out more information, while 28 percent clicked to visit the advertisers’ websites, and 21 percent clicked to purchase. Brazil, Canada, Colombia, the U.K., and the U.S. reported the highest levels of clicking to purchase.
Social media plays an important role. Sixty percent of mobile purchasers from around the world saying they often discover products and services to buy on social platforms. More than one-third (36 percent) of mobile purchasers leverage social media to share their mobile purchase experience.
“Pressing the ‘buy’ button on mobile devices is now a regular occurrence the world over,” said Anna Bager, senior vice president of mobile and video at IAB. “Marketers and media agencies need to fully embrace smartphones and tablets as a critical pathway for all shopping activities and increase investment if they want to build meaningful relationships with mobile consumers, driving them from discovery to purchase.”
View Original: http://www.mobilepaymentstoday.com/news/study-mobile-shopping-and-purchasing-have-become-the-norm-worldwide/
- Published in Blog, Business, Financial Technology, Mobile Technology, Technology
Precious metals, nickel, zinc likely to outperform over next 2 years — analysts
Image by Sam Valadi | Flickr | Creative Commons.
Precious metals, nickel, zinc likely to outperform over next 2 years — analysts
Cecilia Jamasmie – Mining.com
http://www.mining.com/precious-metals-nickel-zinc-likely-to-outperform-over-next-2-years-analysts/
Despite some ups and down, 2016 has been a good year for commodities. By June, prices of most metals and minerals were very close to enter into bull market territory (defined by a 20{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} increase from previous lows), rebounding from their lowest in at least 25 years.
And while some raw materials have lost some of those gains since the Brexit vote, analysts such as those at Macquarie Bank believe the upward trend is here to stay. What’s more, they expect most commodities to either stabilize or increase over the next 12-24 months.
“We have seen a shift to the right for many, with inventories now starting to draw,” Macquarie Bank’s commodity research team writes.
Commodities to lead the pack in the short term, the note adds, are alumina, nickel and cobalt. But when talking about a longer-term outlook, the analysts place their bet on gold, silver, zinc, nickel, chrome and US natural gas.
They are not as optimistic when it comes to potash, aluminum, steel and LNG, as the bank believes those commodities will continue face challenges over the next two years.
Macquarie is not alone in forecasting better times ahead. Barclays’ commodities research team also released a note midweek warning that, despite a likely fourth-quarter weakness coming up, commodities will regain strength in coming months.
Factors that support such believe, FT.com reported, include improving economic conditions in Asian markets and a weakening US dollar.
The article also said the bank cited a reduced emphasis on monetary policy, which could see governments use more fiscal expenditure to boost growth in the form of commodity-using infrastructure projects.
A third factor boosting commodity prices, according to Barclays, is investors’ increasing confidence, with cash flows into commodity funds totalled roughly $55 billion from January to August, beating the previous record for the same period in 2009.
View Original: http://www.mining.com/precious-metals-nickel-zinc-likely-to-outperform-over-next-2-years-analysts/
Rare metals expert predicts North American shortage of lithium for EVs
Rare metals expert predicts North American shortage of lithium for EVs
Andrew Topf – Mining.com
http://www.mining.com/rare-metals-expert-predicts-north-american-shortage-lithium-evs/
The amount of lithium being produced in North America will not be enough to meet the growing demand for electrical vehicles, but the problem could be alleviated through recycling, a renowned authority on specialty metals said in a recent teaser video for his upcoming presentation at the Mines and Money show in Toronto.
Jack Lifton, senior editor for InvestorIntel Corp. and a consultant, author, and lecturer on technology metals such as cobalt, lithium and graphite, says he is perplexed as to why, when lithium-ion batteries have reached end of life, more are not recycled instead of landfilled. According to an article written by Palladium Energy, the U.S. EPA considers lithium-ion batteries “safe” for disposal in contrast to nickel-cadmium and lead-based battery products.
“We don’t produce enough lithium, cobalt or spherical graphite in North America to make even a fraction of the vehicles Mr. Musk tells us he’s going to be making by 2018”
The article notes the low economic gains to be made from lithium battery recycling, with the scrap value of lithium at least one-tenth of the value of lead.
Another article by Waste Management World acknowledges that electrical vehicle-makers would like to re-use lithium from recycled batteries, but contends that:
[It] does not make any economic sense to recycle the batteries. Batteries contain only a small fraction of lithium carbonate as a percent of weight and are inexpensive compared to cobalt or nickel. The average lithium cost associated with Li-ion battery production is less than 3{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} of the production cost. Intrinsic value for the Li-ion recycling business currently comes from the valuable metals such as cobalt and nickel that are more highly priced than lithium. Due to less demand for lithium and low prices, almost none of the lithium used in consumer batteries is completely recycled.
