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American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides charge and credit payment card products, and travel-related services worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Global Consumer Services Group, Global Commercial Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services. Its products and services include payment and financing products; network services; expense management products and services; and lifestyle services. The company's products and services also comprise merchant acquisition and processing, servicing and settlement, point-of-sale marketing, and information products and services for merchants; and fraud prevention services, as well as the design and operation of customer loyalty programs. It sells its products and services to consumers, small businesses, mid-sized companies, and large corporations through mobile and online applications, third-party vendors and business partners, direct mail, telephone, in-house sales teams, and direct response advertising. American Express Company was founded in 1850 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

American Express

americanexpress

Fifteen months ago Bilt raised $150 million at a $1.5 billion valuation. It became one of the fastest companies to ever become a 'unicorn'. Now they've raised an additional $200 million at a $3.1 billion valuation.

Bilt Rewards: Former Amex CEO Becomes Chairman, NFL Commissioner Joins Board - View from the Wing

Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. ³Eligibility and Benefit level varies ...

Best Credit Cards With No Preset Spending Limit Of 2024 – Forbes Advisor

After launching a couple of years ago, American Express has gone general availability with its business checking account.

Inside American Express' strategic move into business banking with Gina Taylor - Tearsheet

Discover the “once in a lifetime” rule by American Express, limiting welcome offers to once per card, and learn about its application, exceptions and strategies.

American Express 'once in a lifetime' rule

In this installment of the Developer Spotlight Series, we sat down with Raymond Camden, a Senior Software Engineer and Developer Advocate residing in Lafayette, Louisiana. Raymond has extensive experience in the technology space, having enjoyed stints at IBM, Adobe and AuthO prior to becoming a Senior Engineer for Developer Experience at . Follow Raymond on , or , and enjoy the Q/A. Cosmic JS American Express Twitter GitHub LinkedIn Raymond: I began on an Apple 2e (it may have been the +) back in the 80s. My initial reason was to cheat at games (ask me about hex editing for Bard’s Tale) but after seeing Tron I was really inspired to become a coder. Boy was reality somewhat different… Cosmic JS : When did you first begin building software? The web in general. I’d say mainly and lately with , but I’m passionate about the entire web stack. My favorite editor is Visual Studio Code (although I was a big Brackets fan for a while). When working on the back-end I’ll still use JavaScript and Node.js. What is your preferred development stack? JavaScript Vue I was big into MUD programming (multi-player online text adventure games, think Zork but with multiple players) and I built a framework to enable easier dialog creation and more thematic elements (time passing, etc). The code wasn’t necessarily rocket science, but the end result — enabling more creativity — is something I’m really proud of. What past projects are you most proud of and why? Oh — and I built an app that scans your contacts, finds ones without pictures, and assigns a random cat picture. Yeah, I’m pretty proud of that too. GraphQL for one. A lot of my work involves APIs and GraphQL feels like a real game changer. I’m incredibly excited about serverless and have been (slowly) playing with various different platforms and trying them out. What are some technologies you are excited about or want to learn more about? For web developers, is the absolute best resource for learning, period. I’m a big fan of Node School as well since I like the interactive problem/solving experience. I’m also a big believer in building something that already existed. As programmers we’ve got DRY beaten into our skulls and that obviously makes sense, but when I’m learning a new language or platform, I’ll build somethingvthat already exists, like a blog. That way I’m focused on the *how* of building it and not the *what*. The end result may be thrown away, but it’s a great way to spend more time learning then trying to figure out what to do. Do you have any tips for new developers just starting to code? MDN Web Docs The is dedicated to showcasing developers that are building apps using modern tools. Learn how to . To stay connected with us and . Cosmic JS Developer Spotlight Series Contribute here follow us on Twitter join the conversation on Slack

Developer Spotlight: Raymond Camden of American Express

Edit: Previously I wrote about the "6 Most Popular Vue.js UI Libraries (Vue 3) in 2023". As we are now in 2024, I have revisited the different libraries and updated them for the current year 🎉 Vue.js, a JavaScript framework, has been gaining a lot of attention in recent years due to its simplicity, flexibility, and performance. Also, User Interface (UI) component libraries have become an essential aspect of web development, providing a fast and convenient way to build beautiful and responsive user interfaces. Vue 3 has become the default choice to build modern applications since Vue 2 reached its end of life on December 31, 2023. The need for UI component libraries designed specifically for Vue 3 has risen. In this article, we will take a look at the six most popular Vue.js UI component libraries for 2024, categorized based on their popularity within English and Chinese-speaking communities. I decided to categorize this way because of the massive popularity of Vue.js in China according to an interview with Evan You, the creator of Vue.js, who was born in China and grew up in a city near Shanghai. Moreover, Vue has well-written documents in Chinese. As teams from big companies in China such as Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu started using Vue.js, all these factors may have contributed to its popularity in the country. Vue-PDF-Viewer: Flexible and Powerful Vue.js PDF Component Just a quick background about what I’m working on. Vue-PDF-Viewer renders the PDF viewer on your Vue or Nuxt websites so that your users can interact with your PDF document without leaving your sites. The component has over 20 features including theme customization, built-in localization, web responsiveness, and more. I would be grateful if you could check Vue-PDF-Viewer out. It will encourage me to make even more content. ❤️‍🔥 English Focused Community 1. Vuetify Vuetify is a popular Vue.js UI component library based on Material Design specifications. It provides over 100 customizable components for creating beautiful and responsive user interfaces. With its modular design, developers can selectively import components, which keeps the bundle size small and improves performance. Additionally, Vuetify integrates seamlessly with Nuxt 3 and features powerful theming capabilities where developers can customize their application style and match it with their brand. As of February 2024, Vuetify has over 38,800 stars (from 37,900 stars in 2023) on GitHub and an average weekly download count of close to 500,000. (The trend line seems to be growing steadily over the years) Learn more at https://vuetifyjs.com Remark: There are still a couple of Vuetify 2 components including calendar, overflow-btn, speed-dial, time-picker, and treeview that are not yet available in Vuetify 3. According to the official Vuetify guide, they will be released by Vuetify Labs when development is completed. 2. Quasar Quasar's UI Components feature 70 high-performance customizable Material Design components and icons of various styles (bootstrap, material, fontawesome, and many more). The documentation is detailed and well thought-out. The library also has pre-built features including animations and functions to handle dates and times. What makes Quasar, founded in 2015, different and stand out from other UI component libraries is that Quasar is not only a UI component library but a dynamic Vue framework. You can develop Vue.js desktop, web, and mobile applications with a single codebase. As the saying goes, write once and use it everywhere. As of February 2024, Quasar has over 25,000 stars (from 24,200 stars in 2023) on GitHub and an average weekly download count of over 100,000. Learn more on https://quasar.dev/ 3. PrimeVue PrimeVue is a sleek Vue.js component library that offers over 90 components and 200+ icons making it one of the most comprehensive libraries in the Vue.js community. It's a lightweight library with exclusive Tailwind CSS integration, enabling developers to build complex enterprise-level applications with ease. PrimeVue is powered by PrimeTek, which serves millions of developers of Fortune 500 companies such as Intel, Nvidia, and American Express, lending it massive credibility in the enterprise space. PrimeVue also features an intuitive API, allowing developers to quickly customize the components to achieve their desired designs. As of February 2024, PrimeVue has over 6,800 stars (from 4,300 stars in 2023) on GitHub and an average weekly download count of over 170,000 (A huge increase from around 100,000 downloads in September 2023). Learn more on https://primevue.org/ Chinese Focused Community 1. Element Plus Element Plus is a community-developed project born from Element UI which supports only Vue 2.X. Due to its predecessor's popularity, it has naturally gained a lot of attention from developers, especially those in China. A TypeScript-based library with a complete type definition, Element Plus is not based on Material Design and has its own distinct UI style which can modified quite easily. Element Plus simplifies component utilization, making the code more maintainable and readable with Vue 3's Composition API. As of February 2024, Element Plus has over 22,600 stars (from 21,300 stars in 2023) on GitHub and an average weekly download count of over 200,000. Learn more at https://element-plus.org/en-US/ 2. Ant Design Vue Ant Design Vue (Antdv) is a popular TypeScript-based UI component library based on Ant Design, a library that was developed for React and was originally created by a team from Alibaba. But it has gained traction in the Vue.js community for its ease of use and its rich feature set. It offers a comprehensive range of components like tree structures, forms, and data visualization components. Similar to Element Plus, Antdv has its own unique UI style. Although it may initially seem daunting to explore its huge sets of UI components and features, once you get the hang of it, Antdv can be a very powerful UI component library for projects of all sizes. As of February 2024, Ant Design Vue has over 19,300 stars (from 18,600 stars in 2023) on GitHub and an average weekly download count of over 80,000. Learn more on https://antdv.com/ 3. Naive UI Naive UI is a TypeScript-based UI component library developed by TuSimple, a Chinese autonomous truck company based in California. It was mentioned by Evan You, the creator of Vue.js, in his Weibo blog back in 2021. Naive UI consists of over 90 components that can be imported to use in your project. Most impressively, all 90+ components can be treeshaken. This means that the component can be imported individually into your application without waste. Documentation of Naive UI is also well-documented and easy to follow. As of February 2024, Naive UI has over 14,800 stars on GitHub and an average weekly download count of over 30,000. Learn more at https://github.com/tusen-ai/naive-ui Special Mention: Nut UI Nut UI is a mobile UI component library that is developed by the Chinese e-commerce giant, JD.com (also known as Jingdong). It provides a JD-style mobile UI component library that is used by JD in production. Nut UI features high-quality UI components that are well-tested (unit test coverage more than 80%). It has clear documentation and supports TypeScript. Furthermore, it provides Sketch design resources for designers to easily create design screens. As of February 2024, Nut UI has over 5,700 stars on GitHub and an average weekly download count of over 3,000. Learn more at https://github.com/jdf2e/nutui/blob/v4/README_EN.md Conclusion In conclusion, Vue.js has gained popularity due to its flexibility, simplicity, and performance. The availability of different UI component libraries has made it easier for developers to build complex and elegant applications at speed with ease. Whether you're building large complex applications or small, highly performant ones, there is always the right Vue.js UI component library suitable for your needs. Vue-PDF-Viewer: Flexible and Powerful Vue.js PDF Component If you feel like this article helped you, please check out Vue-PDF-Viewer. You can customize the PDF viewer component to your theme, add locales, configure panels, and more. Each function has TS and JS codes, unit tests, and interactive demos. With our starter kits, you can start rendering the Vue-PDF-Viewer in minutes. It would encourage me to continue creating even more content. Thank you in advance! 🙏 Edit: Previously I wrote about the "6 Most Popular Vue.js UI Libraries (Vue 3) in 2023". As we are now in 2024, I have revisited the different libraries and updated them for the current year 🎉 Edit: Previously I wrote about the " 6 Most Popular Vue.js UI Libraries (Vue 3) in 2023 ". As we are now in 2024, I have revisited the different libraries and updated them for the current year 🎉 6 Most Popular Vue.js UI Libraries (Vue 3) in 2023 Vue.js, a JavaScript framework, has been gaining a lot of attention in recent years due to its simplicity, flexibility, and performance. Also, User Interface (UI) component libraries have become an essential aspect of web development, providing a fast and convenient way to build beautiful and responsive user interfaces. Vue 3 has become the default choice to build modern applications since Vue 2 reached its end of life on December 31, 2023. The need for UI component libraries designed specifically for Vue 3 has risen. In this article, we will take a look at the six most popular Vue.js UI component libraries for 2024, categorized based on their popularity within English and Chinese-speaking communities. I decided to categorize this way because of the massive popularity of Vue.js in China according to an interview with Evan You, the creator of Vue.js, who was born in China and grew up in a city near Shanghai. an interview Moreover, Vue has well-written documents in Chinese. As teams from big companies in China such as Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu started using Vue.js, all these factors may have contributed to its popularity in the country. Vue-PDF-Viewer: Flexible and Powerful Vue.js PDF Component Just a quick background about what I’m working on. Vue-PDF-Viewer renders the PDF viewer on your Vue or Nuxt websites so that your users can interact with your PDF document without leaving your sites. The component has over 20 features including theme customization, built-in localization, web responsiveness, and more. Vue-PDF-Viewer I would be grateful if you could check Vue-PDF-Viewer out. It will encourage me to make even more content. ❤️‍🔥 Vue-PDF-Viewer English Focused Community 1. Vuetify Vuetify is a popular Vue.js UI component library based on Material Design specifications. It provides over 100 customizable components for creating beautiful and responsive user interfaces. With its modular design, developers can selectively import components, which keeps the bundle size small and improves performance. Additionally, Vuetify integrates seamlessly with Nuxt 3 and features powerful theming capabilities where developers can customize their application style and match it with their brand. As of February 2024, Vuetify has over 38,800 stars (from 37,900 stars in 2023) on GitHub and an average weekly download count of close to 500,000. (The trend line seems to be growing steadily over the years) trend line Learn more at https://vuetifyjs.com https://vuetifyjs.com Remark: There are still a couple of Vuetify 2 components including calendar, overflow-btn, speed-dial, time-picker, and treeview that are not yet available in Vuetify 3. According to the official Vuetify guide, they will be released by Vuetify Labs when development is completed. Remark: There are still a couple of Vuetify 2 components including calendar, overflow-btn, speed-dial, time-picker, and treeview that are not yet available in Vuetify 3. According to the official Vuetify guide, they will be released by Vuetify Labs when development is completed. 2. Quasar Quasar's UI Components feature 70 high-performance customizable Material Design components and icons of various styles (bootstrap, material, fontawesome, and many more). The documentation is detailed and well thought-out. The library also has pre-built features including animations and functions to handle dates and times. What makes Quasar, founded in 2015, different and stand out from other UI component libraries is that Quasar is not only a UI component library but a dynamic Vue framework. You can develop Vue.js desktop, web, and mobile applications with a single codebase. As the saying goes, write once and use it everywhere. As of February 2024, Quasar has over 25,000 stars (from 24,200 stars in 2023) on GitHub and an average weekly download count of over 100,000. Learn more on https://quasar.dev/ https://quasar.dev/ 3. PrimeVue PrimeVue is a sleek Vue.js component library that offers over 90 components and 200+ icons making it one of the most comprehensive libraries in the Vue.js community. It's a lightweight library with exclusive Tailwind CSS integration, enabling developers to build complex enterprise-level applications with ease. PrimeVue is powered by PrimeTek, which serves millions of developers of Fortune 500 companies such as Intel, Nvidia, and American Express, lending it massive credibility in the enterprise space. PrimeVue also features an intuitive API, allowing developers to quickly customize the components to achieve their desired designs. As of February 2024, PrimeVue has over 6,800 stars (from 4,300 stars in 2023) on GitHub and an average weekly download count of over 170,000 ( A huge increase from around 100,000 downloads in September 2023). A huge increase Learn more on https://primevue.org/ https://primevue.org/ Chinese Focused Community 1. Element Plus Element Plus is a community-developed project born from Element UI which supports only Vue 2.X. Due to its predecessor's popularity, it has naturally gained a lot of attention from developers, especially those in China. A TypeScript-based library with a complete type definition, Element Plus is not based on Material Design and has its own distinct UI style which can modified quite easily. Element Plus simplifies component utilization, making the code more maintainable and readable with Vue 3's Composition API. As of February 2024, Element Plus has over 22,600 stars (from 21,300 stars in 2023) on GitHub and an average weekly download count of over 200,000. Learn more at https://element-plus.org/en-US/ https://element-plus.org/en-US/ 2. Ant Design Vue Ant Design Vue (Antdv) is a popular TypeScript-based UI component library based on Ant Design, a library that was developed for React and was originally created by a team from Alibaba. But it has gained traction in the Vue.js community for its ease of use and its rich feature set. It offers a comprehensive range of components like tree structures, forms, and data visualization components. Similar to Element Plus, Antdv has its own unique UI style. Although it may initially seem daunting to explore its huge sets of UI components and features, once you get the hang of it, Antdv can be a very powerful UI component library for projects of all sizes. As of February 2024, Ant Design Vue has over 19,300 stars (from 18,600 stars in 2023) on GitHub and an average weekly download count of over 80,000. Learn more on https://antdv.com/ https://antdv.com/ 3. Naive UI Naive UI is a TypeScript-based UI component library developed by TuSimple, a Chinese autonomous truck company based in California. It was mentioned by Evan You, the creator of Vue.js, in his Weibo blog back in 2021. Naive UI consists of over 90 components that can be imported to use in your project. Most impressively, all 90+ components can be treeshaken . This means that the component can be imported individually into your application without waste. Documentation of Naive UI is also well-documented and easy to follow. treeshaken As of February 2024, Naive UI has over 14,800 stars on GitHub and an average weekly download count of over 30,000. Learn more at https://github.com/tusen-ai/naive-ui https://github.com/tusen-ai/naive-ui Special Mention: Nut UI Nut UI is a mobile UI component library that is developed by the Chinese e-commerce giant, JD.com (also known as Jingdong). It provides a JD-style mobile UI component library that is used by JD in production. JD.com Nut UI features high-quality UI components that are well-tested (unit test coverage more than 80%). It has clear documentation and supports TypeScript. Furthermore, it provides Sketch design resources for designers to easily create design screens. As of February 2024, Nut UI has over 5,700 stars on GitHub and an average weekly download count of over 3,000. Learn more at https://github.com/jdf2e/nutui/blob/v4/README_EN.md https://github.com/jdf2e/nutui/blob/v4/README_EN.md Conclusion In conclusion, Vue.js has gained popularity due to its flexibility, simplicity, and performance. The availability of different UI component libraries has made it easier for developers to build complex and elegant applications at speed with ease. Whether you're building large complex applications or small, highly performant ones, there is always the right Vue.js UI component library suitable for your needs. Vue-PDF-Viewer: Flexible and Powerful Vue.js PDF Component If you feel like this article helped you, please check out Vue-PDF-Viewer . You can customize the PDF viewer component to your theme, add locales, configure panels, and more. Each function has TS and JS codes, unit tests, and interactive demos. With our starter kits, you can start rendering the Vue-PDF-Viewer in minutes. Vue-PDF-Viewer Vue-PDF-Viewer It would encourage me to continue creating even more content. Thank you in advance! 🙏

