Photon in the News

Target Launches New AR Feature on Mobile

26th October 2017

Target is throwing its hat into the AR ring with its launch of a “See It in Your Space” feature on its mobile website. This new AR feature is an example of a major retailer implementing try-before-you-buy capabilities to meet consumer demand and heighten the overall CX. Read more

Holiday Digital Priorities

20th October 2017

With online growth eclipsing total holiday sales growth, savvy retailers pull out all the stops to step up their digital game. Among the top digital strategies this holiday season are personalization, mobility, AI and cloud computing. Read More

Why AI-powered chatbots are the future of business

17th October 2017

Artificial Intelligence, particularly chatbots are transforming the way companies do business. Michael Levine, VP of marketing at Photon shares his POV on how industries adopt AI to transform their digital landscape. Watch full interview

Walmart and Target are banding With Google to take on Amazon

12th October 2017

Target and Walmart sign up to Google voice shopping service. The two retailers will somewhat compete on terms or keywords that consumers order from Google. Read More

Walmart aims to make merchandise returns a 35-second process

5th October 2017

Walmart speeds up the return process for online purchases. The Mobile Express Returns service will enable online customers to use the Walmart app to begin the returns process — before even heading to their local store. Read more

Walmart, Google partnership goes live

5th October 2017

Walmart's partnership with Google is officially live, offering customers the ability to purchase more than 2 million Walmart.com items through a personalized voice shopping experience. Google also announced the Google Home Mini, a hands-free voice-controlled device. Read more

Google expands smart home speaker lineup, adds new Assistant features

5th October 2017

Google has taken the fight to Amazon.com Inc with the introduction of two new smart home speakers. The company’s Google Home lineup now includes the new Mini, a smaller, cheaper option and the Max, a high-end music speaker. Read more

Google unveils new Pixel phones, smart speaker as tech competition heats up

4th October 2017

Google announced a suite of new devices, including two new Pixel smartphones and new smart speakers. Google’s new gadgets are infused with artificial intelligence. Read more

Amazon's Echo family advances the smart home but risks confusion

28th September 2017

Amazon has launched a new line of Alexa smart speakers in a surprise event. The devices include a redesigned "Echo Plus" and the all-new Echo Spot. Read more

Alexa everywhere: Amazon expands AI voice assistant to new Echoes and beyond

28th September 2017

Amazon unveiled a slew of new Echo products, including five new Echoes and a new Fire TV. The next-gen Amazon Echo is smaller and cheaper. Read more

Amazon unveils new products, including new Echo speaker, Fire TV

27th September 2017

Amazon unveiled a slew of new products including a new Echo speaker and a new Fire TV aimed at Apple’s newest Apple TV. The speaker is designed to compete with Apple’s HomePod will have a bass tweeter for better sound, with a slightly smaller design than original Echo. Read more

Are consumers ready for Apple's facial recognition?

14th September 2017

Apple released its iPhone X, which included facial recognition capabilities that can be used for phone security and payment verification. Read more

Apple charts new terrain with its iPhone X

13th September 2017

The iPhone X has features that put it on the level of a personal computer: sharper screens, higher resolution, better cameras, an all-glass front and back and - most significant -- facial recognition technology that does away with the Home button. Read more

Apple expands on retail revamp, reveals iPhone X with Face ID

12th September 2017

Apple unveils iPhone X, which will be the first iPhone to include Face ID technology. In addition to Face ID, another new iPhone feature with retail implications is enhanced support in the new iPhones for augmented reality. Read more

CVS rolls out vending machines

11th September 2017

CVS Pharmacy will start rolling out retail vending machines stocked with on-the-go items ranging from health and wellness products to batteries. The rollout of vending machines is the latest effort in evolving the CX beyond the brick-and-mortar store. Read more

Amazon grows its Transparency program to fight counterfeits

11th September 2017

Amazon is extending its anti-counterfeiting transparency program to third-party retailers on its platform, according to three sources that sell as third-party sellers on the site. The program was launched in March as a test for Amazon’s own products and labels. It’s now open to everyone that sells products through ‘Amazon Marketplace’, the company’s third-party sales platform. Read more

Walmart buys into voice shopping with new Google partnership

23rd August 2017

Google has announced a partnership with Walmart that will let you order household items using Google Assistant and your voice. Voice shopping could evolve into one of the most natural ways to purchase online products. Read more