However according to Lifton, using more recycled lithium could help to alleviate what he believes is a growing continental shortage of lithium for electric vehicles:
“We don’t produce enough lithium, cobalt or spherical graphite in North America to make even a fraction of the vehicles Mr. Musk tells us he’s going to be making by 2018,” he says in the Skype interview. “I’ve got big news for everybody watching: There are at least 20 or 25 direct-electrically powered and hybrids coming onto the market in the next five or six years. They’re coming from Europe, the US, Japan, China and Korea.”
Lifton says many in the industry are aware of the problem, but “Nobody’s doing anything they’re just talking about it.” He says recycling the batteries would not only conserve the metal that goes into the batteries, but the energy that goes into producing the vehicles, in the same way that the steel industry uses recycled steel as an input because it takes less energy than iron ore and coal to produce steel.
About 70 percent of the world’s lithium deposits are concentrated in Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. The U.S. currently imports over 80{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} of the lithium it uses.
Tesla officials on Thursday said the company’s Gigafactory under construction east of Las Vegas is expected to begin producing lithium-ion batteries late this year for the electric car maker’s Model 3, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Japan and South Korea have both recorded record high levels of lithium-ion battery exports in H1 2016, as auto companies ramp up battery consumption to power new all-electric offerings, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence said a month ago. Lithium-ion battery shipments from Japan – the world’s leading producer – topped 33,500 tonnes in H1, up 17{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} from the second half of 2015 and over 31{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} year on year.
View Original: http://www.mining.com/rare-metals-expert-predicts-north-american-shortage-lithium-evs/
The Holy Grail of Skin Whitening Products – Expert Panel Discussion with Sirona Biochem
Sirona Biochem – The Holy Grail of Skin Whitening Products
– Momentum Public Relations –
September 22, 2016
Sirona Biochem (SBM:tsxv) is a proactive development and discovery stage based biotech firm with an R&D lab situated in Paris, France. The biotechnology enterprise is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada, and is world renowned for its state of the art fluorination chemistry technology. Their cutting edge platform is currently used to create cosmetic products that are both safe and effective for human use and consumption, as well as a plethora of pharmaceutical drugs.
Moreover, their leading edge compounds are either acquired by or licensed by multinational conglomerates in return for royalties, milestone payments, and/or marked upfront payments. It should also be noted that their platform focuses on the molecular stabilization of carbohydrates; which is noteworthy because carbohydrate based drugs are one of the most commonly prescribed drug families in the United States.
Notably, Sirona is currently working on what would be a company changing deal to license their newest compound, ‘Skin Lightener SBM-TFC-1067’. Globally, there is a growing trend for lighter skin in many parts of the world. Approximately 15{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} of the world population invests in skin lightening products and the global market is expected to reach US$23 billion by 2020. Below is an excerpt from a recent CEO update explaining how they have a product that has garnered them serious interest from some of the world’s largest cosmetic / pharmaceutical companies.
Skin Lightener SBM-TFC-1067
SBM-TFC-1067 continues to attract the interest of global cosmetic companies, a list which continues to grow. A number of these companies completed material transfer agreements allowing them to test the compound in their facilities. We successfully scaled-up and produced over 1 kg of compound. In parallel, we completed independent testing in a 3D melanocyte model that mimics human skin. The results showed a strong skin lightener at low dosing without signs of toxicity. As this model is used by our potential partners to assess compounds, the study was key to obtaining independent results and improving our negotiating position. (view full CEO Update)
In addition, Sirona Biochem currently has two licensing agreements with two multi-billion dollar companies; namely Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (VRX:tsx) and Wanbang Biopharma.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held yesterday in Vancouver, BC. Investors were clearly happy with what they heard. The stock price traded up on good volume. Management was very enthusiastic and are confident in their negotiations to secure a licensing deal with a global corporation for the Skin Lightening compound. For understandable reasons Management could not disclose details of their private discussions with the interested purchaser(s), however, the general consensus with investors is that Sirona (SBM:tsxv) is a Buy or at least a very enthusiastic hold.
The video below which was recently released will give you an in-depth look at this market and Sirona’s role in it. Spoiler Alert: First Berlin analyst Ellis Acklin explains their current price target of 98 cents for SBM. That’s a price target that excludes the potential SBM-TFC-1067 licensing deal. Keep in mind that as of today Sirona is only trading at 20 cents CND.
The Holy Grail of Skin Whitening Products – Expert Panel Discussion with Sirona Biochem
This message does not constitute investment advice. Momentum PR provides this material for convenience and information purposes only.
- Published in Bio technology, Blog, Sirona Biochem