⚡️ 6 Vue.js UI Libraries (Vue 3) That Are Trending in 2024 🔥

The adoption of digital technology has probably reached an all-time high, with the rapid transformation of business processes and services from non-digital to digital. According to recent studies, global spending on digital transformation is expected to hit $3.4 trillion by 2026. It has also been forecasted that the United States will account for 35% of this global spending and could pass the $1 trillion mark in 2025. Several technology leaders have taken lead roles in bringing about this much-needed change in America. Naga Simhadri Apparao Polireddi, an expert in secure web chatbots and web development, has made remarkable contributions through his path-breaking innovations. He is highly rated for his knowledge and expertise in designing AI/ML language models, developing rules using Natural Language Processing (NLP), and creating chatbot applications with technologies such as NodeJS, Java/J2EE, Python Machine Learning (ML) libraries, Dialog flow, TensorFlow, ECMAScript 6, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Spring Boot Microservices. A Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering and a Master of Computer Science from Arizona State University (ASU), Polireddi started his illustrious career in 2002 as an Assistant Professor at Sree Dattha Institute of Engineering & Science College, Hyderabad, India. In the earlier part of his career, he also worked with Hewlett-Packard Global soft (hp), Wipro Technologies, and Infinite Computer Solutions as a Software Developer/ Java Technical Leader. As part of a multi-million-euro collaboration between TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) and Nokia Siemens Networks, Polireddi served as an Assistant Consultant at TATA Consultancy Services from 2010 to 2012, stationed at the client location of Nokia Siemens Networks in Lisbon, Portugal. He conducted a review of the architecture of the Nokia product NetAct and identified defects, including mismatched network element names in the network element Drop-down menu, incorrect passing of Network element code while submitting network element personalization software to the network, and refresh issue of network element alarms.  He was also involved in the development of the NetAct File-Based CM Events module utilizing Java technology. From 02/2012 to 03/2013, Polireddi was part of Saudi Telecommunication Company's (STC) project IRB (infinys rating and billing) upgrade aimed to upgrade its billing operations to new technologies in the core area of GSM and 4G business using 1RB5.1.7 and Billing and Rating management application (BRM) software package from Netcracker Technology Corp. This upgrade helped Saudi Telecommunication Company (STC) gain a customer-focused, service management approach to their operational processes, enabling them to automate and integrate their order fulfillment, customer service management, and billing functions across multiple product and service offerings while reducing the operational cost of USD 2.5M. As part of a TCS project,  Polireddi also served Singapore Airlines from March 2013 to June 2015, undertaking the design and development of a customized solution for the company's Amadeus Altéa product by developing the PODS (Passenger Operational Data distributed System) module. Utilizing his knowledge of airline domain and IOS Web development technologies, he developed a tablet-based CrewCollab product for Singapore Airlines, which was later sold by TCS to clients worldwide. Some of Polireddi’s most important projects were executed during his tenure with Cognizant, serving American Express. From 06/2017 – 08/2018, he handled the American Express Instant “Member Card Number” project, which led to the creation of a first-of-its-kind solution for the credit card industry. Following this game-changing project, American Express customers were provided with an instant membership, contributing to an increase in spending with a business value exceeding $20 million. From 05/2019 until 01/2022, Polireddi worked as the Software Architect for the American Express "Rubiks and Gambit" project, which aimed to introduce a "no negative credit impact" in the card application process. This allows prospective cardholders to submit an application for a credit card and find out if they’re approved before undergoing a hard credit check. Unlike hard credit checks, this soft credit check approval feature has no impact on the applicant’s credit score. With the live implementation of this project, American Express achieved a projected revenue gain of $211 Million. Presently working with IKON Tech Services, Polireddi has designed an AI Chatbot for American Express apply website. This chatbot is capable of streamlining operational processes and improving user experience by facilitating immediate response to user queries, effectively handling high-volume interactions, and ultimately expediting credit card acquisitions for American Express. Following this development, over 90,000 conversations were held over the 90 days while reducing operational costs by 30%. Polireddi's current project for Verizon features the introduction of a groundbreaking GPS solution known as Hyper Precise Location (HPL) using Real-Time Kinematics (RTK). This technology ensures location accuracy within one to two centimeters on the Verizon 5G network, which is crucial for autonomous vehicles and high-definition (HD) maps. The project involved seamless integration of AWS cloud solutions with Node.js application deployment practices, garnering attention from multiple Fortune 500 clients for Verizon. “I strongly believe that secure web chatbots have the potential to become the primary channel for customer service in years to come. The combination of NLP and ML has enabled chatbots to understand conversations more intelligently, comprehend the nuances of query intention, and improve their accuracy in executing commands, even in technical situations,” said Polireddi. “It is a matter of great pride for me to be able to utilize my knowledge and wisdom in building a digitally transformed America.” References: https://explodingtopics.com/blog/digital-transformation-stats Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR. The adoption of digital technology has probably reached an all-time high, with the rapid transformation of business processes and services from non-digital to digital. According to recent studies, global spending on digital transformation is expected to hit $3.4 trillion by 2026. It has also been forecasted that the United States will account for 35% of this global spending and could pass the $1 trillion mark in 2025. Several technology leaders have taken lead roles in bringing about this much-needed change in America. Naga Simhadri Apparao Polireddi, an expert in secure web chatbots and web development, has made remarkable contributions through his path-breaking innovations. He is highly rated for his knowledge and expertise in designing AI/ML language models, developing rules using Natural Language Processing (NLP), and creating chatbot applications with technologies such as NodeJS, Java/J2EE, Python Machine Learning (ML) libraries, Dialog flow, TensorFlow, ECMAScript 6, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Spring Boot Microservices. A Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering and a Master of Computer Science from Arizona State University (ASU), Polireddi started his illustrious career in 2002 as an Assistant Professor at Sree Dattha Institute of Engineering & Science College, Hyderabad, India. In the earlier part of his career, he also worked with Hewlett-Packard Global soft (hp), Wipro Technologies, and Infinite Computer Solutions as a Software Developer/ Java Technical Leader. As part of a multi-million-euro collaboration between TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) and Nokia Siemens Networks, Polireddi served as an Assistant Consultant at TATA Consultancy Services from 2010 to 2012, stationed at the client location of Nokia Siemens Networks in Lisbon, Portugal. He conducted a review of the architecture of the Nokia product NetAct and identified defects, including mismatched network element names in the network element Drop-down menu, incorrect passing of Network element code while submitting network element personalization software to the network, and refresh issue of network element alarms.  He was also involved in the development of the NetAct File-Based CM Events module utilizing Java technology. From 02/2012 to 03/2013, Polireddi was part of Saudi Telecommunication Company's (STC) project IRB (infinys rating and billing) upgrade aimed to upgrade its billing operations to new technologies in the core area of GSM and 4G business using 1RB5.1.7 and Billing and Rating management application (BRM) software package from Netcracker Technology Corp. This upgrade helped Saudi Telecommunication Company (STC) gain a customer-focused, service management approach to their operational processes, enabling them to automate and integrate their order fulfillment, customer service management, and billing functions across multiple product and service offerings while reducing the operational cost of USD 2.5M. As part of a TCS project,  Polireddi also served Singapore Airlines from March 2013 to June 2015, undertaking the design and development of a customized solution for the company's Amadeus Altéa product by developing the PODS (Passenger Operational Data distributed System) module. Utilizing his knowledge of airline domain and IOS Web development technologies, he developed a tablet-based CrewCollab product for Singapore Airlines, which was later sold by TCS to clients worldwide. Some of Polireddi’s most important projects were executed during his tenure with Cognizant, serving American Express. From 06/2017 – 08/2018, he handled the American Express Instant “Member Card Number” project, which led to the creation of a first-of-its-kind solution for the credit card industry. Following this game-changing project, American Express customers were provided with an instant membership, contributing to an increase in spending with a business value exceeding $20 million. From 05/2019 until 01/2022, Polireddi worked as the Software Architect for the American Express "Rubiks and Gambit" project, which aimed to introduce a "no negative credit impact" in the card application process. This allows prospective cardholders to submit an application for a credit card and find out if they’re approved before undergoing a hard credit check. Unlike hard credit checks, this soft credit check approval feature has no impact on the applicant’s credit score. With the live implementation of this project, American Express achieved a projected revenue gain of $211 Million. Presently working with IKON Tech Services, Polireddi has designed an AI Chatbot for American Express apply website. This chatbot is capable of streamlining operational processes and improving user experience by facilitating immediate response to user queries, effectively handling high-volume interactions, and ultimately expediting credit card acquisitions for American Express. Following this development, over 90,000 conversations were held over the 90 days while reducing operational costs by 30%. Polireddi's current project for Verizon features the introduction of a groundbreaking GPS solution known as Hyper Precise Location (HPL) using Real-Time Kinematics (RTK). This technology ensures location accuracy within one to two centimeters on the Verizon 5G network, which is crucial for autonomous vehicles and high-definition (HD) maps. The project involved seamless integration of AWS cloud solutions with Node.js application deployment practices, garnering attention from multiple Fortune 500 clients for Verizon. “I strongly believe that secure web chatbots have the potential to become the primary channel for customer service in years to come. The combination of NLP and ML has enabled chatbots to understand conversations more intelligently, comprehend the nuances of query intention, and improve their accuracy in executing commands, even in technical situations,” said Polireddi. “It is a matter of great pride for me to be able to utilize my knowledge and wisdom in building a digitally transformed America.” References: References: https://explodingtopics.com/blog/digital-transformation-stats https://explodingtopics.com/blog/digital-transformation-stats https://explodingtopics.com/blog/digital-transformation-stats Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR. Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program . HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR. Vested Interest Disclosure: business blogging program business blogging program