Walmart partners with Google for voice-activated shopping

23rd August 2017

Walmart has announced a partnership with Google to offer customers voice-activated shopping through Google Assistant. The features will include all of the latest benefits of Walmart's digital channel, including free two-day shipping and an in-store pickup discount. Read more

Voice: The next frontier of the retail digital experience

2nd August 2017

The shift from text to voice has been a quick one; if retailers wish to reach customers within their homes, it's critical they embrace voice. There are so many different avenues, retailers can take to engage with customers with voice-enabled digital interfaces. Read more

The difference between mobile-friendly and mobile-first retail

21st July 2017

In 2016, 211 million Americans shopped online and 64 percent, or 136 million, of them made purchases via mobile, according to the latest research from Shopgate. Today, 85 percent of retailers have optimized their websites to be mobile-friendly. Read more

Apple launches smart home demos at its retail stores

13th July 2017

Apple has started offering demos of its HomeKit suite of smart home devices at its retail stores. The launch of the interactive spaces is designed to encourage adoption of the smart home because most consumers haven't experienced the Internet of Things. Read more

How brands rode the wave of Amazon Prime Day

13th July 2017

The massive success of Amazon’s Prime Day often shrouds the impact it has on outside retailers and brands. The wholesale brands taking part in Prime Day must adhere to a long list of qualifications that can prove challenging. Read more

What the QVC-HSN deal means for retail

7th July 2017

QVC and HSN are joining forces to become the third largest e-commerce site after Walmart and Amazon, making the combined QVC/HSN company a sudden threat to those big retail giants. Read more

QVC to Acquire Rival Firm Home Shopping Network

6th July 2017

As advertising dollars shift to online – this year marked the first time digital ad spend was higher than traditional TV ad spend – and as new digital TV platforms emerge, traditional TV viewership will continue to decline. Read more

Amazon Prime Wardrobe: What You Need to Know About "Risk-Free Fashion"

21st July 2017

With the launch of Prime Wardrobe, the Amazon is flexing its muscles and giving shoppers even more reasons to increase their Amazon wallet share. Customers have seven days to try, keep the products they love and ship back the rest or schedule a free pickup. Read more

HSN, QVC Merger could Benefit Industry and Consumers

10th July 2017

Liberty Interactive Corporation, parent company of QVC, has entered into an agreement to acquire the remaining 62% of HSNi shares it does not already own. The decision to complete a total buyout is a direct effect of the decline in TV viewership, according to Michael Levine, VP of marketing at Photon. Read more

How Retailers are Using Geofencing to Interact with Customers and Drive Sales

20th June 2017

With e-commerce transforming the retail industry, brands have turned to geofencing technology to help strengthen the appeal of in-store shopping. Retail experts predict global geofencing market size estimated to exceed $500 million by 2023. Read more

Walmart Acquires Bonobos for $310 Million

16th June 2017

As Walmart focuses on increasing their e-commerce and customer value proposition, they have announced their acquisition of Bonobos, Inc for $130 million. This deal is expected to come to a close by the end of the second quarter or the beginning of the third quarter. Read more

Keep an Eye on API: The Bold Transformation of Financial Services Applications

15th June 2017

Within the last half decade, banks have set the pace of innovation within the financial landscape. The result: a new level of technological expectation from customers, and the industry at large. Chatbots and AI assistants represent two of banking’s hottest emerging technologies. Read more

Apple’s HomePod Opens New Doors for Retailers

8th June 2017

HomePod, Apple's new smart speaker device set to be released in December, positions the company to open up tremendous opportunity. Michael Levine, vice president of marketing at Photon, specifically notes that Apple’s smart home features can create a whole new experience for Apple in the retail sector. Read more

Apple Takes on Amazon Echo and Google Home with its Own Smart Speaker: HomePod

6th June 2017

HomePod is Apple’s exciting new smart speaker with Apple’s digital assistant, Siri, built into it. According to Michael Levine, VP of Marketing at Photon, “Voice is the next frontier for search and discovery, and there are lots of opportunities to leverage voice command within the home.” Read more

How Apple's New HomePod Smart Speaker Stacks Up Against the Amazon Echo and Google Home

