The Forrester Wave : Mobile Commerce And Engagement Platforms, Q1 2016

Transcription

1 The Forrester Wave : Mobile Commerce And Engagement Platforms, Q by Brendan Witcher Why Read This Report Ubiquitous customer adoption of mobile for commerce continues to put new demands on mobile commerce solution providers. In Forrester s 41-criteria evaluation of mobile commerce solution providers, we identified the 10 most significant vendors: Branding Brand, GPShopper, Mad Mobile, Mobify, Moovweb, mshopper, No Need 4 Mirrors, Poq, Skava, and Usablenet. This report details our findings and where they stand in relation to each other. Reflecting two distinct mobile technologies, the findings are divided into two parts: mobile app and mobile Web. Key Takeaways Branding Brand And Skava Lead The Pack Forrester s research uncovered a market in which Branding Brand and Skava ranked as Leaders; however, the rest of the pack (GPShopper, Mad Mobile, Mobify, Moovweb, mshopper, No Need 4 Mirrors, Poq, and Usablenet) each has its own differentiated capabilities and market focus. ebusiness Pros Are Looking For Vision, Innovation, And Mobile Anywhere Capabilities ebusiness pros at retailers with limited resources and in-house talent increasingly trust mobile Web and app solution providers to act as strategic partners who are able to advise them on mobile commerce customer engagement decisions. Solution Architecture And Mobile Engagement Tools Are Key Differentiators As basic functions of mobile commerce solutions become less effective, improved solution architecture and advanced consumer commerce engagement capabilities dictate which providers lead the pack. forrester.com

2 The Forrester Wave : Mobile Commerce And Engagement Platforms, Q by Brendan Witcher with Fiona Swerdlow, Peter Sheldon, Julie Ask, Rebecca Katz, Diana Gold, and Laura Glazer Table Of Contents Notes & Resources mcommerce Excellence Now Hinges On Mobile Engagement No Mobile Presence Is No Longer Acceptable Mobile Commerce Solution Providers Evaluation Overview This Evaluation Highlights Solution Capabilities, Vendor Strategy, And Market Reach This Evaluation Focuses On The Top 10 Mobile Commerce Solution Providers Mobile Vendors Often Offer Two Options: Apps, Web Mobile Commerce Solution Providers: Part 1 Mobile Apps Mobile Commerce Solution Providers: Part 2 Mobile Web Vendor Profiles There Are Many Important Players Beyond Those We Evaluated Here Supplemental Material Forrester conducted lab-based evaluations in October 2015 and interviewed 10 vendor and user companies: Branding Brand, GPShopper, Mad Mobile, Mobify, Moovweb, mshopper, No Need 4 Mirrors, Poq, Skava, and Usablenet. Related Research Documents Building A Mobile Business Case: It s A Steep Climb Mobile App Or Mobile Web? It s A Choice, Not A Battle Mobile Moments Transform Commerce And Service Experiences Forrester Research, Inc., 60 Acorn Park Drive, Cambridge, MA USA Fax: forrester.com 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. Forrester, Technographics, Forrester Wave, RoleView, TechRadar, and Total Economic Impact are trademarks of Forrester Research, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.

3 mcommerce Excellence Now Hinges On Mobile Engagement Although most ebusiness teams already support mobile Web experiences, the technology solutions they currently use may not be keeping pace with the rapidly changing expectations of today s mobile customer. For example, many retailers we spoke to for this report expressed the need to evolve quickly with mobile, and that the challenge of delivering mobile moments that drive customer loyalty and satisfaction is intensifying. Consequently, ebusiness professionals are reevaluating their mobile retail technology and partnership needs. No Mobile Presence Is No Longer Acceptable As ebusiness professionals align their mobile strategies with the new demands of omnichannel shoppers, they are looking for mobile retail vendors that will simultaneously grow revenues, deliver value within the mobile experience, offer solutions that enhance in-store shopping, and help them stay on the cutting edge of mobile commerce innovation. This set of requirements is not an easy task. To accomplish this goal, ebusiness pros require experienced mobile commerce solution providers that can act as strategic partners and: Culturally obsess over mobile commerce trends and metrics. The best of these vendors do not just build and support mobile experiences; they live and breathe mobile commerce it s in their DNA. This intimate understanding of mobile commerce means they are at the forefront of what works and what doesn t when it comes to how mobile experiences support conversion metrics. These vendors actively mine the aggregated analytics and transaction data from their platforms to make informed optimizations to both their core platforms and the individual client experiences that they enable. Furthermore, they have a core focus on the retail sector, with a deep understanding of current mobile shopping trends and the interaction of mobile with other digital channels and offline shopping behaviors and venues. Invest heavily in a continually evolving, common platform that supports all clients. Unlike agencies, these vendors are not building tailored capabilities for each client. Instead they onboard all of their clients onto a common (often software-as-a-service [SaaS]-based) platform. The win for ebusiness professionals here is having regular access to new platform capabilities, while the cost is spread across the vendor s client base. As the device and operating system landscape evolves, so, too, do the platforms that underpin the ebusiness professional s mobile commerce strategy. Rapidly support emerging trends and new device capabilities. The best of these vendors are quick to build support for new OS capabilities (e.g., Apple s Wallet), new device categories (e.g., 7-inch tablets), and emerging mobile Web development standards (e.g., HTML5 and responsive design) into their platforms. For ebusiness professionals, this means the cost of innovation is spread across the vendor s customer base. Retailers can test emerging technologies in the market to determine customer sentiment, adoption, and, ultimately, the impact on metrics without the need for huge in-house development budgets. Mobile commerce solution providers also understand 2