Expert Pioneers Innovations in Secure Web Chatbots and Development Amid Digital Transformation

ডিজিটাল ট্রান্সফর্মেশনের মধ্যে নিরাপদ ওয়েব চ্যাটবট এবং বিকাশে বিশেষজ্ঞ অগ্রগামী উদ্ভাবন

Experte leistet Pionierarbeit bei Innovationen für sichere Web-Chatbots und der Entwicklung im Zuge der digitalen Transformation

Expertos pioneros en innovaciones en chatbots web seguros y desarrollo en medio de la transformación digital

Un expert pionnier des innovations en matière de chatbots Web sécurisés et de développement dans le contexte de la transformation numérique

डिजिटल परिवर्तन के बीच सुरक्षित वेब चैटबॉट और विकास में विशेषज्ञ अग्रणी नवाचार

デジタル変革の真っ只中、専門家が安全なウェブチャットボットと開発の革新を先導

디지털 혁신 속에서 보안 웹 챗봇 및 개발 혁신을 선도하는 전문가

Especialistas são pioneiros em inovações em chatbots seguros na Web e desenvolvimento em meio à transformação digital

Эксперты-пионеры инноваций в области безопасных веб-чат-ботов и развития в условиях цифровой трансформации

Güvenli Web Sohbet Robotları ve Dijital Dönüşümün Ortasında Geliştirme Konusunda Uzman Öncü Yenilikler

Chuyên gia tiên phong đổi mới trong phát triển và trò chuyện trên web an toàn trong bối cảnh chuyển đổi kỹ thuật số

专家率先在安全网络聊天机器人领域进行创新，并在数字化转型中不断发展

At a time when the Global Tech sector is facing stagnant growth and employees are facing job losses, the Indian tech industries are booming. Recently, a Mumbai-based Identification verification startup, IDfy, raised 27 million dollars in total primary and secondary funding from top firms like Elev8 Venture Partners, KB Investment, and Tenacity Ventures. On its LinkedIn page, IDfy claims to "help enterprises eliminate fraud and establish trust using tech-powered products and solutions for KYC, KYB, Background Verification, Risk Mitigation, Digital Onboarding and Digital Privacy." IDfy is a top Indian identity verification company that provides services to help other organizations like banks and e-commerce sites verify a person's identity. They are crucial for preventing fraud and theft. While applying for EMIs through certain services, we are often asked to take a picture of ourselves after entering details like Aadhar's card number and account number. The picture that is taken is then compared to the picture on the Aadhar card servers to make sure the person applying is genuine and not a fraud. This complex process is carried out by services like IDfy. The funds raised by the company will be used in its expansion programs and product development to provide a better experience for the users, the company said in a statement on Wednesday, 6th March 2024. "Investment from Elev8 and Tenacity is a strong validation of our vision and capabilities. IDfy’s mission is to eliminate fraud and establish trust," said Ashok Hariharan, co-founder and chief executive of IDfy. IDfy was founded in 2011 by Vineet Jawa and Ashok Hariharan. Since then, it has grown to become one of the major players in the field of risk management both nationally and internationally. IDfy provides crucial services to India's top companies, including but not limited to KYC, KYB, background checks, risk mitigation, digital onboarding, and privacy solutions. The company has a big list of clients that includes HDFC Bank, AxisBank, Zomato, PhonePe, Paytm, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, and American Express, managing over 60 million verifications monthly. It also provides its services to millions of users in the international markets. In a statement, Elev8 said it was drawn to IDfy's strong leadership team, its product-centric approach, and its alignment with India's digitization story. “The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of cloud-based services, driving a surge in digitization and a shift in consumer behavior. This, coupled with the supportive regulatory environment fostered by the India Digital Stack initiative, creates a fertile ground for IDfy's continued growth." “We have known Ashok and IDfy for several years and are impressed with how they have built great products and a great brand. We believe that trust platforms from India will scale internationally, and IDfy can compound meaningfully with these global tailwinds. We look forward to a fruitful partnership with the management team to build IDfy in its next phase of growth," added Rohit Razdan, managing Director of Tenacity Ventures. The company plays a major role in one of the most important sectors in India, making life easier for millions of Indian and international customers. As of 2021, the company is valued at 66.9 million dollars. It has brought significant investments to India and sets a major example of showing the unstoppable growth of India and the potential of talented Indians who are only limited by their creative minds. Also published here

Mumbai-based Identity Verification Startup IDfy Raises $27M Amid Indian Tech Boom

Convincing someone to pay you money is hard. There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of companies, products, and consultants who will sell you something that claims to help you make more money. Some of these products/methods might work, some only in certain scenarios, and some are snake oil. It's really hard to tell which is which without experience. From my experience, hands down the easiest way to make more money as a business is to find the people who are already trying to pay you and make it easier for them. For 99% of subscription companies, the place to start is getting better at payment processing. A Quick Primer: Payment processing is everything that happens after someone has entered their payment info on your checkout page and clicked submit. A surprising number of companies lose 10%+ of their monthly revenue due to payment issues. To understand how to improve your payment processing, it helps to orient yourself in this world. The major players are: Gets a credit or debit card from a bank and uses it to pay for things. These are your customers. Cardholders: A business that takes card payments for stuff. This is you. Merchants: Handles merchant accounts and lets merchants put money from card payments into their accounts. Merchant Banks: Companies that process card transactions & connect merchants, banks, card networks, and others to make card payments work. Payment Processors: Places that give out cards to people. Issuing Banks: In charge of card rules and rates, handle things between banks. Card Associations (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express): You can visualize the world like this: Why This Matters: Fraud Models, Account Balances, Cards Understanding the details of each step isn't critical, but a general picture helps you understand why the optimizations work so well. Subscription businesses, by nature, do a lot of payment processing as they collect the value from customers incrementally over time. Instead of $120 upfront, most subscription businesses will collect $10 monthly for 12 months. While this has a lot of benefits, such as making products more affordable to consumers, raising conversion, etc., the big downside of this is that there is a 12x increase in the likelihood that something will go wrong and you will lose money. Pitfall #1: False Positives in Risk Models Because of the legal liability and amount of money flowing through the payments universe, each one of these steps will have an ML-based risk model that seeks to protect whoever is on the hook for that step of the transaction from fraud. All models have a false positive rate, meaning they will flag something that is legitimate as fraud and block the transaction. For the sake of argument, let's assume that there are five major steps in processing that each step uses a model that is 99.5% accurate at identifying fraud. You might be thinking that a .05% false positive rate isn't so bad, but you have to remember that each of the five steps has a 0.5% error rate, so that would be: Total False Positives = 1 - (1 - 0.005) * (1 - 0.005) * (1 - 0.005) * (1 - 0.005) * (1 - 0.005) = 0.024875 or ~2.48% Losing almost 2.5% of your recurring revenue monthly would be very bad, especially if it can be avoided. Pitfall #2: Lack of Balance on Cards To complete a transaction, your processor must validate that your user has the month to cover the transaction. Not that they are "generally good for it" or that they might have the money soon.  They need to have the money right now. When you consider the realities of personal finance, that people get paid at different times, their spending habits vary, and these balances will fluctuate. Your user might get paid on the 15th, but you tried to charge them on the 11th, and the card didn't have enough money. Unless you have an auto-retry set-up, your billing system might mark this user as "failed payment," and you'll lose them forever. Pitfall #3: Expired Cards & Changing The big irony about subscription businesses is that the better you are at extending the LTV of your customers, the more payment issues you'll encounter. The longer you charge someone, the more you'll have to deal with expiring cards and changing numbers. The average credit card in the US expires every 3-5 years.  If you are selling mostly annual plans (which should be your goal), you might only get 2 charges for a customer before the number changes. This is especially painful as annual plans are likely your best customers. So What Should You Do With This Information? Payments are a very deep rabbit hole to go down, and what you should be doing depends on where you are as a company. As companies get larger, they throw more and more resources at collecting payments as it is effectively free money that's there for the taking. What you should be doing depends on where you are as a company, but this is the normal trajectory of tactics and tooling. Step 1: Collecting Money At All To collect anything, you need to have a payment processor set up. For most US-based companies, that typically means Stripe. It's a solid product and has a lot of out-of-the-box functionality that is either free or very low cost.  Set it up, configure your plans, and start charging. As of August 2023, they are releasing a set of that you should enable: ​revenue recovery features​ Auto Retry Failed Payments - Stripe comes out of the box with an Auto Retry feature, which you can set manually to try again every 1, 3, 5, or 7 days. This is better than doing nothing and should be enabled for all accounts. ML-Based Dunning - This is like Auto Retry's big brother, where Stripe's algorithm is trying to guess when a card will have a balance on it. Based on the last prices I saw, you'll pay another 0.3% per transaction, but this was well worth it for most companies I work with.  Do the math yourself, but I guess it will also be for you. I would also set this as aggressively as possible within a 30-day window. Update Payment Method Emails - When a card expires or fails, Stripe will email them asking them to update the card or risk losing access. I find it worth it to put a little effort into these emails and ensure you send enough of them right after the payment fails. Step 2: A Second Processing Gateway Certain payment gateways are more effective at successfully charging people in certain countries. Gateways that are good for users within the US will not perform as well in places like Asia, India, and vice versa. If you ask a payment gateway whether they are strong in a certain country, they will always say yes. Don't believe them.   Ask around for similar companies in your industry and ask the subscription management companies if you can see benchmark data. They are more impartial. Your second gateway should cover users in the part of the world where your first gateway is terrible at charging cards. For most US-based companies, starting with Stripe, PayPal is typically the next payment gateway added. It's generally good where Stripe is weak. If you are based in India, and your first option was something like PayTM, maybe Adyen is your next move so you can charge users who are based in Europe more successfully. I have also heard anecdotally that having a legal entity & bank accounts in the same country, you're trying to process cards in helps. I have never seen this work firsthand, but you should ask your gateways if this is true before going through the work to set up entities and bank accounts. Step 3: Subscription Management Platforms Now that you have two gateways, this hopefully allows you to collect more money but also introduces new headaches. You need to manage pricing packages in two locations, settings in two locations, customer data in two locations, and having a centralized view of your revenue will be harder. This is why subscription management platforms exist, and products like Recurly, Chargbee, and Paddle start to make sense. They will let you set up everything in one place and have all gateways follow those settings. How much do these cost? A stupid amount of money, but they are probably worth it. They allow you to use the same revenue recovery features that Stripe has and see the benefit across all gateways. Alternatively, you can build this functionality yourself, which will allow you to customize exactly what happens. Still, you probably need at least two engineers to build & maintain this full-time, so you'll probably save money by buying this to start. Step 4: Adding Additional Gateways & A/B Testing Impact Now that you have multiple gateways set up, you can try to find out which countries it makes sense to install a 3rd, 4th, or 5th gateway and A/B test the impact. Last I checked, the subscription management tools don't have A/B as an out-of-the-box feature, but I recommend testing the impact and being confident that you're making the right call. When I was at Codecademy, we ran these tests and couldn't reach significance when we were charging around $50M per year.   I would guess that you need to be doing between $50-$100M ARR for this to be worth it. These tests were not cheap to set up and took a long time to run, so I would wait until a company is reasonably mature to test this tactic. Step 5: The Fancy Stuff Past this stage, companies start to get creative with any way to prevent transactions from failing. They cut data partnerships with credit card providers to ensure they know the new card number you'll be issued after your last card expires. AAA, the Road Side Assistance company in the US, left me three voicemails when I didn't update my credit card for a $ 99-a-year membership. They can likely afford this as most members will be around for ten years, so any effort to prevent accidental churn is worth it. If you have ever added an invalid payment method on Amazon, you'll notice that you never get an error on the site. Instead, you get an email a few minutes later asking you to update your payment method. This is because: Amazon is trying your payment method across multiple payment gateways to see if they can find one that will accept it Users are probably more likely to update a payment method for something they think is already on the way than they are to try a second credit card after their initial transaction is declined. They probably have 50 engineers working on this space full-time, but with their sales volume, it is worth it.

