Mobile payments are becoming increasingly popular, but there is still a lot of room for improvement, since consumers tend to remain loyal to traditional payment methods and many merchants are still skeptical about accepting this kind of payments. However, this is expected to change as more consumers start relying on their mobile wallets and the overall number of mobile phone users grows to reach an estimated 4.8 billion people by the end of the year.

According to a recent Business Insider Intelligence report (http://dtn.fm/BbD2R), in-store mobile payments in the U.S. alone are expected to reach $75 billion in 2016 and up to $503 billion by 2020, increasing by a compound annual growth rate of 80%. Similarly, the number of U.S. consumers making mobile payments is likely to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 40% to reach 150 million by the end of 2020. This significant growth will be driven by several factors alongside the growing number of mobile phone owners, such as better implementation and access to loyalty programs and coupons and a shift from magnetic strips to mobile wallets. Worldwide, it is expected that roughly 70% of the 4.8 billion mobile phone users will be making mobile payments by the end of 2017, according to a Techcrunch analysis (http://dtn.fm/WwtO9).

While the market is largely dominated by mobile payment solutions offered by Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) or Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), it seems smaller companies that bring innovative technologies to the table and target underserved verticals have a very high chance of successful growth. This is also the case for Singlepoint, Inc. (OTC: SING), a leading provider of mobile technologies and payment solutions, that targets two very promising vertical markets – daily fantasy sports and mobile auctions, while also focusing on the business-to-business aspects of the industry.

More specifically, Singlepoint is committed to providing businesses with another way of accepting payments, via its Pay-by-Text product, which is built around the concept of payment enabled text messages. As opposed to the radio frequency-based identification technology used by most NFC (near field communication) contactless payments, the Pay-by-Text platform is based on short message service technology. With this system, users receive a text message with a link that leads to a mobile landing page where they can do the transaction, Singlepoint CEO Greg Lambrecht explained. This greatly simplifies and streamlines the process because users are taken directly to the payment page, while with other mobile companies or providers of mobile payment solutions, users have to first find and install their apps.

The Pay-by-Text combination of text messages and payments allows merchants to offer simpler mobile payment options to their customers by enabling them to pay from anywhere and at any time. The platform also supports any kind of credit card processing. Singlepoint is currently in the process of leveraging this technology in two niche markets – daily fantasy sports and mobile auctions, markets where the holding company has purchased minority stock recently. The DFS vertical in particular is expected to bring significant value to the company, due to its fast growth rate and the high number of players who use a mobile device to play.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Singlepoint.com

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Earlier today, eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI), through wholly-owned subsidiary eXp Realty, announced a partnership with New Story, a charitable organization focused on constructing homes in Haiti and other impoverished areas. Originally highlighted last Friday as part of the company’s third annual convention in San Antonio, Texas, the partnership entailed a challenge for eXp Realty’s agents and brokers to raise $18,000 in order to fund three new homes in Haiti and aid in the ongoing relief of damage caused by both the 2010 earthquake, which claimed nearly 300,000 lives, and Hurricane Matthew, which struck the island nation just last week. According to today’s update, EXPI’s challenge was met within three hours of the announcement, and the company’s agents and brokers have since raised more than $35,000 to fund additional relief projects.

“We are honored and deeply grateful to the eXp Realty community, whose members have immediately demonstrated a great generosity of resources and spirit to help families in need,” Brett Hagler, chief executive officer of New Story, stated in today’s news release. “eXp Realty agents understand that talent is universal but that opportunity is not and they recognize that a home provides the foundation for family, for safety, and for the creation and pursuit of opportunity.”

New Story’s infrastructure costs and salaries are underwritten in full by private partners, allowing the organization to allocate 100 percent of donations directly to people in need. As an added layer of contribution, New Story employs local workers and resources when constructing these homes, providing additional opportunities to residents of the impoverished areas.

To date, New Story has constructed hundreds of homes in Haiti by leveraging a cost-effective building plan that can be completed for roughly $6,000. Despite the low cost, these structures have shown to be extremely resilient. According to New Story, all of the dwellings weathered the impact of Hurricane Matthew without significant damage.