4 that in-store mobile engagement is a top priority for retailers, and are positioning themselves right on the cutting edge of supporting dynamic mobile experiences anywhere for the omnichannel shopper. Offer a robust portfolio of prebuilt commerce modules. When working with a mobile commerce solution provider, no ebusiness pro should need to reinvent the wheel. These vendors have already developed tried and tested modules that support both common and less mainstream commerce scenarios. For example, all of the vendors evaluated provide mature, prebuilt modules for store location and bar code scanning. The win for ebusiness professionals is rapid time-to-market and a greatly reduced need for custom development and features that also are continuously being enhanced to stay best-in-class. Mobile Commerce Solution Providers Evaluation Overview To assess the state of the mobile commerce solution market and see how the vendors stack up against each other, Forrester evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of the 10 top vendors offering today s most popular and most widely used mobile commerce solutions for retailers. Forrester then evaluated each along 41 criteria. This Evaluation Highlights Solution Capabilities, Vendor Strategy, And Market Reach After examining past research, user need assessments, and vendor and expert interviews, we developed a comprehensive set of 41 evaluation criteria, grouped into three high-level categories: Current offering. Each vendor s position on the vertical axis of the Forrester Wave graphic indicates the strength of its current product offering. We evaluated each offering against five core groups of criteria: solution architecture, consumer-facing mobile Web, consumer-facing mobile apps, mobile marketing and engagement tools, and in-store/store associate applications. Combined, these criteria provide a detailed look at the breadth and depth of capabilities from each vendor, although clients are encouraged to reweight these criteria to match their own requirements. Forrester used a combination of vendor evaluation responses, documentation, demos, pricing scenarios, and customer references to complete this section. Strategy. A vendor s position on the horizontal axis indicates the strength of its go-to-market strategy. We compared the strategies of each company with the needs of retailers, industry trends, and Forrester s forward-looking vision of the mobile retail market to assess how well each vendor is positioned for future success. Forrester evaluates strategy with planned enhancements, strategic vision, focus on mobile commerce, and cost of ownership. We used a combination of vendor evaluation responses, documentation, vendor strategy briefings and strategy survey responses, demos, and customer references to complete this section. 3

5 Market presence. In just a short few years, we have gone from zero to more than 20 mobile commerce solutions providers in the market. ebusiness leaders must make strategic bets on technology that will form the foundation of their mobile retail strategies for years to come. The size of the vendor s bubble on the chart indicates its market presence. Forrester evaluates market size with customer count, installed base, revenue, and global presence. We used vendor evaluation responses, publicly available financial statements, documentation, and vendor strategy responses to complete this section. This Evaluation Focuses On The Top 10 Mobile Commerce Solution Providers In this Forrester Wave, we evaluated vendors that have a proven track record of providing mobile retail and associated services for their clients. Forrester included 10 vendors in the assessment: Branding Brand, GPShopper, Mad Mobile, Mobify, Moovweb, mshopper, No Need 4 Mirrors, Poq, Skava, and Usablenet. Each of these vendors addresses critical mobile commerce-specific scenarios. Specifically, each of these vendors has demonstrated (see Figure 1): A significant focus on providing mobile commerce solutions for multichannel retailers. Although some of the vendors included in this assessment serve clients across multiple verticals such as travel, financial services, automotive, media and entertainment, and utilities, each has a focused product offering for, an established customer base in, and an ongoing commitment to providing solutions for online and multichannel retailers, branded manufacturers, and consumer product companies. The ability to support commerce experiences across multiple touchpoints. The vendors included in this report all demonstrated the ability to support commerce experiences across a diverse set of consumer- and employee-facing touchpoints, including but not limited to mobile, tablets, social media, in-store kiosks, and associate devices. The vendors demonstrated the ability to support optimized web-based experiences for these touchpoints, as well as apps for smartphones, tablets, and other app-enabled devices. A productized platform for repeatable delivery and ongoing upgrades. To differentiate between solution providers and agencies that provide mobile commerce services, Forrester mandated that the vendors participating in this assessment demonstrate to us a productized platform upon which they support mobile for their clients. In addition, we looked at the client-facing administration tools and developer tools exposed by these platforms to enable clients to perform common management scenarios without the need to rely on the vendors for professional services. A profitable or stable business with at least $5 million in revenues and client momentum. To ensure that the vendors we evaluated will remain viable in this rapidly evolving market, Forrester limited its analysis to companies that have the resources and momentum to sustain themselves through variable market conditions. All included vendors already have, or will soon surpass, revenues of $5 million, were profitable or indicated they were approaching profitability, and had at least 15 existing clients with positive sales momentum. The revenue cutoff was kept low in order to recognize the large number of small players in this fast-maturing market. 4