Payment Processing 101: The Easiest Way to Increase MRR

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, has emerged as a formidable force, reshaping business operations worldwide. enterprise blockchain suggest that the global market for enterprise blockchain is projected to reach $21.07 billion by 2025, reflecting an impressive CAGR of 57.6% from 2020. This surge isn't merely a testament to its technological prowess but speaks volumes about its potential to streamline operations, bolster security, and enhance transparency. Recent reports Leading organizations, from , are already harnessing this technology to drive efficiency and foster trust among stakeholders. underscored this momentum, revealing that 55% of senior executives view blockchain as a top strategic priority. Walmart to Maersk Deloitte's 2020 survey The reason? Its unparalleled capability to usher in a new era of decentralized, transparent, and immutable business operations. Considering these compelling statistics and the undeniable paradigm shift that enterprise blockchain brings, let's delve deeper into understanding its types, use cases, and more. Enterprise Blockchain: A Paradigm Shift in Business Operations The advent of blockchain technology has ushered in an era of transparency, immutability, and decentralized control, and nowhere is this impact more pronounced than in the enterprise sector. At its core, an enterprise blockchain is a distributed ledger tailored for corporate solutions, ensuring data security, enhancing operational efficiency and fostering trust among stakeholders. Unlike public blockchains, where anyone can participate and validate transactions (like Bitcoin or Ethereum), enterprise blockchains are typically permissioned. This means only authorized entities can join the network, ensuring confidentiality and scalability - paramount for business operations. **There are three primary types of enterprise blockchains: Public Blockchain Public blockchain epitomizes digital decentralization. Open to all, they operate transparently without centralized oversight, ensuring data immutability and security. Pioneered by platforms like Bitcoin and Ethereum, these trustless ecosystems enable peer-to-peer transactions, challenging traditional intermediaries and reshaping the contours of digital trust. Private Blockchains Exclusive to a single organization. They offer the highest level of security and control but may lack some of the decentralization benefits. Financial institutions often favor this model due to its regulatory compliance capabilities. Consortium Blockchains Governed by a group rather than a single entity. They strike a balance between decentralization and control, often used by banking consortiums to streamline cross-border payments. Hybrid Blockchains Merging the best of public and private chains, they offer flexibility, ensuring transparency where needed and privacy where essential. As businesses navigate the digital age, enterprise blockchains present a transformative solution, redefining how organizations operate and transact in an interconnected global economy. The onus is now on forward-thinking leaders to leverage this technology, ensuring a competitive edge and future readiness. Use-Cases of Enterprise Blockchain Supply Chain Management – Walmart In today's era where consumers demand transparency, Walmart's adoption of IBM's blockchain platform stands as a testament to progressive thinking. By ensuring product traceability, they've not only fortified food safety but also bolstered consumer trust. By tracking a product's journey, from farm to fork, blockchain reduces contamination risks and the associated economic losses. In an age where brand loyalty can be fragile, this initiative elevates Walmart's commitment to its consumers. Cross-Border Payments – Ripple Financial transactions across borders have historically been slow and expensive. RippleNet’s solution, adopted by leading banks, exemplifies the democratization of finance.\ By minimizing intermediaries, costs plummet and transaction speeds soar. It's a testament to how blockchain can redefine traditional systems, making them more equitable and efficient. Trade Finance – Maersk and IBM Global trade, despite its scale, has been mired in paperwork and bureaucracy. Maersk and IBM's TradeLens, by leveraging blockchain, acts as a beacon of modernization. Beyond mere efficiency, it offers real-time access to shipment data, fostering trust among stakeholders and even reducing global trade barriers. Identity Verification – Microsoft Personal data breaches have become distressingly frequent. Microsoft’s ION project on the Bitcoin blockchain champions user privacy and security. By decentralizing identity verification, it hands control back to individuals, reflecting a shift towards a more user-centric digital ecosystem. Real Estate Transactions – Propy Property transactions, often rife with red tape and fraud, are transformed by Propy. Its blockchain platform not only ensures transparent and secure property transfers but also democratizes access to global real estate markets. This innovation heralds a future where property ownership is both streamlined and globalized. (Also Read- ) NFT Real Estate: Redefining Property Ownership in the Digital Age Healthcare Data Management – Guardtime The sanctity of health records cannot be overstated. Guardtime leverages blockchain to enshrine this sanctity, ensuring data integrity while allowing patients more autonomy over their information. In a sector where trust is paramount, blockchain emerges as a vanguard of patient rights and data security. Loyalty Programs – American Express American Express's blockchain-driven rewards system reimagines customer engagement. By facilitating real-time, personalized offers, it enhances user experience, driving brand loyalty in a competitive market. It's a reflection of how blockchain can be harnessed to cater to evolving consumer expectations. Insurance Claims – AXA The insurance sector, often criticized for its opacity, witnessed a revolution with AXA's "Fizzy". By automating compensation for flight delays, it eliminates bureaucratic hurdles, fostering customer goodwill. It showcases the potential of blockchain to redefine customer service benchmarks. (Also Read- ) AI-Driven Insurance Enterprises – All Set to Break Records Intellectual Property – Sony In the digital age, intellectual property rights are often infringed upon. Sony’s blockchain initiative stands as a bulwark against such infringements, ensuring creators receive their due recognition and remuneration. It underscores the potential of blockchain to safeguard the rights of creators in a digital landscape. Audit & Assurance – Deloitte Financial audits ensure corporate accountability. Deloitte's blockchain foray elevates this assurance by offering immutable, transparent financial records. It exemplifies the future of corporate governance, where transparency isn't just a virtue, but a norm. In essence, blockchain's enterprise applications are not mere technological shifts; they represent a broader movement toward transparency, efficiency, and democratization across sectors. Readers and businesses alike would be well-advised to take note and consider how they might also harness this transformative technology. Conclusion: The trajectory of enterprise blockchain from a mere technological innovation to a cornerstone of modern business solutions is nothing short of remarkable. Its application, from supply chain management to cross-border payments, underscores a broader movement towards a transparent, decentralized, and efficient business landscape. As we've navigated the intricacies of enterprise blockchain, one thing becomes abundantly clear: it's not just a fleeting trend but a transformative force that will shape the future of business operations. Organizations, irrespective of their scale or domain, would be well-advised to consider potential, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the digital revolution. their How Can Debut Infotech Enhance Your Blockchain Initiatives for Enterprise? Designing and deploying a sophisticated enterprise blockchain solution requires specialized knowledge that goes beyond regular business methodologies. Debut Infotech stands out as a leader in blockchain application creation, building a formidable enterprise blockchain framework adept at decentralizing essential business facets or entire processes. Through our , we've enabled a plethora of startups and SMEs to expand their operational reach. blockchain development services Our esteemed partnerships with prominent names like , , and underscore our commitment to delivering innovative and efficient solutions across diverse sectors. Integra Ledger Ifinca Digipharm , and together, we can harness the power of enterprise blockchain to take your business to new heights. Connect with us

Enterprise Blockchain: Pioneering Change through Ecosystem-Based Solutions

এন্টারপ্রাইজ ব্লকচেইন: ইকোসিস্টেম-ভিত্তিক সমাধানের মাধ্যমে অগ্রণী পরিবর্তন

Enterprise Blockchain: Wegweisende Veränderungen durch ökosystembasierte Lösungen

Blockchain empresarial: cambio pionero a través de soluciones basadas en ecosistemas

Blockchain d'entreprise : un changement pionnier grâce à des solutions basées sur l'écosystème

एंटरप्राइज़ ब्लॉकचेन: पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र-आधारित समाधानों के माध्यम से अग्रणी परिवर्तन

エンタープライズ ブロックチェーン: エコシステム ベースのソリューションによる先駆的な変化

엔터프라이즈 블록체인: 생태계 기반 솔루션을 통한 선구적인 변화

Blockchain empresarial: mudança pioneira por meio de soluções baseadas em ecossistemas

Корпоративный блокчейн: новаторские изменения с помощью экосистемных решений

Kurumsal Blockchain: Ekosistem Tabanlı Çözümler Yoluyla Değişime Öncülük Ediyoruz

Chuỗi khối doanh nghiệp: Tiên phong thay đổi thông qua các giải pháp dựa trên hệ sinh thái

企业区块链：通过基于生态系统的解决方案实现开创性变革

167 Stories To Learn About Crypto Adoption

The contactless payment industry has taken off in recent years, offering customers an easy, secure way to pay without holding up the line at the grocery store. Tapping a card or phone on a terminal is much safer than swiping or using a chip reader. However, like any payment method, it’s still susceptible to tampering. Industry-wide cooperation among card reader companies, credit card networks, and issuers can make the practice safer. How Do Contactless Payments Work? Contactless payments use near-field communication (NFC) or radio frequency identification (RFID) to complete transactions. It’s the same technology behind unlocking a hotel door using a plastic room key. Within a credit or debit card, tiny plastic wires function as antennas to transmit the radiofrequency signal between the card and the reader. A card reader only picks up radiofrequency signals at a very short range, allowing you to hover or tap your card over the screen to pay. The reader requests more payment information — which is stored in the card’s shiny, metallic chip — when it detects a card in the area. The chip contains static data, which includes a card’s account number and expiration date. When you swipe your card or use a contactless payment app, the chip transmits static data along with a cryptogram — a unique numeric code issuers use to verify your device. The card reader sends this encrypted information to its servers. Then, the servers transmit the data to companies like Visa or American Express that send it to the issuer. Finally, the issuer approves the data and sends it back the way it came. All this happens in the amount of time it takes to read your card. The Rise of Touchless Payments Contactless payments are growing in popularity. A 2020 poll were using the method, with the pandemic spurring many people to stop paying with cash. The trend appears to be here to stay — and merchants are trying to keep up. found 79% of respondents worldwide According to a 2022 survey, a good checkout experience influences their decision to buy from that merchant again, so many stores have begun offering touchless card readers and payment app options for the first time. 91% of shoppers said However, as contactless payments become more common, so are the methods used to exploit them. Potential Security Issues Although contactless payments are generally safe, they still carry certain risks. For example, since you don’t need a PIN, anyone who steals your credit card or phone can potentially use it to make payments. It’s also possible for a bad actor to hack into your phone without physically lifting it. Because many of these purchases won’t come with a receipt, tracking them — and proving they’re fraudulent — can be tricky. Another technique hackers use to steal data is card skimming. Thieves employ specialized devices that intercept your card’s RFID information when they’re standing nearby. Once they have the data from your card, they can replicate it and create a cloned card. Thankfully, mobile wallets are virtually immune to these attacks since they use NFC to transmit data within an extremely close range of another device. Downloading potentially exposes your phone to man-in-the-middle attacks where hackers can access your data. Threat actors can collect information like your usernames, passwords, Social Security number, or bank account number. a mobile payment app Finally, there’s always the risk of a privacy breach. Contactless payment apps and cards collect a lot of data, and someone could potentially use that information to track you. Collaborating to Fight Crime Card reader companies, credit card networks, and issuers should work together to tackle these security issues. They can prevent contactless payment fraud by consistently adopting strong security controls, sharing threat information with each other, and creating more uniform guidelines across the sector. Projects like the Secure Payments Task Force — which the Federal Reserve created in 2016 and wrapped up two years later — can go a long way toward advancing payment security. Headed by payment industry experts, the Secure Payments Task Force worked across industry segments to identify ongoing challenges and potential solutions in data protection, payment identity management, and information sharing related to fraud. As companies release new products and services, they should integrate them with existing tools and risk assessment frameworks for a seamless transition into the payment system. The payment sector should also create frameworks to identify and secure sensitive data from different payment types to protect a diverse group of payment stakeholders. Strengthening Security Contactless payment is already one of the safest ways to complete a transaction. However, as it becomes more commonplace, hackers will get savvier, making it imperative to have strong safeguards in place. By collaborating, companies across the payment industry can make contactless payment even more secure, affirming its status as one of the most hacker-proof ways to buy a latte.

Why Industry Collaboration Is Key to Advancing Contactless Payment Security

Cash-back, loyalty points, miles, gift cards, and numerous other variations – reward programs come in all different shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, they all seem to suffer from similar issues. Lack of flexibility, an obnoxious amount of restrictions, and useless “perks”. But nonetheless, these systems attract and encourage loyalty to their brand, card, and/or program. A great example of this is American Express. The company is one of the most prestigious credit card providers in the world than competitors. It’s renowned for its intricate reward systems, but there’s still one problem – you can only use those rewards within its network. despite having significantly less reach These kinds of restrictions exist across the entire reward industry from gift cards to proprietary loyalty points. But that may be about to change as crypto debit cards and reward systems begin to move into the limelight. On the surface, this seems like just another customer retention strategy, However, it may actually have the potential to reinvent the notion of reward cards and loyalty points, which is a big part of the modern consumer experience. Current reward programs and how they work The idea behind a reward program is simple. The customer is rewarded, usually with cash back, points, or miles, for making a purchase. Such programs are typically applied for specific forms of payments, like credit card payments. Under cash back, the customer is refunded a certain percentage of their payment. With points, the user receives points for every purchase. They can then redeem these points for goods or services in the future. The same applies to mileage points, which are used by airlines. The consumer earns miles which they can then redeem for travel or hotel stays. In all of these, the customer makes regular purchases and they are rewarded for it. And it sounds good; at least on paper. Things become a little more complicated when it comes to implementation. Here, the question arises; how much value do users actually get from these programs? The flaws of traditional reward programs Traditional reward programs have some big flaws. Unfortunately, these flaws ensure that most customers derive very little value from the program. Take cash-back rewards for instance. While cash-back levels vary depending on the type of purchase and the credit card, most pay 1%-2%, at most 3%. That's a very small reward. To put it into perspective, on average, the card owner will have to spend a thousand pounds to get £20 cash-back. That can be acceptable until you factor in the fees and interest rates. Credit card rewards programs carry high fees and interest rates that negate the value of the rewards. What about points and miles? It's the same really. Consumers don’t earn that many points and miles from reward programs. For example, “mile” values are generally worth 1 cent per mile. The average cost of a good round-trip flight from JFK in New York to Heathrow is around €600. So, one would need to travel around 65,000 miles to earn points worth a single trip. This point also demonstrates another big flaw of traditional reward programs – limited earning and redemption options. There are limited ways through which customers can earn and redeem points or miles. Take miles rewards for instance. Miles can only be earned through air travel. And once earned, they can only be redeemed at the specific airline that offered them. Points, on the other hand, can only be earned and redeemed at specific outlets for specific purchases. Some programs only give rewards for grocery purchases, others for household items, electronics, and so on. This makes things frustrating for customers who may wish to earn rewards for making different purchases or those who want to use their rewards for other experiences. So, while reward programs are attractive to consumers, they don’t offer that much value. But what do crypto debit cards have to offer? Do cards like the Plutus Card do any better? Rewards With Crypto Debit Cards Plutus, a Web3 project that provides users with a debit card and a finance app that focuses on rewards. Users earn a percentage of the value back in Pluton (PLU). A huge benefit of such cards, and perhaps the most important, is redemption options. Crypto rewards have much more flexible redemption options than traditional reward programs. This is because they have very few limitations and give consumers an array of options and opportunities to earn and spend rewards. For example, a cardholder earns crypto for using the card at any merchant. Here it doesn’t matter where the holder has used the card. As long as the consumer uses the card to make a purchase, they will be rewarded. They then get to spend the rewards on anything they want. They’re not limited to a particular class of goods or services. They can also hold the rewards in their wallet as they would any other cryptocurrency. If the assets grow in value, well and good. Consumers also have the option to withdraw their rewards, which is impossible to do with conventional credit card rewards. This involves converting the tokens into real money by selling them at an exchange. For example, this app features a peer-to-peer exchange that supports crypto-fiat swaps. So, Plutus Card users can easily and conveniently convert their Pluton to cash. The other benefit of crypto rewards is the size. On average, crypto debit cards offer bigger rewards than credit card programs. Take Plutus for instance, which offers rewards of up to 8%. This is one of the highest reward rates in the market. Takeaway Overall, crypto debit cards have bigger, more flexible reward programs than traditional options. This makes them a very attractive alternative for consumers. So, if and when crypto debit cards go mainstream, they will likely replace traditional reward cards and loyalty points, or at least force them to offer better value.