For eXp Realty, the decision to partner with New Story came as the result of a demand among its agents and brokers “to identify and serve a greater purpose as a central component of their businesses,” according to CEO Jason Gesing. The company has been experiencing rapid growth as of late, most recently through its August expansion into the State of Alaska. In total, eXp Realty is currently operational in 41 states; Alberta, Canada; and the District of Columbia, and its family of agents and brokers now includes more than 1,800 members.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.eXpWorldHoldings.com

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Traditional marketing campaigns are often a shot in the dark, with merchants sending out a particular message to as many people as possible, hoping it will stick. Even with more refined tactics that allow marketers to target a particular customer group based on age or education or income level, it is nearly impossible to reach out to customers individually. But with the advent of social media, businesses have found it is easier than ever to stay connected with their target audiences and to reach those audiences with personalized messages specifically developed for each and every segment of their client base.

Social customer relationship management (CRM) tools and intelligent data analytics services such as the ones offered by China’s Moxian, Inc. (OTCQB: MOXC) are now of crucial importance for merchants who seek to know their audience and their preferences better and incorporate this information into their marketing strategies. The number of social media users worldwide is expected to grow to 2.5 billion by 2018, which in turn is more than likely to have a major impact on consumer habits and on merchants’ strategies to tap into an ever-growing customer base. While traditional customer relationship management tools typically only collect and manage static data about customers based on their interactions with the company over phone or email, Social CRMs add an essential layer of information: the information put out there by the customers themselves through their social media profiles. This allows merchants to develop a more complete profile of their target audience and therefore take action faster and develop customized messages and campaigns for each consumer group.

Capitalizing on this trend, Moxian found an innovative way of combining social media with business intelligence, all built around a proprietary Social CRM tool developed with the specific goals of helping consumers and businesses interact better and allowing merchants to run targeted advertising campaigns and promotions. Via the Moxian+ Business app, with its built-in Social CRM, businesses can compile behavior data about their customers, getting to know their audience better and offering users a more personalized experience. The app also allows businesses to set up online stores and generate customized reports based on intelligent data analytics, but also stay in touch with their social media followers and customers and answer their queries in real-time through an instant messaging system.

User data is collected through a dedicated app for shoppers, the Moxian+ User app, which includes social networking capabilities, a gaming center and a rewards redemption center. Designed specifically for consumers, the app includes Moxian’s proprietary virtual currency, Mo-Coins or MO-Points, which can be earned by playing games and then exchanged for prizes from Moxian or merchant users. The social networking tool allows users to set up customized profiles, join chat groups, find friends and topics of interest, and more. The app also includes an online mall and personalized shopping recommendations, including nearby vendors, offers and promotions, based on a user’s preferences and geo-location.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Moxian.com

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The enterprise information archiving market has garnered investor attention in recent times with a predicted growth from $4.31 billion in 2015 to $7.55 billion in 2020 and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8%, according to the report “Enterprise Information Archiving Market by Content Type (Email, Social Media, and Others), Service, Deployment Type, End User, Industry Application (BFSI, Life Science and Healthcare, and Others), and Region – Global Forecast and Analysis to 2020” (http://dtn.fm/NE5w3).

Because of the U.S. government standards and regulations, North America is at the forefront of the adoption and implementation of enterprise information archiving applications. Other factors influencing the rapid growth of this market include the need for affordable storage solutions for data not in use, the ongoing need to keep data due to laws and corporate governance requirements, and the need for high performance business processes.

Cloud deployed archiving is becoming increasingly popular, as not only a flexible way of storing data in order to avoid losing important information, but as a system that is being adopted worldwide in order to enable automatic software updates. In addition, it allows for increased collaboration and is more affordable than other forms of storage. Cloud-based applications also improve scalability and use less manpower, freeing up team members to focus on other projects.

Thanks to its acquisition of ArcMail, iGambit, Inc. (OTCQB: IGMB) is now able to benefit from this fast growing industry. Acquired by IGMB in 2015, ArcMail is a leading provider of enterprise information and email archiving solutions for businesses of all sizes across a range of industries. ArcMail allows its clients to meet and stay up-to-date with state compliance and regulations according to the needs of each individual industry.