5th June 2017

The launch of Apple's HomePod further underscores how voice and visual technology are poised to be the future of consumer technology. "Everyone wants more from Apple - the company promises this closed platform experience, one that is easy and that I can take with me anywhere," said Michael Levine, vice president of marketing at Photon. Read more

The End of Typing

2nd June 2017

Image and voice recognition technologies are becoming so sophisticated that experts predict both technologies could replace typing, at least in part, when it comes to communication and search. Michael Levine, VP of Photon says these changes are happening quickly: “Something like texting, that people thought was simple and easy, is eventually going to cause friction.” Read more

7 Internet Trends From Mary Meeker’s 2017 Report That Marketers Should Know About

1st June 2017

Voice-activated devices are getting more popular and the total number of people using voice-enabled assistants like the Amazon Echo suite of products continues to grow. In the fourth quarter of 2016, Echo had more than 8 million users. According to Michael Levine, VP of marketing at Photon, the updates to security and personalization with voice recognition are “a major step forward.” Read more

Michael Levine joins Cheddar to discuss about the Amazon Brick-and-Mortar bookstores

30th May 2017

Michael Levine, VP of Marketing at Photon shares his point of view on Amazon’s launch of Brick-and-Mortar bookstores. Read more

Exclusive Interview: The Rise of Conversational Interfaces, Chatbots and AI Assistants

23rd May 2017

It’s time to rethink the future of human-computer interaction enabled by conversational interfaces, smart devices, and immersive virtual reality. Invisible, conversational, and voice-based interfaces like Siri, Google Now, Cortana, and Alexa are set to expand the range of digital experiences beyond multi-touchpoint brand presences. Read more

The Transformation of Mobile Applications for Financial Service

Posted on 17th May 2017

As seamless and secure mobile user experiences become the normative across retail and social fronts, having anything less for mobile banking and payments is unacceptable. For financial services looking to embrace these new user expectations and extend the same level of customer service provided onsite into the mobile realm, there are a bevy of technologies and tactics available. Read more

Photon Interactive partners with KeyBank in Digital Transformation of KeyBank's core Consumer Banking Services

Posted on 2nd Nov 2016

"The partnership with Photon was instrumental in helping us completely redesign and transform our digital online banking user experience across all devices. Photon helped us accelerate timelines as we wanted to deliver newly designed experience to additional one million clients from First Niagara," said Vipin Gupta, Executive Vice President and CIO at Key Community Bank. Read more

Photon: End-to-End Digital Drives Transformation for Today’s Brands

Posted on 2nd May 2016

For brands struggling with digital transformation, Photon’s perspective on mobile development, customer journeys, and omnichannel bring desperately needed clarity. Read more

Mobile-First Drives Digital Strategy At American Eagle Outfitters

Posted on 22nd March 2016

“Photon is one of our best partners as we went down this digital journey.” The reason Photon made the cut at AEO was its combination of mobile expertise and retail experience, having worked on mobile strategies for retailers like Walgreens and Neiman Marcus. “Photon brought to the table a significant wealth of experience in digital retail,” Wills pointed out. Read more

Navigating the Digital Transformation Process

Posted on 27th April 2015

Rising competition and fading customer loyalty are compelling a growing number of companies to launch new digital initiatives, adopt the latest “omnichannel” marketing capabilities and become more “customer centric.” Read more

Panasonic Partners With Photon To Build Smarter Signs In Stores

Posted on 16th November 2014

Photon a company that’s been focused on building mobile experiences for large brands, is teaming up with Panasonic to bring what they say will be a more personalized experience. Read more

Ensure your Organization is keeping up pace!

We would love to help you accelerate your Digital Transformation journey and prepare you for the exciting new generation of customer experience. So, if we hadn’t had the chance to interact, Now is the time!

Talk to our team to learn more about Omnichannel Digital experiences and the immediate benefits to actioning this new consumer engagement shift.

ABOUT PHOTON

Photon is the world’s largest and fastest growing provider of omnichannel and digital experiences. Photon works with over 37% of the Fortune 100 as their digital innovation partner of choice and has the largest digital consumer footprint with over 250mn daily consumer touchpoints. Photon has the largest pool of omnichannel engineers with over 3,800 engineers across offices in the US, Canada, Europe, Mauritius, India, Shanghai, and Indonesia.