Can Crypto Debit Cards Replace Traditional Rewards Cards and Loyalty Points?

The finance industry is under attack! Cybercriminals are constantly on the lookout for ways to steal sensitive data, such as credit card numbers and Social Security numbers. No one is safe - banks, credit unions, insurance companies, investment firms, and even brokerage firms are all at risk. But there’s hope! Financial institutions provide valuable services to their customers, including banking, insurance, investment, and brokerage services. These organizations play a crucial role in helping individuals and businesses manage their finances and achieve their financial goals. For financial institutions that handle credit and debit card payments, complying with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is essential. By adhering to these security standards, financial institutions can demonstrate their commitment to protecting cardholder data and enhance their brand reputation. This can lead to increased customer trust and loyalty, which is beneficial for both the institution and its customers. In 2022, the most significant data breach in the financial industry worldwide was detected in the United States at the First American Financial Corporation. The breach exposed a whopping 885 million financial and personal records. And it’s not just the big companies that are vulnerable - SF Fire Credit Union suffered a data breach on August 18, 2022, exposing the sensitive information of some members. So, what can you do to protect your financial information? One of the best things you can do is work with a financial institution that is committed to data security. Look for a company that has been certified by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Together, we can fight back against cybercrime! What Is PCI DSS? In 2004, major credit card companies like Visa, MasterCard, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, and American Express established the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) to safeguard credit card information and protect against data theft and fraud. The PCI DSS is a set of security standards that organizations must follow to process credit card transactions. Any organization that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data must comply with PCI DSS. This includes businesses of all sizes, from small online retailers to large banks. In this blog post, we will take an in-depth look at the role of PCI DSS in finance industries such as Banks, Credit Unions, Insurance Companies, Investment Companies, and Brokerage Firms. The that organizations must meet. These requirements cover a wide range of topics which are included in the given infographic below: PCI DSS has 12 requirements Role of PCI DSS in the Finance Industry: As we’ve seen, PCI DSS is a set of security standards designed to ensure the safety of cardholder data. Now, let’s take a closer look at how PCI DSS positively impacts the finance industry. The finance industry is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world due to the sensitive nature of the customer data it handles, including credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, and bank account information. There are several reasons why PCI DSS is important for the finance industry. Firstly, it helps to protect customer data from fraud and theft. Secondly, it can help to reduce the risk of a data breach. Thirdly, it can help to protect financial institutions from fines and penalties. By complying with PCI DSS standards, financial institutions can ensure the safety and security of their customers’ data. Now, as we continue below, we’ll explore the importance and essential role of PCI DSS in the finance industry! 1. Reducing the Risk of Data Breaches: By implementing the security controls mandated by PCI DSS, such as firewalls, encryption, and access controls, financial institutions can significantly reduce their risk of experiencing a data breach. Data breaches are a major concern for the finance industry with the average cost of a data breach in the financial sector amounting to $5.72 million according to the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021. PCI DSS requirements can help mitigate the risk of data breaches by requiring financial institutions to implement robust security controls. These include firewalls to protect networks from unauthorized access , encryption to scramble data and prevent it from being read by unauthorized individuals , and access controls to restrict access to sensitive data . (Requirement 1) (Requirement 3) (Requirement 7) By implementing these security controls, financial institutions can make it more difficult for criminals to steal customer data. The importance of reducing the risk of data breaches cannot be overstated. According to the Verizon 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report, 96% of breaches in the financial services industry were financially motivated. By complying with PCI DSS requirements, financial institutions can help to reduce the risk of data breaches and protect their customers, their businesses, and their reputations. Learn more about PCI DSS and how it can help your organization reduce the risk of data breaches. 2. Increase in Customer Trust: In the contemporary digital milieu, engendering trust amongst customers is of paramount importance for any business, financial institutions being no exception. When a financial institution garners the trust of its customers, it is more likely to retain its patronage and even receive recommendations from its acquaintances. One avenue for establishing customer trust is adherence to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requirements. These security standards have been formulated to safeguard cardholder data and demonstrate a financial institution’s commitment to protecting customer information. By delineating how customer information is employed to enhance their experience, financial institutions can assuage concerns and foster trust. With 79% of customers harboring concerns regarding how companies utilize their data [Pew Research Center], transparency is crucial. In addition to complying with PCI DSS requirements, there are several other measures financial institutions can implement to increase customer trust. These include: ● Listening to customers ● Providing helpful content and tools ● Being strategic with customer data ●  Prioritizing transparency ●  Being consistent ●  Doubling down on customer service ●  Sharing values The most significant driver of financial trust is the confidence that the institution has in protecting customer data. Offering quality products and services and helping customers meet their financial goals are also important factors. Thus, compliance with PCI DSS requirements and implementing other trust-building measures can aid financial institutions in building customer trust and augmenting their bottom line - a mutually beneficial situation! 3. Reduce the Costs: By precluding data breaches and eschewing regulatory penalties, financial institutions can diminish their costs. The implementation of security measures such as regular vulnerability scans can assist in the prevention of security incidents. (Requirement 11) By adopting proactive measures to prevent data breaches and comply with regulations, financial institutions can preserve funds and safeguard their bottom line. The cost of cyberattacks in the banking industry has attained a staggering $18.3 million annually per company. In addition to the direct financial losses incurred due to cyberattacks, these breaches also undermine user trust. Thus, by instituting robust security measures and complying with regulations, financial institutions can not only reduce their costs but also engender customer trust. 4. Improved Employee Security Awareness: Improving employee security awareness is a must for financial institutions! Employees are often the weakest link in a security chain. They can make mistakes that lead to data breaches, such as clicking on phishing links, opening attachments from unknown senders, or using weak passwords. A study by CybSafe found that only 11% of businesses provided a cybersecurity awareness program to non-cyber employees in 2020. And 20% of organizations faced a security breach as a result of a remote worker. The good news is that PCI DSS requires regular training and awareness programs for employees. This can help improve their understanding of security risks and best practices. Requirement 12.6 By investing in employee security awareness training, financial institutions can reduce their risk of data breaches and other security incidents, ultimately saving money and protecting their bottom line. 5. Enhanced Security Controls: The PCI DSS provides a robust framework for implementing security controls that protect cardholder data. By following these guidelines, financial institutions can significantly reduce the risk of data breaches and safeguard their customers’ sensitive information. For instance, mandates the use of anti-virus software to defend against malware attacks, while Requirement 6 ensures that systems and applications are designed and configured to minimize the risk of unauthorized access or data loss. Requirement 5 By adhering to these and other PCI DSS requirements, financial institutions cannot only protect their customers’ data but also strengthen their business by building trust and confidence. 6. Growth in Brand Reputation: Data security is of paramount importance for financial institutions to engender customer trust. Customers seek to engage in business with companies that they can trust to safeguard their data. The PCI DSS provides a set of security requirements to protect cardholder data and earn customer trust. A robust brand reputation can lead to augmented customer loyalty, attraction of new customers, and improved sales. When customers trust a company, they are more likely to engage in business with them again in the future, recommend them to others, and spend more money with them. Financial institutions that adhere to PCI DSS requirements can enhance their brand reputation and augment their bottom line. Here are some additional tips for enhancing your brand reputation: ● Let customers know what you are doing to protect their data. Be transparent about your data security practices: ● If there is a data breach, take steps to mitigate the damage and communicate with customers about what happened. Respond quickly to security incidents: ● Make sure your employees know how to protect customer data. Invest in security training for employees: ● Work with a security firm that can help you implement and maintain a strong security program. Partner with a reputable security firm: By following these tips, you can enhance your brand reputation and protect your customers’ data. Additionally, we have already discussed the impact of PCI DSS in the banking sector of the finance industry. You can check out our blog post on this topic here: “ ” How does PCI DSS impact banking and banking applications? Consequences for Non-Compliance With PCI DSS in Finance Industry: By complying with PCI DSS, your business can avoid monetary penalties from payment processors or credit card companies. These penalties, called “non-compliance fees,” can range from $5,000 to $100,000 per month. Compliance also helps to prevent legal consequences and expensive lawsuits that may arise from data breaches. ● You can avoid monetary fines from payment processors or credit card companies by complying with the PCI DSS standards. Monetary Penalties: ● You can avoid lawsuits from customers harmed by a data breach by taking steps to prevent data breaches and by responding quickly and effectively to any breaches that do occur. Legal Consequences: ● You can minimize the damage to your reputation and customer loyalty by taking steps to prevent data breaches and by communicating with customers openly and honestly about any breaches that do occur. Damaged Reputation: ● You can minimize the loss of customers by taking steps to protect your customers' data and by communicating with them openly and honestly about any breaches that do occur. Loss of Customers: ● You can avoid forensic audits by taking steps to prevent data breaches and by responding quickly and effectively to any breaches that do occur. Forensic Audits: ● You can avoid payment brand restrictions by taking steps to comply with the PCI DSS standards. Payment brand restrictions: ● You can minimize the damage to your brand reputation by taking steps to protect your customers' data and by communicating with them openly and honestly about any breaches that do occur. Brand reputation: ● You can avoid additional fines by taking steps to comply with the PCI DSS standards from the start. Reactive compliance: This approach can lead to increased customer trust and loyalty, which benefits both the institution and its customers. Instead of facing monetary fines, forensic audits, payment brand restrictions, and damage to their reputation, compliant organizations can reduce their risk of fraud and protect their business. So, let's focus on the positive and work towards a secure and trustworthy financial industry! Conclusion: In conclusion, understanding the role of PCI DSS in the finance industry is crucial for any organization that handles credit and debit card payments. Compliance with these security standards can have numerous benefits, including reducing the risk of data breaches, increasing customer trust, and enhancing brand reputation. At VISTA InfoSec, we specialize in helping businesses achieve and maintain PCI DSS compliance. If you have any further questions or if your organization is not yet PCI DSS compliant, please visit our website for more information or leave a comment with your query.

Understanding the Role of PCI DSS in the Finance Industry

The is the largest in the world, featuring 1,500 speakers, 2,000 artists, 200 reporters, and 500 brands. New York City NFT event Representatives from some of the most well-known brands were present, including CoinDesk, Forbes, SalesForce, Rarible, Cointelegraph, PWC, AWS, Ripple, American Express, Tron, Microsoft, Coinbase, Mastercard, and more. While the NFT industry was, at one time, dismissed by the mainstream, now we have events where speakers from OpenSea, Rarible, and Cointelegraph sit near representatives from Forbes, Amazon, Microsoft, and Mastercard. It’s quite a promising sign for a new industry that has enormous potential. NYC NFT 2023 Recap The event took place from April 12th to April 14th, 2023, and the outlook on the industry was very bright. During the conference, the price of Bitcoin would rise to its highest point since June 2022, nearing $31,000. The NFT industry is ultimately linked to the cryptocurrency market; most being bought on the Ethereum blockchain. The event gives NFT speakers a voice that is not typically available at other times and helps startup innovators to connect with venture capitalists and media professionals for improved success. It allows for new ideas and perspectives, as well as a discussion on the best way to integrate NFTs into mainstream society and help alleviate many pressing concerns. One area is payments, and this was discussed through interoperability between NFTs, cryptocurrencies, and fiat payment processors. A conference uniting firms like Mastercard and American Express with Web3 providers like Ripple, Rarible, and OpenSea provides a great way to bridge the gap and see what is the best path forward to take in the recontextualization of finance. Gaming Takes Center Stage This is the first year that gaming has had a stage all to itself at the event, an indication of how important this area is in terms of onboarding people from Web2 to Web3. There were many speakers from this industry that created quite an impact. arrived in style wearing togas, headed by CEO Colin Helm. This Metaverse project is building a real-life universe centered on the Roman era, with NFTs that can be used in combat. CaesarVerse The project signifies a new chain of thought in the sphere of education, as it is designed to be a setting where students can learn in a more interactive and dynamic manner as opposed to reading dry textbooks. But it’s also designed to be fun and rewarding for players. There were minor NFT projects in attendance alongside well-known brands, which is a good sign for the industry. Despite a clear bubble in 2021, the NFT industry is far from dead and is actually set to thrive. During the event, Web3 luxury brand set up an NFT scavenger hunt and, for the first time, Bitcoin NFTs were welcomed at a Bitcoin-theme Manhattan bar (PubKey). 9DCC Previously, NFTs were the domain of the Ethereum blockchain and were ridiculed by Bitcoin maximalists. NFTs are also making their way into film and TV. Veteran actors from the TV industry were in attendance (such as David Bianchi), promoting new series and movies via NFT sales. These Web3 shows can be seen on Web3 streaming platforms, such as Gala Film, a division of Gala Games. Predictions for the Future Of NFTs The event highlighted the bright future of NFTs as they become more adopted within mainstream society. This is evidenced by the fact that during the conference, Times Square is taken over with NFT ads, symbolically pointing to the fact that they are not a backstage phenomenon but a centerpiece of society. It’s more a question of how NFTs will be integrated and how the process will ultimately play out. Some prominent areas for NFT expansion include: - We have already seen virtual real estate platforms such as and the Sandbox, where online real estate tycoons invest . Real Estate Decentraland large amounts of capital NFTs are used to represent land or buildings in a given metaverse. - Gaming is said to be one of the primary mechanisms to onboard Web2 users to Web3. Not only is it a large industry, but it tends to be among the first to adopt technological trends. Gaming Web3 games all involve the use of NFTs by default. - NFTs can potentially be used to verify your online identity. This is especially relevant in a world where hacks and scams are rampant, in relation to identity theft. Identity Management - NFTs have been heavily endorsed by many celebrities, especially in the film and music industry. Film and Music The capability to cut out highly overpaid middlemen and interact with audiences directly is a dream of many creatives who are at the mercy of existing institutions. Artists are already gravitating toward NFTs, as have many musicians. Creatives in art, music, literature, and cinema were among the first to adopt NFTs, as it allows for more flexible and creative expression. Other Areas Discussed in the NFT NYC 2023 Event The event brought together industry professionals to share a great number of ideas and expertise. Another area discussed during the event was regulatory uncertainty, a never-ending concern when it comes to Web3. While the use of NFTs is set to increase in our lives, they will operate within a larger ecosystem involving RPA, AI, smart contracts, decentralized applications, and cryptocurrencies. All of which can largely be termed “Web3”. These were expanded upon in terms of high-level overviews as well as deep technical conversations among developers and network engineers. Ultimately, the NFT industry is going to be integrated into many other Web3 systems for full interoperability. International events such as this one in New York are critical in terms of ensuring that all the disparate aspects of a given ecosystem can move in unison for seamless integration. People are coming together, and so is technology, for an ecosystem that works for everyone.