Since its acquisition by iGambit, Inc., ArcMail has been selected as one of the most innovative companies to watch in 2016 and was named one of CIOReview’s “20 Most Promising Enterprise Security Companies” of 2016. Every ArcMail client’s information is stored using a compliant and secure solution that can be measured, is dependable, and is easy to get started with and maintain.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.iGambit.com

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With the real estate industry on the rise, it is no surprise that agencies are looking for innovative ways to grow their business. In order to better serve clients, companies have to create and maintain a competitive edge. To achieve this, client/customer relationship management (CRM) has become increasingly important and now plays a significant role for real estate operations around the world.

CRM is a strategy used to manage a company’s interactions and relationships with its customers. Real estate CRM can be used to service all clients, including prospects, vendors, buyers, and virtually any other stakeholder. It is important since it allows companies to reach out to a variety of groups via a range of marketing mediums. CRM offers listing management tools, advertising, and professional services to buyers, helping agents to better hold clients for life.

eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI), a rapidly growing Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage, understands the value of advanced CRM and has entered into a strategic relationship with Commissions, Inc. (CINC), a leading provider of web-based real estate marketing and CRM software for agents and teams across North America.

This new system will be put in place in early 2017 and will enable EXPI agents and brokers to create and have real time views of sales funnels, create reminders and pop-ups, maintain customer records and transactions, and much more. EXPI will be the only large brokerage firm where all agents will be granted access to CINC tools and resources without having to pay any additional fees.

Each EXPI agent will be given his or her own consumer website encompassing local MLS data with a CRM platform giving agents the chance to manage their relationships with clients from the start to the end of a sale. Agents will also be introduced to three mobile apps: CINC Agent App, Houses.net, and Open Houses by CINC.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.eXpWorldHoldings.com

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Earlier today, OurPet’s Company (OTCQX: OPCO) announced a partnership with Paulee Cleantec Ltd., an international leader in the development of eco-friendly solutions for the management of human and animal waste. Together, the two companies intend to leverage their extensive intellectual property portfolios to address the rising environmental impact associated with pet waste. According to Dr. Steven Tsengas, chairman and chief executive officer of OPCO, the companies will look toward Paulee Cleantec’s existing proof-of-concept waste management technology, which uses “an exothermic oxidation process to convert animal feces into an odor-free ash fertilizer in less than a minute,” as a starting point in their efforts to “commercialize an initial, portable dog waste product,” along with other future applications.

“We are very pleased to partner with OurPet’s and realize the potential of our technology,” Dr. Oded Halperin, founder and chairman of Paulee Cleantec, added in this morning’s news release. “We look forward to applying our expertise to the partnership, as OurPet’s has the innovative technology, the marketing/sales channels and most of all the strong entrepreneurial drive to bring our mission to success.”

With pet ownership figures being on the rise in recent years, the importance of managing pet waste has become increasingly evident. Municipalities across the country have imposed stiff fines designed to ensure that pet owners properly clean up after their pets, and for good reason. Industry studies have linked pet waste to a number of environmental issues, including contamination of underground water levels, lakes and streams. In total, it’s estimated that as much as 30 percent of the bacteria found in typical water samples and up to 50 percent of the bacteria in the air can be linked to dog waste alone.

These statistics highlight the market potential of an innovative solution to the growing issue of pet waste. According to the American Pet Products Association (http://dtn.fm/mPLS6), about 65 percent of U.S. households, some 79.7 million homes, currently own a pet. This figure is up from just 56 percent in 1988, when the survey was first conducted. All told, companion dogs in the U.S. produce roughly 10 million tons of waste annually, and the cat population results in approximately two million tons of litter sent to landfills each year.

OPCO’s partnership with Paulee Cleantec is just one channel through which the company is currently addressing this environmental concern. OurPet’s has over 170 patents issued or pending, many of which relate directly to pet waste management. The company’s current product offerings in the space include its Switchgrass Natural Cat Litter with BioChar (http://dtn.fm/Eqn3M); manual and semiautomatic cat litter boxes; and the innovative SmartScoop® – Intelligent Litter Box (http://dtn.fm/a9VDE), which uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies to help pet owners better manage the waste activity of their furry friends while simultaneously monitoring pets’ elimination behaviors.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ourpets.com

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Earlier today, Singlepoint, Inc. (OTC: SING) was announced as a featured company on this week’s edition of MoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon. MoneyTV is an internationally syndicated television program about “money and what makes it happen.” The show includes informative interviews with company CEOs, offering prospective investors insight into their operations and outlooks for the future.

