E-Commerce Minute

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E-Commerce Minute: Thursday -- April 7, 2016

The E-Commerce Times -- E-Business Means Business
http://www.ecommercetimes.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
Crafting an Online Strategy, Part 1: Which Wares Should You Sell?
Twitter Upsets Rivals to Win Thursday Night Football Streaming Rights
Please Hold the Music
White House Opens More Doors for Open Source
Amazon Takes a Swipe at PayPal
The Sales Process Starts With Retention
FCC Labels Aim to Demystify Broadband Service Plans
4-Inch iPhone: Slow and Steady May Win the Race
FBI May Help Local Law Enforcement Agencies Crack Encrypted iPhones
Microsoft Guns for Cloud Devs at Build 2016
Amazon Doubles Down on Dash
FCC Extends Broadband Lifeline to Low-Income Subcribers
Foxconn Finally Wrangles Sharp Deal
IBM Snags Bluewolf for Salesforce Chops

Today's Story Highlights

Crafting an Online Strategy, Part 1: Which Wares Should You Sell?
If you like to make soaps, candles, pendants, pouches or any other
crafts, you might be thinking of riding the wave of craftspeople who
sell their wares online. Digital marketplaces are opening a wealth of
opportunities for makers. Once you've decided to stake your claim in the
world of online handicraft sales, however, what's the best way to
determine what to make and sell? Here are some tips.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83329.html

Twitter Upsets Rivals to Win Thursday Night Football Streaming Rights
The National Football League on Monday named Twitter its exclusive
global partner to live-stream 10 Thursday Night Football games during
the 2016 season. Twitter reportedly beat out some of the top content and
social media providers. It will live-stream the games for free to more
than 800 million registered and unregistered users over mobile phones,
tablets, connected TV sets and PCs.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83331.html

Please Hold the Music
Remember when your mother used to yell up the stairs to get you to turn
your music down? Sometimes, in the age before sensitivity awareness,
your dad would do the yelling and he'd substitute noise for music. Ah,
the good old days. Too bad they aren't here right now yelling at
vendors. ConsumerAffairs.com is the brainchild of James R. Hood, a
former Washington, D.C., journalist.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83333.html

White House Opens More Doors for Open Source
The U.S. government is picking up the pace in its efforts to use open
source software as much as possible. Federal CIO Tony Scott last month
released details of a proposed policy designed to allow customized
software created for one agency to be openly available to other
government agencies as well. Industry and government professionals may
comment on the proposal by Monday.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83332.html

Amazon Takes a Swipe at PayPal
Amazon on Monday launched its Payments Partner Program -- a global
effort widely seen as a rival to PayPal -- in the United States, the UK,
Germany and Japan. Available by invitation only, the program provides
for three levels of partners: premier partners, certified partners and
certified developers. The first two are for e-commerce platform
providers; the third is for developers and agencies.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83325.html

The Sales Process Starts With Retention
Despite the numbers that show how lucrative retention is in an
increasingly subscription-driven economy, the emphasis has been on new
customer acquisition. That is still true, according to a recent study.
Forty-two percent of the firms surveyed said they were increasing their
budgets for customer acquisition, while only 33 percent said the budget
for retention would increase.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83324.html

FCC Labels Aim to Demystify Broadband Service Plans
The Federal Communications Commission on Monday announced a plan to
create label disclosures that would give consumers a clear picture of
the pricing, speed and bandwidth they are paying for under high-speed
Internet contracts. The FCC's Consumer Advisory Committee proposed the
nutrition-like labels amid concerns that providers were not transparent
enough.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83322.html

4-Inch iPhone: Slow and Steady May Win the Race
Apple appears to have experienced a lost weekend with the 4-inch iPhone
SE failing to rack up significant sales. When the period ended, the SE
claimed only 0.1 percent of the iPhone market, Localytics reported
Monday. "The new phone was unable to take away the iPhone 5's share, the
model it most closely resembled, suggesting that small-screen lovers
have not yet been convinced to upgrade."
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83320.html

FBI May Help Local Law Enforcement Agencies Crack Encrypted iPhones
Weeks after backing down from its litigation demanding Apple's help to
access encrypted data on the San Bernardino terrorist's iPhone, the FBI
appears to be taking full advantage of its newly discovered forensic
prowess by offering assistance to law enforcement agencies across the
country. The agency has sent out letters letting local officials know
that it has gained access to the encrypted data.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83319.html

Microsoft Guns for Cloud Devs at Build 2016
Microsoft last week at its Build 2016 conference announced innovations
in mobile app development, the Internet of Things, microservices and
intelligence designed to help developers create apps for the cloud. One
is Azure App Service, which offers back-end capabilities for Web, native
Windows, iOS and Android platforms. Microsoft also announced five Azure
IoT starter kits, starting at $50.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83318.html

Amazon Doubles Down on Dash
Amazon last week announced that it had increased to more than 100 the
number of Dash buttons Prime users can install in their homes to
replenish supplies of household goods. Dash buttons, which essentially
are free for Amazon Prime members, are connected devices that link to a
customer's account. With the press of a button, they can order shipments
of the product associated with a Dash module.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83313.html

FCC Extends Broadband Lifeline to Low-Income Subcribers
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted 3-2 to approve a
$2.25 billion program to subsidize broadband Internet service and
bundled voice and data packages for low-income consumers. The new
subsidy is part of a major overhaul of the agency's Lifeline program,
which has provided affordable phone access for decades. The vote was a
long-awaited reform for many low-income communities.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83316.html

Foxconn Finally Wrangles Sharp Deal
Foxconn has agreed to purchase a controlling stake in Sharp -- about 66
percent -- for roughly $3.5 billion, the companies announced Wednesday.
Foxconn has committed to restoring Sharp's profitability and improving
operations, according to the companies. "I am confident that we will
unlock Sharp's true potential," Foxconn CEO Terry Gou said. The
acquisition brings months of speculation to a close.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83311.html

IBM Snags Bluewolf for Salesforce Chops
IBM on Thursday announced that it has agreed to buy Bluewolf, a
Salesforce system integrator. It reportedly will pay $200 million.
Bluewolf will provide cloud consulting and implementation capabilities
as part of IBM Global Business Services' Interactive Experience
practice. The aim is to deliver differentiated, cloud-based, consumer-
grade experiences, IBM said.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/83315.html

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