6 Interest from Forrester clients. Forrester clients repeatedly ask about the evaluated vendors products within the context of inquiry, advisory, and consulting and/or are using these solutions today to support all or part of their mobile commerce strategy. Forrester did not include vendors in this assessment with a primary focus on other related market segments, such as: System integrators and digital agencies. Although some ebusiness teams continue to outsource the development of their mobile commerce sites and apps to their digital agency, Forrester did not evaluate these vendors, as these capabilities are typically offered on a bespoke basis rather than via a commercially supported technology platform. Forester has written separate research on specialist mobile design agencies. 1 ecommerce platforms. ebusiness teams that are planning to or have recently replatformed their ecommerce technology may wish to evaluate their ecommerce platform s mobile commerce offering against the vendors evaluated in this report. We have written separate research that focuses on the capabilities of the leading ecommerce platform vendors. 2 Mobile development frameworks. ebusiness teams that decide to develop their mobile technology in-house should review separate research that Forrester has written for application development and delivery professionals that provides an overview of the types of tools and technology available to support in-house mobile development. 3 5

7 FIGURE 1 Evaluated Vendors: Vendor Information And Selection Criteria Vendor Branding Brand GPShopper Mad Mobile Mobify No Need 4 Mirrors Poq Moovweb mshopper Skava Usablenet Date evaluated October 2015 October 2015 October 2015 October 2015 October 2015 October 2015 October 2015 October 2015 October 2015 October 2015 Vendor selection criteria A significant focus on providing mobile commerce solutions for multichannel retailers. Although many of the vendors included in this assessment serve clients across multiple verticals such as travel, financial services, automotive, media and entertainment, and utilities, each has a focused product offering for, an established customer base in, and an ongoing to commitment to providing solutions for online and multichannel retailers, branded manufacturers, and consumer product companies. The ability to support commerce experiences across multiple touchpoints. The vendors included in this report all demonstrated the ability to support commerce experiences across a diverse set of consumer and employee-facing touchpoints including but not limited to mobile, tablets, social media, in-store kiosks, and associate devices. The vendors demonstrated the ability to support optimized web-based experiences for these touchpoints as well as apps for smartphones, tablets, and other app-enabled devices. A productized platform for repeatable delivery and ongoing upgrades. To differentiate between solution providers and agencies that provide mobile commerce services, Forrester mandated that the vendors participating in this assessment demonstrate to us a productized platform upon which they support mobile for their clients. In addition, we looked at the client-facing administration tools and developer tools exposed by these platforms to enable clients to perform common management scenarios without the need to rely on the vendors for professional services. Forrester client interest. Forrester clients repeatedly ask about the evaluated vendors products within the context of inquiry, advisory, and consulting and/or are using these solutions today to support all or part of their mobile commerce strategies. A profitable or stable business with at least $5 million in revenues and client momentum. To ensure that the vendors we evaluated will remain viable in this rapidly evolving market, Forrester limited its analysis to companies that have the resources and momentum to sustain themselves through variable market conditions. All included vendors had at least an approximate revenue of $5 million, are profitable or indicate they are approaching profitability, and have at least 15 existing clients with positive sales momentum. The revenue cutoff was kept low in order to recognize the large number of small players in this fast-maturing market. 6

