IBM and Monitise have signed an agreement that helps Visa Europe provide its member banks with new mobile banking, payment and commerce services in the cloud for its customers. IBM will help Monitise extend and scale the adoption of these services with Visa Europe and develop additional services to bring to the mobile marketplace. Monitise's Bank Anywhere, Pay Anyone and Buy Anything services form the basis of Visa Europe's forthcoming mobile offerings will provide banking services on any mobile device.

A number of technology news reports that were recently published have suggested that insiders who are close to this issue claim that American Express Co. and Microsoft are both showing interest in purchasing an equity stake in Foursquare Labs Inc. If these reports are true, then it suggests that the two giants would rather invest in the company than work jointly on it.

Join the Fool for a conversation with Harvey Kanter, who took over as CEO of online jewelry retailer Blue Nile (NASDAQ: NILE ) in March 2012. Harvey came to Blue Nile from Moosejaw Mountaineering, having previous worked at other retailers including Backcountry Travel, Michael's, and Eddie Bauer. Based in Seattle, Blue Nile specializes in engagement rings, and prides itself on educating first-time buyers about diamond quality. Harvey discusses the realities of being an online retailer, including projections for the growth of online commerce -- especially mobile -- and the prospect of an online sales tax.

Brands such as 7-Eleven are increasingly looking to leverage in-application reviews and feedback as a way to create stronger consumer-focused apps in the next iteration of their mobile strategies. Although the idea of in-app reviews and feedback is not new to mobile, marketers seem to be throwing more weight behind the features as they look to build out next-generation mobile strategies. 7-Eleven for example has been playing up a feature within its app called Idea Hub where consumers can submit comments to improve the app.

Ace Hardware recently wrapped up a trial as the first retailer to test a mobile initiative that tracks a coupon from discovery to redemption. The hardware retailer ran a pilot program in northern California as part of a new mobile coupon specification from the Mobile Marketing Association's mobile coupon ad units standards committee. The effort was aimed at building up Ace's SMS loyalty program and increasing basket size.

Mobile commerce sales have doubled in the space of a year and now account for almost a quarter of total online sales, according to a new report. It again highlights the growing importance of m-commerce at a time when many retailers are still struggling to develop effective, user-friendly mobile sites and apps.

Mobile payments are attracting strong interest in Japan. Consumers in the country appear to be very open to the idea of mobile commerce and have shown comfort with shopping online via their mobile devices. Indeed, the demand for mobile commerce services in Japan is on the rise and MasterCard is looking to answer the call. MasterCard has teamed with C-SAM and DNP in order to launch a new mobile payments platform that is based on NFC technology.

AnywhereCommerce, a payments technology company, will supply mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) products for Spindle Inc.'s MeNetwork. Spindle is a mobile commerce solutions provider. AnywhereCommerce has a patented magnetic-stripe card payment acceptance technology that turns smartphones and tablets into mobile payment terminals. MeNetwork customers will now have access to it.

Mobile commerce specialist MoPowered, part of the MoBank Group, has secured GBP1.8m in the second close of an oversubscribed funding round led by new and existing institutional and private investors in return for shareholdings in the business. It brings the total finance raised by the mobile enabler to GBP2.5m following an investment of GBP0.7m at first close, over-funding its original target of GBP1.5m-GBP2m.

JUMIA has launched its mobile Application in Nigeria, Morocco, Ivory Coast and Kenya, available for all Android phones, as part of its commitment to make online shopping even easier and totally flexible as well as enforce mobile-commerce in Africa. The app will offer international known brands and product assortment, fast and intuitive navigation, simple, flexible and secure online payment, push notifications for exclusive updates on new arrivals and special sales, a statement form the company said.