To view this week’s program, visit www.MoneyTV.net

In the interview, Greg Lambrecht, chief executive officer of Singlepoint, gives investors some insight into the company’s recent moves, most notably its ongoing efforts to become a fully reporting company and uplist to the OTCQB Venture Market. According to Lambrecht, Singlepoint is rapidly approaching this milestone. In fact, he described the company as, “On the one yard line, ready to get in the end zone.” Lambrecht told Baillargeon that Singlepoint has already completed the required Form 10 and hopes to submit it to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and become a fully reporting company “within the next week or so.”

Singlepoint’s uplisting plans are expected to play a key role in the company’s future growth. Lambrecht outlined an aggressive M&A strategy for the company moving forward as it transitions toward a holding company business plan. Singlepoint is already in talks with multiple acquisition targets in the mobile technology space, and the additional financing options and improved access to both institutional and individual investors provided by uplisting to the OTCQB is expected to play a key role in funding these M&A opportunities. In the MoneyTV interview, Lambrecht suggested that additional information regarding these potential acquisitions will likely become available shortly after the company’s move to the OTCQB Venture Market.

“Not only will the completion of these efforts provide us better financing options and allow institutional investors to invest directly on the open market, it also correlates with our M&A strategy,” Lambrecht added in a recent news release. “Additionally, as an OTCQB-listed company we expect to see greater liquidity, as well as brand awareness among the investment community.”

In line with its aggressive M&A strategy, Singlepoint recently tweaked its website to better reflect its intent to operate as a holding company moving forward. With the stage set for a big announcement in the coming weeks, Singlepoint appears primed to make a significant impact in the mobile technology market during the final quarter of 2016.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Singlepoint.com

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Recently, Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI), a technology-driven travel company focused on the alternative lodging rental (ALR) market, announced the launch of the Monaker Booking Engine (MBE) and the completion of the Application Program Interface (API) to the MBE. These developments further advance Monaker’s foray into the fastest growing sector of the travel market, alternative lodging rental, which is expected to reach $169 billion by 2019.

With the MBE, Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) will be able to access Monaker’s vast inventory of alternative lodging, timeshares and resort accommodation. Through the API they can go further. Having access to Monaker’s API gives OTAs, tour operators, airlines and cruise originators the ability to build their own apps and sites based on the Monaker databases and libraries. By setting up an API, Monaker is preparing fertile ground for a community to grow around its mission statement of “Travel Made Easy”.

An API is essentially a set of standardized requests designed for a particular program. An API’s protocols tell a software developer the proper way to request a service, such as printing a document, from the program. An API covers the middle ground between software that can only be accessed by the one who wrote it and software with source code that has been made public.

An entertaining piece in a January 2000 issue of Computerworld magazine (http://dtn.fm/rJPZ1) explains APIs by drawing similarities to gaining access to your neighbors’ lawn mowing services if your lawn mower broke down. It’s useless even considering the first of three neighbors, Closed Carl. A high wall with no gate protects his lawn mower so there’s no way of getting to him to even broach the subject. ‘An application like Closed Carl exposes no source code or APIs.’

At the other extreme is Open Oscar. You can enter his yard and borrow his mower without even asking him first. You can, also, alter the mower to suit your tastes by, perhaps, installing a beer cooler on it. ‘An application like Open Oscar has open source code, giving you free reign if you want it.’

The newest neighbor, API Annie, is nice too. You can borrow her mower provided you ask, but, aware of your mechanical prowess, she has asked you not to ‘improve’ her lawn mower. With an application like API Annie, you have access to mowing services, but the lawn mower is off limits.

APIs have the potential to rapidly develop support systems for an enterprise that boost its growth. The first company to capitalize on their potential was Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) when it launched its platform API on February 7, 2000, just about a year into its inception, according to the History of APIs (http://dtn.fm/8OWAy). That API strategy is partly responsible for the company’s present market cap of $48 billion.