8 Mobile Vendors Often Offer Two Options: Apps, Web Consumers engage brands through mobile devices in different ways. Depending on the maturity of their mobile strategy or type of commerce they engage in, ebusiness professionals must approach their mobile commerce solution partner selection with one of two distinct needs in mind (see Figure 2): Mobile apps. Mobile apps excel at meeting the needs and motivations consumers have on the go in their mobile moments. With an app, ebusiness professionals can offer customers deeply contextual experiences. For example, the pros of a mobile app include tapping into device features to simplify tasks or leveraging the context from location or in-app behavior to deliver relevant content in the app or even push notifications. There are cons to mobile apps, which include each platform possibly requiring its own unique source code, meeting requirements of frequent OS updates, and possible review periods by app marketplaces that can delay releases. 4 Mobile Web. Mobile Web can deliver a consistent experience on every device. Mobile Web interfaces are a welcome mat for anybody visiting from a smartphone or tablet. They provide access to all customers and devices without requiring the download of a special app outside a mobile browser. They are also discoverable via search engines, or URLs pushed via messaging, all while providing consistent experiences across every web-based digital touchpoint. However, mobile Web has its own limitations, in that it tends to offer the same experience regardless of device or consumer need. This Forrester Wave is split into mobile app and mobile Web. As mobile commerce strategy becomes increasingly important for organizations, ebusiness professionals must understand that these two mobile touchpoints are not one and the same. As a result, some vendors have made the choice to focus primarily on just one type of mobile engagement. In consideration of this factor, we have split this Forrester Wave into the two categories above, applying separate weightings to the appropriate criteria for each in our evaluation. For vendors that only offered services in one of the mobile technology areas above, criteria directly related to the type of solution they do not service carried no weighting, and they were not included in that portion of the Forrester Wave. For example, GPShopper, No Need 4 Mirrors, and Poq do not offer mobile Web services; therefore, they were not scored on performance optimization, web analysts, or microsites/landing pages or including in the mobile Web vendor assessment. That said, there are mobile business applications and requirements that end users tell us are critically important to them, and a vendor s ability to deliver on a particular strategy remains relevant regardless of the nature of the mobile touchpoint. For example, retailers are increasingly prioritizing in-store engagement as an aspect of their mobile strategies, which includes associate-facing solutions such as in-store kiosks, mpos, and clienteling capabilities. Therefore all vendors were scored based on their ability to meet these industry needs, regardless of the inherent strengths or weaknesses of the type of solution. Users of this Forrester Wave who have already taken these aspects into consideration and have chosen to discount their value should appropriately adjust the weight of scoring in these areas using the report s interactive tool on Forrester.com. 7

9 FIGURE 2 Mobile Web And Mobile App Each Carry Unique Pros And Cons As Customer Engagement Touchpoints When I serve my customers on their device, what technology should I use? If you are delivering a content-rich experience on a wide variety of devices over quality networks Mobile Web... an interactive or transactional experience on targeted devices Mobile app Source: Mobile App Or Mobile Web? For IT, It s A Choice, Not A Battle Forrester report Mobile Commerce Solution Providers: Part 1 Mobile Apps The mobile commerce solution providers for mobile apps evaluation showed that firms focused on more advanced user tools led the way. Our Forrester Wave evaluation revealed a market in which (see Figure 3): Branding Brand and Skava land as Leaders. Branding Brand and Skava, an Infosys company, sit alone atop the leader board in mobile apps, but there are nuances to their approaches that differentiate them from one another. Branding Brand has a respectable market presence and is a 8

10 Leader for the diligence it has shown in keeping pace with market trends. For example, it is one of the few to have heavily prioritized both analytics and in-store experiences, both of which are critical for strategically servicing today s omnichannel shopper. Skava is seen as more of a boutique firm, offering an as-yet smaller number of customers a high quality offering in some ways acting as almost an outsourced mobile department. Indeed, Skava s score for pricing that is, the average first-year cost of ownership for its solutions reflects this approach. Price, however, is not taken into account in the Forrester Wave. But like Branding Brand, it has managed to address trends in the market as they arise, keeping pace with today s evolving mobile commerce trends. GPShopper and Poq flirt with Leader status. GPShopper and Poq both focus their business strategies on mobile apps. GPShopper offers mobile marketing and engagement tools on par with Leaders in this Forrester Wave, and its solution architecture scores very high as well. And although it has delivered solutions for clienteling, the company is still working on a significant presence with kiosks and associate mobile POS applications. Poq similarly scores well in traditional app elements, and the scores for strategy reflect their clients belief that the two companies are leaning more toward acting as partners than straight solution providers. They do, however, have some room to improve their offerings in areas such as solution architecture and marketing tools and are powering very little in the way of in-store solutions to date. Mad Mobile, No Need 4 Mirrors, and Mobify squarely qualify as Strong Performers. Mad Mobile delivers a solid solution for midmarket retailers and has recently added a focus on B2B customers as well. Overall, its scores reflect a well-rounded solution for delivering traditional app experiences, but to date it does not have the in-store presence or support for advanced tools that some leading solutions provide. No Need 4 Mirrors is focused purely on mobile apps, in-store kiosks, and fitting room solutions for retail clients. Like Skava, the company is seen as more of a full-service boutique firm, working closely with clients to deliver specific mobile experiences. This factor positively impacts its ability to work with loyalty programs and in-store kiosks, but reflects its smaller market presence and higher cost for the first year of ownership. Mobify has serviced some respectable names with apps and hybrid apps. But with so much of its focus being mobile Web over the years, its newer app offering is still maturing. The solution did, however, score very well in strategic factors with clients. Usablenet stands as a Contender. Usablenet by far carries the largest market presence of the evaluated vendors. Offering a solid solution that can serve a range of companies, from small to enterprise-class clients, it provides architecture that would qualify it as a Leader from that perspective. In addition, Usablenet keeps pace with the Leaders in some of the more traditional app-specific criteria. But analytics, mobile marketing, and engagement tools bring it closer to the middle of the pack from a current offering perspective. In regard to strategy, Usablenet lags other companies, which left it just shy of qualifying as a Strong Performer in mobile apps. 9