NFT NYC 2023 Recap: Where Is the NFT Industry Heading?

Banks, merchants, brands and nations have implemented literally hundreds of digital wallets as of this writing and in 2021 were used to make an astounding $15.9 trillion in payments.  Unfortunately, these wallets suffer from rampant problems such as questionable security, intrusive business models, black box design, and limited capabilities. And, they’re restricted by vendor lock-in to boot, with each wallet doing only a few things well. To address these limitations, Foundation Europe, part of the bigger Linux Foundation, recently announced the launch of the vendor-neutral OpenWallet Foundation (OWF), together with Visa, American Express and more than 30 for-profits and nonprofits. The OWF, while not publishing a wallet, seeks to become the core global standard that others leverage to truly consumer centric interoperable digital identities and digital wallets, driven by the investments in existing standards such as eIdas 2.0 and the EU Digital Wallet reference implementation. Linux True to its Linux Foundation roots, the OWF promises to follow the open source software ethos and create an open source engine that belongs to us all. Financial organizations of all shapes and sizes back the OWF and have vouched to create applications using the open software they create as a base for global, interoperable wallets. We might be witnessing the beginning of something big. As Daniel Goldscheider, the OpenWallet Foundation’s founder puts it: “With open source at the core of wallets, like it is at the core of web browsers, anyone can build a digital wallet that works with others and gives consumers the freedom to maintain their identity and verifiable credentials and share relevant data when, where, and with whom they choose.” If successful, the OWF will be crucial for humanity’s future, laying the foundation for interoperability among a wide range of wallet use cases, including making payments, proving identity, storing validated credentials such as employment, education, financial standing, and entitlements. By adopting the same open source core, crypto can potentially be used in any digital transaction. Not many think about validating credentials and proving identity while discussing a crypto wallet, but blockchain may very well be an ideal solution for global interoperable digital wallets. People need to know who they’re doing business with, who they are paying, and who they are playing with. And they need to trust them. If crypto wallets can serve as digital IDs, and the whole world runs on an interoperable engine, the future looks bright. Everyone, from giant corporations to small communities, can develop wallets that serve their specific use case. Thanks to the OWF, all of those wallets will be able to talk to each other. And that makes all the difference in the world. The Problem with Digital Wallets Today That all kinds of organizations are creating digital wallets today suggests these organizations, regardless of their actual intentions, are part of the problem – spreading vendor lock-in, questionable security and black box design, among other ills. The main problem with the current situation is that “without them all staying in sync, every country or organization that issues credentials could become a walled garden. IDs and wallets from elsewhere won’t work, disrupting travel, international students, and mobile workforces.” This is a major issue. An issue that resonates with the words of the Linux Foundation Europe’s Gabriele Columbro: “The world needs a place to store digital assets that matter, and the work of this foundation has the potential to redefine the credentials landscape globally, creating in turn much better digital experiences for people everywhere and new market opportunities.” The wallets of the future will be multi-faceted. Of course, they’ll sign crypto transactions, but they’ll also be used for “proving identity, storing validated credentials such as employment, education, financial standing, and entitlements. And all of this will “enable trust in the digital future.” The Linux Foundation, one of the most credible names in open source technology, is behind the crucial and much-needed initiative. Other names behind the OWF The OpenWallet Foundation is an initiative from the Linux Foundation Europe, but the names behind it are even more prominent, they “include Accenture, Gen, Futurewei and Visa.” Plus, among the general sponsors are "American Express, esatus AG, Fynbos, IAMX, IndyKite, Intesi Group, Ping Identity, SmartMedia Technologies (SMT), Spruce and Swisscom.” That’s not it, “more than 20 leading nonprofits and academic and government entities have joined the foundation.” Among them is the OpenID Foundation, whose chair Nat Sakimura said: "The experience and expertise of global technical Standards Development Organization (SDOs) like the OpenID Foundation and others can help guide the OpenWallet Foundation and increase opportunities for industry and governments.” The consumer and the open-source ethos seem to be at the core of the OpenWallet Foundation’s project. On the one hand, Visa’s Marie Austenaa said that their organization would be “adding our experience and expertise to enable the wider digital payments ecosystem, and make sure consumers have the greatest possible choice.” On the other, DIDAS’ Daniel Saeuberli promised, “together with OWF, we are committed to advancing a global open source approach to wallet data portability and interoperability.” Why the Right Time is Now In conjunction with the OpenWallet Foundation, the Linux Foundation released a . Titled, “Why the World Needs an Open Source Digital Wallet Right Now,” it starts with a little bit of history. “Twenty-five years ago, early-stage web browsers were incompatible and non-standardized. This threatened to derail the web. That threat brought everyone to the table to adopt a core set of standards that ensured interoperability and helped the web to flourish.” research paper stating their case And we want crypto to flourish, and this project is crucial for that to happen. Plus, as we already said, time is of the essence: “Our economic and social progress is being held back by the limitations of today’s digital wallets, especially the lack of interoperability. Meanwhile, many countries and groups are rushing ahead to create their own bespoke digital wallets. That’s why we need an open, secure digital wallet engine that anyone can use on any device, with any operating system, for any app or service, with any currency, in any language, anytime, anywhere. And we need it now.” The OWF will develop an engine that wants to run at the core of everyone’s digital wallet. That open system promises to be “highly secure,” “privacy-preserving,” and “interoperable.” So much so that they might even run at the core of at least one CBDC project. It’s the most important one, though. If you don’t believe us, this is what the executive director of the Digital Dollar Project, Jennifer Lassiter said: “Digital wallets will be at the forefront of providing improved privacy and security, serving as the interface with users around the world for their digital transactions. DDP is proud to be a founding supporter of the OpenWallet Foundation, as now is the time to ensure CBDCs and the user facing wallets are designed with these key principles in mind.” And if that wasn’t enough star power check out what Clive Smith, the executive director of ID2020, said: “It won't be long before digital wallets are the primary user interface by which individuals receive, store, and share their identification documents, educational credentials, health data, money, and other digital assets.” In Conclusion What the OWF proposes has huge implications for . The open-source engine that they’ll build practically guarantees that cryptocurrencies can potentially be included in every human transaction. The world’s identities and credentials will be secured by blockchains of all kinds. And cryptocurrencies and CBDC can be the default way in which future societies will exchange value. As we always believed they would. crypto In retrospect, it was inevitable from the very beginning. Information in this article was taken from the following resources: DISCLAIMER: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/linux-foundation-europe-announces-formation-of-openwallet-foundation-301753956.html

Will the OpenWallet Foundation Deliver the Interoperability Digital Wallets Desperately Need? 

¿Ofrecerá OpenWallet Foundation la interoperabilidad que las billeteras digitales necesitan desesperadamente?

La Fondation OpenWallet fournira-t-elle l'interopérabilité dont les portefeuilles numériques ont désespérément besoin ?

क्या OpenWallet Foundation इंटरऑपरेबिलिटी डिजिटल वॉलेट की सख्त जरूरत को पूरा करेगा?

OpenWallet Foundation は、デジタルウォレットが切実に必要としている相互運用性を提供するでしょうか?

A OpenWallet Foundation fornecerá a interoperabilidade que as carteiras digitais precisam desesperadamente?

Liệu OpenWallet Foundation có cung cấp các ví kỹ thuật số có khả năng tương tác rất cần thiết không?

OpenWallet Foundation 会提供迫切需要的互操作性数字钱包吗？

Loyalty programs enhance business operations in multiple ways. First of all, when a company has a loyalty program, it produces an image of reliability and strength. Secondly, loyalty programs produce a wonderful effect on their users: the feeling that with more spending comes more saving. And it leaves both the consumer and the business owner satisfied. Loyalty APIs can help you either create your own loyalty program or use the existing ones for your benefit. White Label Loyalty API White Label Loyalty API offers to embed their loyalty solution to your platform in order to achieve the functionality of a full-grown reward system. It’s definitely easier than building it from scratch. The API consists of several parts: Rewards API (lets you choose the way rewards are earned), Events API (lets you choose actions that earn rewards), Users API (gives you access to users’ accounts), Venues API (lets you add information about the stores), and Marketing API (lets you analyze users’ activity). As you can see a lot of features can be tailored according to your needs and purposes. AwardWallet API AwardWallet has three types of APIs to offer: Email Parsing API, Web Parsing API, and Account Access API. Email Parsing API works with users’ emails. It retrieves the data (such as the amount of loyalty points spent or the expiration date) and structures it to be used further on. Web Parsing API retrieves information from users’ loyalty accounts (such as account balance, activity history or elite level) and again structures it. Account Access API provides access to users’ accounts that they shared if they agreed to do so. The API supports more than 700 providers and the categories include credit cards, airlines, hotels, rentals, trains, cruises, shopping, dining, parking and other. Voucherify API Voucherify API promises quick integration and impressive results. The API supports multiple regions and multiple currencies. It allows you to create a loyalty program with customizable features. You can apply your own reward earning rules, set the value of the rewards in accordance with the loyalty tiers, create push notifications, add pay-with-points feature, set time frames for extra points, and remind about expiration dates. Voucherify also provides an array of UX kits to be used for your loyalty program, as well as the digital wallet to store all the data in one place. Talon.One API Talon.One helps you create loyalty programs for your customers. Loyalty programs can be either profile-based or card-based. Profile-based programs allow you to use tier structure (like bronze, silver, and gold levels of rewards), while card-based programs allow users to share the card thus enabling them to accumulate and spend more points. Loyalty cards can be linked to users’ profiles but it will result in certain changes. But in both cases you can set rules on how customers will earn and spend their points. Fidel API Fidel API focuses on bringing connection between purchases and received rewards. This API securely connects to user’s card (supporting such payment networks as Visa, Mastercard and American Express) and retrieves the details about the payment. It typically includes the amount, the date, the brand, the location, incentives received for transaction and more. This list of five APIs doesn’t show the full scale of loyalty APIs available on the market, but it contains robust and functional examples. All of these APIs try to satisfy the needs of both customers and companies providing the developers with all the necessary tools to complete the goals.

APIs to Foster Loyalty in Your Customers

EPIC GAMES, INC., Plaintiff, v. APPLE INC., Defendant Court Filing, is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This is part 5 of 11. All green highlights are added by HackerNoon. Aug 24 2020 HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here Feature Image: HackerNoon’s Stable Diffusion AI, Prompt” Dealer’s choice” III. ANALYSIS The Court finds it appropriate to evaluate, once again, Apple's actions with respect to (i) Epic Games specifically, including the delisting of and other games authorized under Epic Games’ contract with Apple, and (ii) the attempt to suspend and terminate developer rights authorized under other contracts, such as the one controlling Unreal Engine. Fortnite A. Likelihood of Success on the Merits Epic Games brings ten claims for violations of Sherman Act, the California Cartwright Act, and California Unfair Competition. For purposes of the motion for preliminary injunction, Epic Games focuses on two: the monopoly maintenance claim under section 2 of the Sherman Act, and the tying claim under section 1 of the Sherman Act. Accordingly, the Court cabins its analysis with respect to these only. Having reviewed the limited record, while Epic Games raises serious questions on the merits, the Court cannot conclude that Epic Games will likely succeed on the merits of those claims. Too many unknowns remain. Preliminary Considerations The current legal landscape cautions against preliminarily finding antitrust violations based on less than a full record. As the parties acknowledge, this matter presents questions at the frontier edges of antitrust law in the United States. Simply put, no analogous authority exists. The questions and issues raised in this litigation concern novel and innovative business practices in the technology market that have not otherwise been the subject of antitrust litigation. [10] As the Ninth Circuit recently recognized in , " .’ " Federal Trade Commission v. Qualcomm Inc. novel business practices— in technology markets—should not be ‘conclusively presumed to be unreasonable and therefore illegal without elaborate inquiry as to the precise harm they have cause or the business excuse for their use especially This is "[b]ecause innovation involves new products and business practices, courts[’] and economists[’] initial understanding of these practices ." will skew initial likelihoods that innovation is anticompetitive and the proper subject of antitrust scrutiny (explaining how "antitrust economists, and in turn lawyers and judges, tend to treat novel products or business practices as anticompetitive" and "are likely to decide cases wrongly in rapidly changing dynamic markets," which can have long-lasting effects particularly in technological markets, where innovation "is essential to economic growth and social welfare" and "an erroneous decision will deny large consumer benefits"). The Court therefore has an even greater obligation to conduct an "elaborate inquiry" before determining that the alleged practices violate antitrust law. Second, the record remains insufficient to conclude that Epic Games will likely succeed on the merits of its claims. As discussed below, the record includes conflicting evidence in support of both Epic Games and Apple; a lack of crucial evidence without which the merits cannot be determined; and fundamental disagreement by expert witnesses that is not resolvable at this stage of the case. With respect to the last, the Court highlights that the parties’ retained expert witnesses are all accomplished and distinguished individuals. Epic Games submits declarations from Dr. David S. Evans, an economist with degrees from the University of Chicago, whose scholarly work has been widely read and cited, including by the Supreme Court in Ohio v. American Express Co. Apple submits declarations from Dr. Richard Schmalensee—an economist with degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ("MIT"), whose work is also widely read and cited, including in and —and Dr. Lorin Hitt—an academic with a business management background and degrees from MIT and Brown University, who has background in electrical engineering and technology. These expert reports reflect fundamental disagreements from luminaries in the field as to  the foundational questions of this matter. While ultimately one view will likely prevail, at this juncture, the Court concludes that reasonable minds differ. Amex Microsoft With these considerations in mind, the Court turns to the merits of the claims. Continue Reading . Here The exceptions involve the related In re Apple Antitrust , 4:11-cv-06714-YGR (N.D. Cal.) (Pepper ), and Donald Cameron v. Apple Inc. , 4:19-cv-03074-YGR (N.D. Cal.), matters that are currently before this Court. Both Pepper and Cameron are in the middle of discovery, with motions for class certification anticipated in early 2021. No substantive rulings as to the merits of the claims have otherwise been made in those cases. Similar issues arise in Epic Games, Inc. v. Google LLC , 3:20-cv-05671-JD (N.D. Cal.), filed at the same time but which does not have similar motions for preliminary injunctive relief. [10] About We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: This court case 4:20-cv-05640-YGR on Oct 9, 2020, is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. published

Antitrust or Innovation? Dealer's choice. 