Other industry titans subsequently embarked on the API adventure. In June 2005, the Google (NASDAQ: GOOG; GOOGL) Maps API made its appearance. And in 2006, Facebook (NASDAQ: FB), Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) launched their APIs. The ecommerce giant’s API portal is called Amazon Web Services.

Just like these successful companies have, Monaker aims to build a healthy ecosystem around its MBE and NextTrip platform. NextTrip is an intuitive, fully comprehensive booking platform for hotels, resorts, vacation rental homes, timeshare rentals, airlines, cruises, tours & land packages, and rental cars. Apart from NextTrip, Monaker’s travel assets now include Maupintour, with over 65 years in tour-guided vacations; Voyage.TV, with its thousands of hours of travel footage shot in over 30 countries around the world; and AlwayOnVacation, with its 250,000 listed properties. With the launch of its API, Monaker is poised for a further stage of development.

For more information, visit www.MonakerGroup.com

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Keeping up with the ever-changing world of marketing technology is not easy, but it’s necessary for businesses to continue to grow. One aspect of marketing that continues to evolve is social media, and social media managers must continuously adapt. Mobile social media, visual social media, and social media strategies are just some of the things that professionals need to track and integrate with their own marketing requirements. This has become the year of social media management, and every social media channel needs to be managed with a specific strategy in mind.

Fortunately, there are now software and applications that can relieve some of the pressure on social media managers, allowing all channels to be managed from a single computer screen. As the importance of social media management has grown, so has the importance of the tools used to manage it. But many people do not understand the full extent of social media management and how these tools can help them achieve goals.

Social media management software is used for a number of reasons, but basically it allows businesses to efficiently keep up with social engagement and manage customer relationships. Social media management tools enable companies to streamline team collaboration and increase social accountability. This means that businesses have an extra level of security and are less susceptible to hackers. With this type of software, businesses are equipped with a range of analytical tools that not only analyze social performance but also share reports with stakeholders.

FRAME is a social media management application from Agora Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AGHI) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Geegle Media. FRAME allows businesses to take their social media campaigns to the next level. The application enables users to manage all social media channels in one place, schedule posts, follow partners and competitors, and generate professional infographic reports.

FRAME is the perfect social media management app for businesses wanting to engage with customers more effectively. The app is currently free for non-commercial users, a major differentiating factor in the market. FRAME is available for download at Frame.ms. It is currently targeting the Android app marketplace with the release for iOS devices coming soon.

For more information, visit www.agoraholdingsinc.com

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In 2015, Singlepoint, Inc. (OTC: SING), a publicly traded holding company specializing in the acquisition of small to mid-sized companies with an emphasis on mobile technologies, acquired the assets and technology of Mobile Bidding Technologies, Inc. (MBT). This included its primary asset, Text2Bid, the leading mobile bidding solution. But how is Text2Bid leading the mobile bidding solutions industry, and how does this affect SING?

By offering a simple web page, also referred to as a “web app”, Text2Bid uses one single user interface that automatically adapts to every user’s smartphone. Users can bid without having to install an app to their mobile device. This also cuts out the need for manual updates. But, aside from not needing to download, why is a “web app” better than a native app for Text2Bid’s solution?

Text2Bid’s primary goals are related to public communications. Having a mobile website or “web app” is advantageous since it allows for broader accessibility, compatibility, and cost effectiveness. In a high-paced environment such as the events industry, these are all key factors. With mobile websites, everything is instantly available, compatible across a number of devices, automatically updated in real-time, easy to find and easily shared through publishers. They offer a broader reach and can’t be deleted. In addition, mobile websites are generally easier to develop and less expensive to run.

The future of auctions is one of more people with smartphones. With advances in technology, it’s a movement that will continue to grow and adapt to new devices. Aside from its compatibility and accessibility, Text2Bid does not have a user limit and supports multi-day events. Text2Bid has turned normal auctions into interactive experiences, with a yearly average increase of 28 percent in total amount donated, as compared to previous years without the solution.

SING acquired MBT and Text2Bid because it offers significant potential for yearly growth. The company believes that the combination of its technology and development expertise with Text2Bid’s already well-established name in the sector could lead the solution to further growth while revolutionizing the $18 billion auction industry.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Singlepoint.com

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