11 This evaluation of the mobile commerce solution provider market for mobile apps is intended to be a starting point only. We encourage clients to view detailed product evaluations and adapt criteria weightings to fit their individual needs through the Forrester Wave Excel-based vendor comparison tool. By using the tool, clients can adjust the outcome to favor vendors that have a specific strength that they particularly need. We also encourage clients to review the research on other solutions types and segments and to leverage their Forrester inquiry access to learn more before beginning the selection process. FIGURE 3 The Forrester Wave : Mobile Engagement Solution Providers, Q1 16 For Mobile Apps Challengers Contenders Strong Strong Performers Leaders Current offering Usablenet Branding Brand GPShopper No Need 4 Mirrors Skava Poq Mad Mobile Mobify Go to Forrester.com to download the Forrester Wave tool for more detailed product evaluations, feature comparisons, and customizable rankings. Market presence Weak Weak Strategy Strong 10

12 FIGURE 3 The Forrester Wave : Mobile Engagement Solution Providers, Q4 16 For Mobile Apps (Cont.) Forrester s Weighting Branding Brand GPShopper Mad Mobile Mobify No Need 4 Mirrors Poq Skava Usablenet CURRENT OFFERING Solution architecture Consumer facing mobile web Consumer facing mobile apps Mobile marketing and engagement tools Store associate apps STRATEGY Vision Financial performance Pricing Supporting services Innovation Partner ecosystem Customer feedback MARKET PRESENCE Customer base Revenue 50% 15% 0% 50% 25% 10% 50% 20% 10% 0% 15% 20% 15% 20% 0% 65% 35% All scores are based on a scale of 0 (weak) to 5 (strong). Mobile Commerce Solution Providers: Part 2 Mobile Web The mobile commerce solution providers for mobile Web evaluation showed that firms focused on more robust experience management tools and servicing omnichannel engagements dominate. Our Forrester Wave evaluation revealed a market in which (see Figure 4): Branding Brand sits firmly in the lead. For mobile Web, Branding Brand scored highest in current offering, among the Leaders in strategy, and also scored well with its market presence. The firm stands out from the crowd with a top score in each of the core mobile Web categories while keeping its offering updated to meet the current and emerging trends in mobile Web engagement. On top of having a strong partner ecosystem, clients cited the firm s vision and outstanding supporting services as key reasons they continue to work with Branding Brand. 11

13 Skava, Moovweb, and Mobify all share Leader status. Along with Branding Brand, the three other vendors that share the Leader circle all scored very high in factors that determine leadership status. All three also achieved nearly perfect scores in core mobile Web capabilities. In addition, clients from each of these vendors felt that their partnerships were key to delivering mobile excellence. Skava scored highest among the three in current offerings, and received a boost in this area from the significant investments it has made in creating a boutique service that offers leading edge technology solutions. Moovweb and Mobify, both long-time players in this space, have continued to show a commitment to improving their solutions, and the growth of their client portfolios is a reflection of them staying relevant in this ever-changing, high-demand market. Usablenet and Mad Mobile deliver strong performance solutions. ebusiness professionals who seek a solid mobile Web solution will find Usablenet and Mad Mobile to be Strong Performers. Both of these vendors scored just below the Leaders in their current offering. As one of the pioneering vendors in this category, Usablenet has a large installed base and has the experience of servicing a wide range of mobile commerce clients. On the flip side, Mad Mobile is a small firm, focused primarily on the retail vertical, but has an impressive client portfolio. These two firms are the perfect fit for commerce companies who are looking for mobile Web solutions that are built on solid architecture and deliver core capabilities for mobile Web engagement, but may not require the cutting edge or custom work that some leaders in this space provide. mshopper rounds out the list as a mobile Web Contender. mshopper focuses solely on mobile Web for small to midsize retailers, offering most of the necessary components for getting a professional-grade mobile website up and running quickly. Core elements such as experience creation, optimization, and management qualified as effectively serving mobile commerce needs. But given its target market, mshopper s solution unsurprisingly lacks in areas such as in-store tools, globalization, mobile wallets, and loyalty. For scores relating to strategic factors, clients felt that mshopper delivered on expectations as a lower cost solution, but did not feel it led as an innovator or acted as a strategic partner for mobile. This evaluation of the mobile engagement solution provider market for mobile Web is intended to be a starting point only. We encourage clients to view detailed product evaluations and adapt criteria weightings to fit their individual needs through the Forrester Wave Excel-based vendor comparison tool. By using the tool, clients can adjust the outcome to favor vendors that have a specific strength. We also encourage clients to review the research on other solutions types and segments and to leverage their Forrester inquiry access to learn more before beginning the selection process. 12