THE BANKS WILL FALL BY THE WAYSIDE IN THE COMING YEARS Now more and more people experience problems with opening bank accounts, which is particularly acute for immigrants and foreigners. For instance, most countries require many documents to open an account. Some banks even ask for a deposit of up to 500 euros with no guarantees that the opening of a bank account is going to be successful. So, there is a considerable risk of wasting money on the attempt to open a bank account. Those who are lucky enough to have international bank accounts sometimes pay exorbitant fees for that service, this provides another proof that doing business with a foreign bank is neither quick nor efficient. Special note must be made of the current situation caused by the war in Ukraine. Together with traditional warfare, we experience alternative versions of the attacks like cyber and economic ones. In this regard, many pro-Russian media support the idea of total banking system destruction, which is supposed to represent a profound loss of human livelihoods. Even now, fewer options exist for people who left the countries to preserve their savings within European banks. On the other hand, it is risky to store your assets in domestic banks because the norms of humanity do not constrain Russia from attacking the critical infrastructure of Ukraine. So the way out is pretty obvious; it is cryptocurrency. This industry is rolling out across the world, and crypto will be a huge trend for a few years before it reaches the point of becoming the "hidden plumbing" that now exists. Crypto providers and payment gateways are now here to help solve a broader range of payments, from subscriptions to frictionless e-commerce to business-to-business payments. For people, crypto platforms like 1TN mean simple and ready-to-use solutions that do not need to be comprehended,  everything will be done for them with no limitations and with the lowest transaction fees. : Disclaimer The author of this story is the CEO at 1TN When it comes to business, due to: high transaction costs conversion of payments abandoned carts by consumers transaction limits tough KYC verification fragmented payment channels, and many more issues; the traditional payment system massively limits e-commerce platforms and merchants. Cryptocurrencies offer a way for businesses to unlock the total value of their services and expand beyond their local areas. A payment gateway is a more convenient solution to mitigate these problems and help businesses accept payments using a fast and reliable system. Crypto in Retail: E-Commerce without Borders and Upcoming Trends One of the most exciting technologies today is a cryptocurrency payment processor that offers a bitcoin POS system for companies to accept cryptocurrencies. It's very easy to use for the client and the payment receiver alike. However, I do not consider POS terminals to be in demand in the longer run - crypto-innovations will make the need for POS devices obsolete. Through a simple and user-friendly dashboard, you can create payment pages for one-time use that allow you to pay for goods in crypto. It can also be a game-changer for people traveling from the USA or Asian regions. It is common knowledge that European banks accept cards from neither American express nor UnionPay. Tourists experience dozens of declined transactions, and every attempted purchase is a crapshoot. Crypto payment pages are one of the few convenient ways out of this situation. E-commerce is about to imply services that are really and seamlessly integrated into a customer experience rather than forcing the client to go to the financial services provider and then return to their previous activity. 2023 is about delivering payments at the right place, at the right time, and in the proper context. Borderless and easy payments are win-win situations for both customers and businesses. Everything that will make payment processes more straightforward and shorten the distance between customer and provider will allow crypto to be more embedded in day-to-day experiences. With the advent of services such as Chainanysis and the formalization of regulation in different jurisdictions, cryptocurrency will become more transparent than the banking system. The move from opening bank accounts to crypto will involve businesses and people changing their mindset in 2023, seeing a new transformative stage of receiving and accepting payments. : Disclaimer The author of this story is the CEO at 1TN

From Borderless Banking To Fewer Declined Transactions: Crypto-Payment Processors Are The Future

De la banca sin fronteras a menos transacciones rechazadas: los procesadores de criptopagos son el futuro

De la banque sans frontières à moins de transactions refusées : les processeurs de crypto-paiement sont l'avenir

सीमा रहित बैंकिंग से कम अस्वीकृत लेनदेन: क्रिप्टो-भुगतान प्रोसेसर भविष्य हैं

ボーダレス バンキングから拒否されたトランザクションの減少まで: 暗号支払いプロセッサは未来です

Do banco sem fronteiras para menos transações recusadas: os processadores de pagamento criptográfico são o futuro

Từ ngân hàng không biên giới đến ít giao dịch bị từ chối hơn: Bộ xử lý thanh toán tiền điện tử là tương lai

从无国界银行业务到更少的拒绝交易：加密支付处理器是未来

Some PMs in the sector are beginning to question their own work - can we learn lessons from this? Today I am going to explore the concept of the Bullshit job made popular by David Graeber – see how it applies to Product Management and explain why I think it’s time to bring a bit of humility within all the hype. Content Overview: What makes a BS Job? Why PM is (sometimes) a BS job Why Product Management is the new Investment Banking The overuse of Product Frameworks Bullshit jobs You might have already heard about the concept of bullshit jobs made popular by David Graeber. The notion was explained in the article “On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs” from Strike! Magazine in 2013. David Graeber later wrote a book about it in 2017. I found the book stodgy and difficult to finish because it was primarily over-stretching principles from the article, although I did enjoy several crucial learnings. If you haven’t read it, the book provides details about: The five types of bullshit jobs Why bullshit jobs make people miserable How we only recently came to accept that an employer “owns” us for certain hours a day How religion and morale have led us to associate work with virtue The myth of market inefficiency leading to the proliferation of bullshit jobs How universal basic income would restore the balance between employees and employers and let them choose work that is fulfilling and valuable. What I like best about this argument is that it is not Graeber who selects which occupations are BS. He put the ultimate test on the person by asking if they believe their job is significant and contributes to the world. If the response is no, the job is BS. However, it is evident from the book that Graeber believes that the majority of BS positions are in the service industry. This is why, according to David Graeber, if you work on your laptop in an office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., you are most likely working in a BS job. Why Product Management is a BS job The fifth sort of BS job is the pointless taskmaster - a supervisor whose employees do not require any supervision at all. And talking with the Product Manager community, it would seem like that is what the Product role sometimes feels like. You are in charge of a team that would most likely function perfectly well without you. As one Reddit user (which will be my main source of investigation for this article) pointed out: “ ” ( ) I would be nothing without my dev teammates, but my devs would probably get on pretty well without me. That gives me a real sense of humility I see lacking in so much PM discourse online. source Another test offered in the book to determine whether a job is BS or not is to envision a scenario in which an entire group of professionals vanishes from one day to the next. It claims that if nurses and garbage collectors disappeared tomorrow, the world would be a chaotic place. Could we apply a similar logic to the Product Manager? Is it possible to imagine a society without this role? Because the PM role is very new and I still can't describe it to my mother, I believe the answer would be "Yes - a world without Product Managers could work."  And, to apply the world analogy to a technology firm, when do you believe a software company would be in a catastrophic situation? When all Product Managers have left, or when all Developers and Engineers have vanished? “ .”  ( ) Stuff would 100% get done without me, and fundamentally my job day to day is a shit umbrella to protect the engineers and designers from nonsense, and to guide the narrative. I'm not indispensable source Those are speculative scenarios, but they are quite sobering. In a world where Product Manager is becoming so trendy, PM wages are becoming increasingly competitive, and PMs are behaving like rock stars - it's refreshing to hear pragmatic views that counteract all the hype. Finally, the best way to determine whether Product Management is a BS job is to interview the employees themselves, and we can see that a handful of them struggle to find their job important or contribute to something. Is Product Management the new Investment Banking? The Industry does require some humility. I began my career in investment banking, and it quickly became evident that my personality did not fit the work culture. From interns bragging about their American Express Black to analysts comparing their Rolex (all true stories), I spent the majority of my brief time in banking wondering, "what the hell am I doing here?" But it wasn't just bragging; it was also cruelty: I recall investment bankers making fun of one of our colleagues who ended up in the hospital due to overwork, with people calling him a "pu$y" who couldn't handle stress. Unfortunately, more and more I am seeing those profiles in Product Management. “ ” Back in the day, all of the product managers at my companies wanted to leave to go get their MBA. Today, everyone wants to go to business school to leave and become a product manager. (source) I once applied for a French FinTech unicorn PM role. I asked a few questions at the end of our conversation to demonstrate my interest. I was curious as to what aspect of the role they find most difficult. " " the hiring manager deadpan replied. The most difficult aspect of the interview was not rolling my eyes. I then told this story to another PM, who admitted she had the same experience with this company, stating "oh god, they were so full of themselves." The way we do Product is so unique and outstanding, I would struggle to work anywhere else, and I could not envision going back to working on Product the way I was doing before I've also had PM interviews for international unicorns with "bad cop" and "good cop" settings that reminded me of my banking interviews - having a super busy and important Product Manager clearly showing they wanted to be anywhere else and had much more important things to do than discuss my unimpressive CV. The issue is that we're seeing an increasing number of those PM/rockstar profiles wear their FAANG (Facebook, , , , and ) job titles as a badge of honor and are very quick to snub other PMs. Apple Amazon Netflix Google Giving up on savior frameworks Aside from arrogance, certain Product Managers feel the need to lecture. Many Product Frameworks are developed, and many Product “gurus" will tell you how "you are doing Product wrong." They would either promote the most well-known Product ideas (be user-centric, fall in love with your problem) or, better yet, they would design THE new Product Framework that would solve all of your Product Management's terrible practices. What we often overlook is that those PM leaders not only believe in this new system and have used it successfully in previous positions, but they also begin earning from it. Their main source of revenue is now selling a book or speaking at a Product Conference about their new framework. As a result, those PM gurus want to force their new paradigm down our throats, despite the reality that PM is not a science that can be followed by the book. I did a training with 2 PMs from HP and the Product Culture they were describing was far from a utopia. Is it all BS? I enjoy my job as a Product Manager. It's not as glamorous as social media would have you believe; there's a lot of frustration every day, a lot of dealing with stakeholders you'd rather not have to deal with, but in the end, you work with extremely smart people (devs, UX/UI designers, founders), and you try to come up with a more user-centered approach that, ideally, would bring a better product to the market. Product Manager is also intellectually challenging as you have to tackle very diverse topics (from pricing to GTM, to Roadmap) and there is a collaborative part that makes the job human. For those reasons, I found Product Management rewarding and I believe it adds value to most companies. However, it's useful to take a step back and consider the relevance of the PM function in our society, understand it wouldn't pass the David Graeber test, and start being humble. I left IBD due to the people and atmosphere, and I don't want to see the same bro's cocky culture migrate to this industry. Although PM roles are“en vogue”, there are many other roles that contribute to company goals and are done by individuals as smart with different skill sets. “ ”. We are not geniuses Also published . here

The Pointless TaskMaster: Why Product Management Might be a BS Job

Online grocery services are steadily gaining in popularity. Recent statistics show that of American shoppers buy groceries online at least once a week. In addition, U.S. digital grocery sales are expected to increase by at least . 22 percent 149 percent by 2023 Despite this level of growth, it's important for online grocery delivery services to understand that there will be a unique set of challenges that come with the development of a top-tier e-grocery experience for customers. Here are five lessons from Food Rocket that can help other brands avoid the same mistakes we made. Leave the bright, flashy packaging to retail chains. In e-grocery, your customers are making their choices virtually. You don't need to create attention-grabbing packaging with bright colors or flashy graphics. Focus your efforts on developing a product description that's enticing, informative and useful to the customer. A recent survey found that more than of online shoppers place a "high value" on product descriptions when it's time to make a purchase. This is especially true for younger generations, who are to be influenced by product descriptions that they perceive as "impressive." 87 percent 40 percent more likely It is actually quite difficult to translate the in-person customer experience to a comparable online experience. When customers are in your store, they can see, smell and touch the products. They can also get descriptions, nutrition information, manufacturer information and more when they pick up a physical product. Since this is impossible for an online shopping "trip," you must do everything in your power to support a consumer's need for information directly in the app. Take the time to develop suitable packaging solutions. Imagine that your company decides to deliver hot coffee. The challenges of how to keep it hot for 15-30 minutes, how to retain the taste, and how to deliver the products and necessary condiments without damage are all important considerations. Choosing the right type of packaging is vital for e-grocery deliveries. After all, it doesn't matter how good your coffee is if it arrives with cream and sugar spilled in the package or a cold latte in the cup. Food Rocket once decided to deliver these amazing danishes with fresh berries and vanilla cream. Customers were so excited about the product, so we expected a great launch day. However, after launch, our customer chat was flooded with complaints about how the danishes arrived damaged from delivery! We realized that we needed to pause deliveries for them and rethink the packaging before offering them in the app again. We learned our lesson and had a great success story with hot dog delivery. We developed a perfect container with the help of our team and a supplier, and we included a separate "topping holder" to keep ingredients separate and give customers control over how much topping to add. Be prepared to change how some products are delivered. Having the right packaging for the product is just the beginning. As we saw with the danish launch and imagined coffee delivery, some products must be completely changed before they can be successfully delivered. In the hot dog example above, I mentioned a separate topping holder. This provides a better experience for the customer because it keeps each topping fresh and allows customers to "choose their own adventure" when it comes to adding toppings. The same is true for many products. Sauces often need to be placed in containers separate from the main course, and temperature alterations may need to happen for other products. For example, if a latte needs to stay hot for up to 30 minutes before it reaches the customer, then it's critical to have packaging that retains heat as much as possible. In addition, you will have to change how you prepare the drink. The milk will have to be steamed hotter than usual, but this must be done carefully so that it doesn't taste burnt. Add customization options when you can. The ability to customize food options is more important than ever for online food ordering. Technomic notes that of consumers place high importance on being able to customize their orders, and are willing to spend more on a meal with new or interesting flavor choices. While these statistics were focused on restaurants, the same is true for e-grocery orders. over 60 percent 66 percent The more opportunities you have for customization, the happier your customers will be. Be sure only to implement as many customization options are your operation can handle, though. Remember that you can offer not only dish customization but things like meal deals and related add-ons as well. Perform consistent quality checks at every stage. Quality assurance is not unique to the e-grocery sector, but it is something that businesses should pay special attention to. Customers are expecting products that are the same or better quality as they would get in their favorite restaurant or supermarket. An American Express report found that a single bad food delivery experience can result in 33 percent of American customers switching to a competitor. Whether this is damaged products, poor service, or dissatisfaction with food quality, consumers are rather unforgiving when it comes to food quality. Online Grocery Delivery Has Its Own Unique Product Challenges The online food and grocery delivery sector is booming, but the truth is that there are plenty of operational challenges that companies can unexpectedly run into. When developing new products for e-grocery, it's important to think through the delivery process and, when in doubt, pay attention to customer feedback. There will inevitably be times you get it wrong, but each of those instances is an opportunity to learn how to improve your service for the future.