14 FIGURE 4 The Forrester Wave : Mobile Engagement Solution Providers, Q1 16 For Mobile Web Challengers Contenders Strong Current offering Strong Performers Usablenet mshopper Branding Brand Skava Moovweb Leaders Mad Mobile Mobify Go to Forrester.com to download the Forrester Wave tool for more detailed product evaluations, feature comparisons, and customizable rankings. Market presence Weak Weak Strategy Strong 13

15 FIGURE 4 The Forrester Wave : Mobile Engagement Solution Providers, Q4 16 For Mobile Web (Cont.) Forrester s Weighting Branding Brand Mad Mobile Mobify Moovweb mshopper Skava Usablenet CURRENT OFFERING Solution architecture Consumer facing mobile web Consumer facing mobile apps Mobile marketing and engagement tools Store associate apps 50% 15% 50% 0% 25% 10% STRATEGY Vision Financial performance Pricing Supporting services Innovation Partner ecosystem Customer feedback 50% 20% 10% 0% 15% 20% 15% 20% MARKET PRESENCE Customer base Revenue 0% 65% 35% All scores are based on a scale of 0 (weak) to 5 (strong). Vendor Profiles Following are high-level snapshots of what capabilities placed each vendor in its current position for the mobile Web and/or mobile app scenarios. Please view the Forrester Wave Excel-based vendor comparison tool for more detailed scorecards. Vendors are presented in alphabetical order. Branding Brand. Branding Brand started as a retail mobile agency that has evolved over the years into a software company by choosing to invest in building a mobile commerce platform rather than doing bespoke client implementations. The firm has experienced significant growth with a solid installed base among well known online retailers and brands. Beyond its support for both mobile Web and native app experiences, Branding Brand has a focus on in-store solutions, with proven mobile point of sale, tablet-based kiosks, and associate-facing clienteling apps implementations. 14

16 The firm takes a full-service-led approach, providing mobile strategy consulting, integration architecture, creative, development, conversion optimization, and post-launch support. Clients are attracted by the full suite of services that the firm provides, its vision for supporting mobile for in-store experiences, and the retail insights (aggregated from across its clients) the firm is able to provide. Unlike some other mobile agencies, Branding Brand s investment in the underlying retail/ commerce platform allows it to rapidly push out new mobile innovations (e.g., Wallet) across its client base at a low cost. GPShopper. New York-based GPShopper is focused on developing mobile apps for retailers and branded manufacturers. Supported by a number of B2C feature accelerators, the firm offers a solid platform architecture and it prioritizes the importance of mobile apps as a tool for engagement with in-market apps that support more advanced mobile marketing and engagement methods loyalty, geo-fencing, mobile wallets, and social features. With its primary focus on retail, tools for engaging omnichannel shoppers have been at the front of its brand message. Still a newer and smaller firm by comparison to some other solution providers, clients described the firm as scrappy, and shared with us that it is extremely proactive in being innovative, particularly in the areas of omnichannel, loyalty, and in-store engagement. That said, clients also believe that the firm still has some shortcomings in more traditional capabilities, such as advanced analytics and business user tools. Mad Mobile. Mad Mobile has a strong installed base with midmarket commerce organizations that seek a nimble partner to outsource mobile Web and app development. Like Branding Brand and Skava, the firm is a full-service provider that focuses on a high-touch and embedded relationship with clients, while the underlying retail/commerce platform Mad-X enables it to lower the cost of ownership across its customer base. The solution has primarily been focused on the mobile Web; however, the firm has a growing number of custom apps it has developed for clients across a range of mobile operating systems. The firm has also prioritized servicing the special needs of B2B clients, and has a number recent wins to show for it. For organizations with limited in-house technical and mobile expertise seeking a focused, strategic mobile partner that can adapt to changing requirements, Mad Mobile is a good fit. Mobify. Vancouver, BC-based Mobify provides services for a range of commerce companies that have both mobile Web and mobile app needs. For mobile Web, Mobify s platform is targeted at organizations that need to extend existing desktop-based web experiences to mobile devices. Unlike some other vendors that offer either proxy transformation or screen-scrape solutions, Mobify s solution does all the heavy lifting on the client device, using its proprietary JavaScript framework to adapt the existing desktop site to the desired mobile or tablet experience. One of the advantages of this approach is that all touchpoints are accessed using the same URL, which improves link integrity. As part of its platform, it also offers web and app push notification messaging and a mobile location marketing suite. Mobify will appeal to firms that want to rapidly develop mobile and tablet sites using in-house development resources, Mobify s professional services, or third-party service providers. 15

17 Moovweb. Moovweb is focused on mobile Web, and in this space services a large number of marquee clients in a wide range of categories including retailers, financial services firms, travel, hospitality, CPG, B2B, and manufacturing. It provides a cloud-based transformation platform that, coupled with its software developer kit (SDK) and JavaScript-based development environment, allows developers to adapt an existing desktop site to other browser-based devices, hybrid apps, or native APIs without losing or having to rewrite all of the legacy business logic that may be embedded in the desktop site. The platform appeals to firms that have complex online applications (think product configurators or application processes) that need to support these on mobile devices but don t have the budget, time frame, or risk tolerance to rebuild decades of legacy desktop code using responsive web design. Although the firm has a growing services division and one of the largest partner ecosystems in this evaluation, its platform enables in-house development or partner-based implementations using the SDK. Clients shared with us Moovweb s focus on improving mobile customer experiences and its ability to quickly innovate and rated it high in supporting services. mshopper. mshopper operates out of Boulder, CO and focuses solely on mobile Web for small to midsize retailers, offering most of the necessary components for getting a professional-grade mobile website up and running quickly. The platform is driven by its mstore product, which produces a mobile web experience that is powered by a retailer s existing data feeds and plugs into major shopping carts. Given its target market, mshopper positions its solution as one that can be launched, managed, and maintained for a fraction of the cost of other solution providers. With that said, the solution is not designed to meet the needs of today s demanding enterprise-level client that wants to deliver rich omnichannel experiences to customers. mshopper is also in the late stages of developing a proprietary app called mpower that retailers can utilize as a new mobile distribution channel for promotional content. mpower is designed as a standalone product that can be used independently from its mstore mobile Web solution, but is included as part of the mstore offering. No Need 4 Mirrors. Located in Edinburgh, Scotland, No Need 4 Mirrors has developed a strong installed base in the UK retail market over the last 10 years and has started expanding by working with some marquee retail names in the US. Focusing exclusively on mobile apps, No Need 4 Mirrors develops native transactional mobile apps, in-store kiosks, and fitting room solutions for its clients. It does not currently service industries beyond retail or offer a solution for B2B mobile commerce. The firm positions itself as a full-service solution, offering end-to-end service covering all key components of mobile app retailing. Unlike many vendors who are working to scale and automate their solutions, No Need 4 Mirrors focuses more on specializing in custom needs with innovative and cutting-edge solutions for retailers. Indeed, No Need 4 Mirrors is as much about excellence in mobile engagement as it is in mobile commerce. Clients shared with us that the firm is very forward thinking and willing to develop solutions in ways that meet the needs of the retailer, not the other way around. Poq. Launching its first client in 2013, Poq is a relatively new, UK-based solution provider. It offers an enterprise multitenant SaaS ecommerce platform for native apps it does not offer mobile Web solutions and its business model reflects this. It provides mobile app services for 16

18 the retail space, specifically focused on the selling of physical goods, such as fashion, luxury, furniture, home goods, and sporting goods, but does not yet serve the B2B market. Poq s core value proposition is to offer a scalable model that gets organizations up and running quickly. The firm also keeps its clients current by delivering a true SaaS service with all clients on the same version with each update of the platform. As a SaaS service, its pricing is subscription-based, and also leverages a network of connected technology services in the cloud. As one would probably expect with this model, Poq does not offer the traditional app agency work available with many of the boutique-style firms. Customization is instead offered through its online developer tools and a CMS. That said, with a very impressive and growing list of clients that has made it one of the leaders in the UK market, it is fair to say that there are a significant number of retail fans who prefer using a full SaaS model for commerce engagement apps. Skava. Skava, an Infosys company, has a niche focus, exclusively targeting enterprise-level retailers. These retailers rely on Skava not just for mobile commerce, but often for every touchpoint beyond the desktop. The firm has deep experience developing in-store clienteling solutions for its clients as well as desktop-based micro sites, product configurators, and social tools. Its experience management platform, Skava Studio, allows marketers the flexibility to develop new desktop touchpoint experiences (landing pages, micro sites, etc.) without the need for investing in an enterprise web content management (WCM) platform. Skava has also responded to retailer demand for offering mobile-everywhere experiences, and provides retailers with both customerand associate-facing solutions for the in-store environment. The acquisition of Skava by Infosys in 2015 has allowed Skava to expand its market reach, move into new verticals, and improve its consultative type services. Clients we spoke with talk about Skava as a mobile agency with a platform one that as such tends to act more as a strategic partner than a solution provider, accommodating new ideas and willing to develop custom solutions beyond the capabilities of the core platform. Usablenet. As the incumbent player in this market, Usablenet has amassed a significant installed base of clients across a diverse set of B2C and B2B industries including retail, travel, hospitality, financial services, healthcare, and utilities, which is reflected in its market presence score. In the past, engagement with Usablenet was via a full-service relationship, but today clients have more flexibility with access to its technology and professional services for development, to make ongoing enhancements in-house, or to outsource to a system integration partner. The firm has diversified its platform beyond a mobile transcoding service to support custom client-facing mobile and instore experiences such as kiosks and clienteling tools. The firm has seen success from its agile web services platform that allows clients to quickly create REST-based commerce services from their existing desktop sites without the need for back-office web-service development. Usablenet s strength is providing mobile Web and apps solutions that scale and appeal to a broad range of verticals. However, client calls revealed that its offerings are not seen by some to be as cutting edge as the more boutique solution providers in the market. 17