5 Lessons Learned During Online Grocery Product Development

There are many types of proxies: datacenter, residential, ISP and so on.  Each type of IP address is used for a different purpose. For example, datacenter IPs are good when you need to bypass a ban, while residential proxies will be great for arbitrage bets. In this article we will talk about mobile proxies. You will find out what their features are, what tasks they are suitable for and where to buy them. So let’s start. What Are They? Mobile proxies are IP addresses from mobile carriers such as Vodafone, O2, AT&T and so on. Mobile proxies together with residential proxies are considered the most reliable. The reason the addresses are reliable from operators is: there are millions of users, and only a few thousand of IP addresses. Therefore, multiple users are assigned to the same IP address. This is beneficial to proxy users, since social media and websites ban such IPs much less often, as blocking one IP will prevent multiple users from accessing resources at once. In mobile proxy there is a constant IP address rotation - IP changes every few minutes depending on tariff and proxy service (5, 10, 30 minutes). How Are They Different From Datacenter Proxies? Server proxies are always static, meaning that they only have one IP address. In the case of mobile IPs, the addresses change at a certain interval. Some pools of server IPs are blacklisted on certain resources. Mobile proxies are nearly impossible to blacklist. If the server IP gets blocked by the anti-fraud system,  it usually bans the entire subnet. Mobile IPs are banned one by one. In addition, mobile addresses are more trustable, as we said above. What are they useful for? Greater trust from web resources and constant IP rotation allows you to perform the following tasks: Bulk account creation. The IP changes every couple of minutes, which is very convenient; Mass-liking and mass-following on Instagram and other social networks. The social network anti-fraud system will identify you as a regular user who's just using the phone. And the main goal is anonymity. Mobile proxies will hide your real IP address, and web resources will not even suspect you of using a proxy, as it can be, for example, with datacenter IP addresses. Please note: to become anonymous, just using a proxy is not enough. You need to hide / change other parameters - WebRTC, for example. To hide normally in 2022, you need to use an anti-detect browser. If you are not a carder or a scammer, setting up a proxy and disabling WebRTC in the browser will be enough. Where to Buy: Top Proxy Services In this list, I’ve collected 16 best proxy services. 1. RSocks 41 countries, 74 cities The number of GEOs: From 1 day Rental Period: 5/10/30 minutes Rotation: AliPay, Bank cards, WMZ, Bitcoin, Ethereum. Payment systems: Yes RSocks.net API: Site: By purchasing mobile proxies from RSocks, you get unlimited 3G/4G/5G data traffic. Technical support service works 24/7, ready to answer at any time. There is a trial period, which is a huge advantage. You don't need to buy a proxy to test it. Take a trial and use it for 1 hour. RSocks also has a referral system: you get from 10% to 20% for purchases made by referred customers. 2. SOAX 100+ The number of GEOs: Monthly subscription Rental Period: From 90 seconds to 5 minutes Rotation: Bank cards, PayPal, WebMoney Payment systems: Yes API: soax.com Site: In Soax, you don't buy proxies individually - you pay for traffic. The GEO selection is impressive, but the price tag is pretty high. Technical support speaks both in English and in Russian. Soax can give out 100 MB proxies for trial but you will have to pay $1.99. For every client you refer, you earn 7% of their purchases. 3. Oxylabs 100+ The number of GEOs: Monthly subscription Rental Period: Per request Rotation: Bank cards Visa/MasterCard, Bank transfers, AliPay, PayPal Payment systems: Yes API: oxylabs.com Site: For you - 20 million mobile IP addresses around the world. Choose any country that suits your purposes. Technical support at Oxylabs works 24/7 - contact them at any time. In addition, an account manager is assigned for you to help resolve issues. If it's offline, the system will connect you with another employee. 4. Bright Data 100+ The number of GEOs: Monthly subscription Rental Period: Per request Rotation: Bank cards, Bank transfers, AliPay, PayPal, Payoneer, American Express Payment systems: Yes API: BrightData.com Site: Former Luminati provides PC software and browser extension. With their help, you can switch between geos, view and disable proxies with one click. Unfortunately, they respond to tickets in a formulaic way, so it's better to contact them on the live chat. There is a trial period of 7 days. During this time, you will have time to evaluate the quality of Bright Data proxies and decide whether they are suitable for you or not. 5. IPBurger 100+ The number of GEOs: Monthly subscription Rental Period: Every 30 minutes Rotation: Bank cards, PayPal, BTC Payment systems: Yes IPBurger.com API: SIte: 9.3 million - that's how many 4G/5G mobile IPs IPBurger has. Geos from all over the world are available for you. Buy the one that best suits you. You have to wait a long time for a response from technical support. Support is busy - this is the message that pops up in the livechat window. At the same time, you need to indicate the reason why you contact support, why you choose a proxy, etc. All this takes time, it is easier to find all the information yourself. 6. HydraProxy 100+ The number of GEOs: 1/2/7/30 days Rental Periods: Every 30 minutes Rotation: Bank cards, Crypto BTC, ETH, LTC, XLM, XRP, BAT, MKR, DAI, PAX, USD-T, USD-C. Payment systems: Yes API: HydraProxy.com Site: HydraProxy is a budget-friendly service. The prices here start from $2.95 per port. Proxy service offers proxies of America. The range includes absolutely all the states. Choose any that you need. Hydraproxy refunds within 24 hours of purchase. The proxy rotation happens every 30 minutes, but you can set your own interval. 7. LTESocks 8 The number of GEOs: day/week/month Rental Periods: Per request Rotation: Bank cards, payments to Privatbank or Monobank cards, SEPA/IPAN transactions in euro, any crypto Payment systems: Yes LTESocks.io API: Site: LTESocks adds new geos to its assortment every month. Support is online 24/7 and responds within minutes. Questions are read carefully. A huge plus of the service is the ability to pay for proxies with any crypto. But the proxies are not activated immediately - only from 9.00 to 22.00 on any day. If you paid during non-working hours, the proxies will appear in your account as soon as the working day starts. 8. AstroProxy 12 The number of GEOs: : From 1 day Rental Period : Automatic or per request Rotation Bank cards, YouMoney, Perfect Money, AdvCash, Dash, ZCash, Qiwi Payment systems: Yes API: AstroProxy.com Site: In AstroProxy, you pay for data. How much you spend, so much you pay. Thanks to this payment model, you decide when and how much to use a proxy. You can use all the data traffic in a day, or you can use it in a month. However, there is a drawback in AstroProxy - support does not work 24/7, so you have to wait until the morning if questions arise at night. 9. ProxyGuys 26 cities of the US The number of GEOs: day/week/month Rental Periods: By timer or per request Rotation: Bank card, Amex, Discover, BTC, LTC, ETH, BCH, USD Payment systems: Yes API: ProxyGuys.com Site: ProxyGuys offers mobile 5G proxies of the United States. The service offers a package both with several cities and with one. The arsenal of the service includes 26 cities of America - buy any that you want. ProxyGuys offers a 25% discount to those who buy mobile IPs in bulk. ProxyGuys also offers a free plugin for Chrome and Mozilla to switch between IP addresses of this service in one click. 10. Proxy-Cheap 11 The number of GEOs: Month Rental period: From 1 minute to 1440 depending on the GEO Rotation: Bank transfers, Visa/MasterCard cards, BTC Payment systems: Yes API: Proxy-Cheap.com Site: From Proxy-Cheap, you can purchase proxies of the United States and Europe. But there is a nuance: locations are either there or not. For example, there is a location, Lithuania, and a month later it's gone. The service offers to test the IP address for an hour to determine whether the Proxy-Cheap IP suits you or not. There is no refund in the service. 11. One Dash Proxy 10+ The number of GEOs: From 3 days Rental period: By timer or per request Rotation: Robokassa, Unitpay, Tinkoff, CloudPayments, Coinbase, Cryptonator Payment systems: Yes API: Proxy-OneDash.com Site: OneDash Proxy offers mobile IP addresses from Europe, as well as Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Technical support, although working 24/7, responds pretty slowly - within an hour. There is no maximum proxy rental period - choose the required number of days yourself. 12. Proxy-Seller 7 The number of GEOs: From 1 week Rental period: From 5 to 30 minutes depending on the location Rotation: BitCoin, MTS, Beeline, Privat24, WebMoney, Qiwi, Bank cards, Sberbank Online, Alpha click, PerfectMoney и YouMoney Payment systems: Yes API: Proxy-Seller.com Site: Proxy-seller offers proxies for periods ranging from 1 week to a year. This is very convenient, especially if you need a proxy for a couple of days. But there is also an unpleasant moment: you immediately buy a proxy, there is no test period, however the service makes a refund within 24 hours after the purchase. The proxy is also replaced with another one if there are any problems with the current IP. 13. Frigate Proxy 6 The number of GEOs: From 4 hours to 30 days Rental period: Per request or every 4 minutes Rotation: Bank cards, YouMoney, QIWI, WMR, WMZ, LiteCoin, Bitcoin, Fk Wallet Payment systems: Yes API: Frigate-Proxy.ru/en Site: The service provides elite and shared mobile proxies. Elite are divided into: private. Access is open to all sites, one user per modem; semi-private. Access is only to a specific social network / platform. There are several users per modem. Online support on weekdays from 6.00 to 23.00 UTC and from 7.00 to 21.00 UTC on weekends. This is not always convenient, because if the issue arises at night, you will have to wait for the morning. Technical support answers quickly, but does not always read questions carefully. For purchases of referred customers, you get 10% forever. 14. Coronium 3 The number of GEOs: day/week/month Rental periods: By timer or per request Rotation: BTC, Visa/MasterCard bank cards Payment systems: Yes API: Coronium.io Site: Coronium.io offers 4G/LTE proxies. There are only three countries in the assortment: the United States, Lithuania and the UK. The support works 24/7, so all issues can be resolved at any time of the day or night. Coronium.io offers not only a one-time payment, but also a subscription. Pay monthly for the proxies that you use. 15. AirProxy 1 The number of GEOs: Month Rental period: Per request Rotation: Bank card, Bank transfers, crypto Payment systems: Yes API: AirProxy.io Site: AirProxy provides premium LTE/4G proxies. The service issues a test IP for 72 hours for 9.90 €. This is an Italian company, so all proxy servers are in Italy. This narrows the user base of the service, so only explore AirProxy if you need Italian mobile proxies. The crypto payment method is available after the first payment with a bank card or bank transfer. 16. The Social Proxy 5 The number of GEOs: Month Rental period: By timer Rotation: Bank card, PayPal, American Express Payment systems: Yes API: TheSocialProxy.com Site: It is up to you to decide how often the IP address will change. The service provides a trial for 24 hours - try mobile 4G proxies from The Social Proxy and see if they are suitable or not. The seller offers quite high prices for a proxy - 90 euros per month. You can use up to 5 proxies per day and change the region no more than twice a month. How to create your own mobile proxies? You can buy mobile proxies, or you can create your own. It is available to every user, it is not necessary to have any super skills. Using the Mobinet service, this can be done in several steps: Download and install the app. In the user panel on the website you can find the Add Device button and enter a six-digit code. In the My proxies section, click Add proxy. Specify the necessary parameters: destination, device, traffic limit, lifetime of the IP address. Technical requirements: OS - Android 8 and above, SIM card with mobile Internet. Mobinet is a service that Internet users use to create mobile proxies. Mobile IP addresses are generated both with and without rotation. An unlimited number of proxies can be configured on one device: it all depends on the performance of the phone. Mobinet technical support works 24/7 - ask questions at any time if you have any. Conclusion Now you know about the benefits of mobile proxies over server ones. Our rating will help you decide on a quality supplier right away, rather than sorting through ten sellers and not wasting your time. Choose the proxy service that suits you best and test its IP addresses. Try Mobinet if you want to set up your own mobile proxies instead of using someone else's. Disclosure : This story was submitted to HackerNoon by an independent contributor. Hence the information contained therein has also been researched and compiled independently.

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