19 There Are Many Important Players Beyond Those We Evaluated Here The mobile commerce solutions market is both diverse and rapidly evolving, and there are additional solutions that may be relevant to companies looking to develop mobile commerce capabilities. Some additional solutions for ebusiness pros to consider include: Unbound Commerce. Founded in 2008, Massachusetts-based Unbound Commerce has a very respectable midmarket installed base, with a focus on retail and manufacturing firms in both B2C and B2B markets. The firm recently acquired Apptive, a company that makes it easier for merchants to launch native apps for iphone and Android. This acquisition positions Unbound Commerce as a solution provider for both mobile Web and apps. Shopgate. Since 2009, California-based Shopgate has been providing a mobile Web and native app development platform for small- to mid-market commerce companies. With over 12,000 customers, its goal is to offer an economical solution for companies that recognize the need to have a mobile presence, but don t need a customized solution. NewStore. A relative newcomer to this space, Massachusetts-based NewStore is the latest solution offering from Demandware s founder Stephan Schambach. NewStore is developing a mobile retail platform that focuses on engagement between consumer and store associate, unifying online and offline shopping experiences and improving fulfillment. Predict Spring. California-based Predict Spring provides a commerce gateway solution for retailers to build native apps and power buy buttons across social media and publisher apps. 18

20 Engage With An Analyst Gain greater confidence in your decisions by working with Forrester thought leaders to apply our research to your specific business and technology initiatives. Analyst Inquiry Ask a question related to our research; a Forrester analyst will help you put it into practice and take the next step. Schedule a 30-minute phone session with the analyst or opt for a response via . Learn more about inquiry, including tips for getting the most out of your discussion. Analyst Advisory Put research into practice with in-depth analysis of your specific business and technology challenges. Engagements include custom advisory calls, strategy days, workshops, speeches, and webinars. Learn about interactive advisory sessions and how we can support your initiatives. Supplemental Material Online Resource The online version of Figures 3 and 4 are Excel-based vendor comparison tools that provide detailed product evaluations and customizable rankings. The Forrester Wave Methodology We conduct primary research to develop a list of vendors that meet our criteria to be evaluated in this market. From that initial pool of vendors, we then narrow our final list. We choose these vendors based on: 1) product fit; 2) customer success; and 3) Forrester client demand. We eliminate vendors that have limited customer references and products that don t fit the scope of our evaluation. After examining past research, user need assessments, and vendor and expert interviews, we develop the initial evaluation criteria. To evaluate the vendors and their products against our set of criteria, we gather details of product qualifications through a combination of lab evaluations, questionnaires, demos, and/or discussions with client references. We send evaluations to the vendors for their review, and we adjust the evaluations to provide the most accurate view of vendor offerings and strategies. We set default weightings to reflect our analysis of the needs of large user companies and/or other scenarios as outlined in the Forrester Wave document and then score the vendors based on a 19

21 clearly defined scale. These default weightings are intended only as a starting point, and we encourage readers to adapt the weightings to fit their individual needs through the Excel-based tool. The final scores generate the graphical depiction of the market based on current offering, strategy, and market presence. Forrester intends to update vendor evaluations regularly as product capabilities and vendor strategies evolve. For more information on the methodology that every Forrester Wave follows, go to Integrity Policy All of Forrester s research, including Forrester Wave evaluations, is conducted according to our Integrity Policy. For more information, go to Endnotes 1 For more on mobile design agencies, see the Mobile Interactive Design Agencies Emerge Forrester report and see the The Forrester Wave : US Digital Agencies Mobile Marketing Strategy And Execution, Q Forrester report. 2 For more information on the mobile capabilities offered by the leading ecommerce platform vendors, see the The Forrester Wave : B2B Commerce Suites, Q Forrester report and see the The Forrester Wave : B2C Commerce Suites, Q Forrester report. 3 For more on mobile development solutions, see the Choose The Right Mobile Development Solutions Forrester report. 4 For a better understanding of how to develop a strategy to borrow, barter for, or buy mobile moments, see the Your Customers Will Not Download Your App Forrester report. 20

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