BlackBerry has been having a difficult time finding traction in a changing business environment recently. The BlackBerry platform has been failing to attract consumers for some time, largely due to the difficulties associated with competing with Android, iOS, and Windows Phone platforms. In order to remain somewhat relevant, BlackBerry has been focusing more heavily on enterprise services, but this has only provided the company with a modest degree of success. Now, BlackBerry is turning to mobile payments in order to stay afloat. BlackBerry has entered into a three-year partnership with EnStream, a mobile commerce firm. Together, the two organizations will …

The mobile payment consortium, backed by Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE:WMT) and other major retailers, might not be ready to broadly roll out its smartphone-based digital wallet until '15, Jefferies said in a report. The delay for MCX could give Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) a boost if it rolls out a mobile payment system with the iPhone 6, as some analysts have speculated. Jefferies based its report on checks it made with companies at the Mobile Commerce Payment Innovation Summit in San Francisco on Mon. and Tue. Apple shares fell 0.4% to 93.86. Wal-Mart fell 0.6% to 76.16.

Tab, a startup based in Toronto, Canada, has plans to bring mobile payments to high-end restaurants. The startup has already partnered with 18 of Toronto's luxury restaurants in its endeavor to make expand mobile commerce and help businesses become more accommodating of mobile consumers. Mobile commerce is growing quickly throughout Canada as more people become reliant on their smartphones and tablets. Consumers are beginning to seek out businesses that offer mobile-centric services and tend to spend more on these businesses over the long term. Restaurants have a great deal to gain by focusing on mobile commerce. Mobile services allow consumers …

In an interaction with ETTelecom's Muntazir Abbas, eBay India managing director Latif Nathani said that m-commerce is gaining traction in non-metros and believes that the enhanced and affordable connectivity through 3G and 4G would enhance the Internet uptake in India. eCommerce in India is in its growth phase, growing at 60% Y-o-Y according to a recent Forrester report. A few trends that we foresee include em ..

Wendy's is using online and mobile Web to reach live events fans this summer with a coupon intended to drive foot traffic via a promotion with StubHub. Wendy's is attempting to aggressively advertise its Right Price Right Size (RPRS) menu by discounting $1.50, the same cost as many of its value items, off the purchase price of tickets $30 or under from eBay-owned StubHub. The campaign is an example of how Wendy's is renewing its focus on value-conscious consumers after acknowledging it had lost ground with these consumers by not promoting its value menu items last year.

Amazon may soon become serious competition for PayPal as the company begins to manage subscription payments for startups and small companies. Amazon is growing bolder in its e-commerce efforts and the company is hoping to capture the support of the mobile audience with its new ventures. The company has launched a new service that will allow its 240 million active users to use their financial information stored on Amazon.com to pay their bills online and manage their subscriptions. For years, PayPal has been the leader in this sector, allowing consumers to pay for subscriptions and other services in a convenient …

American Express is boosting its membership rewards program by leveraging ride-sharing service Uber to create a mobile loyalty partnership, enabling Amex card members and Uber riders to use loyalty reward points seamlessly in-app and in real time for on-demand transportation. In what the companies are calling a "first-of-its-kind technology integration," Amex card holders who download the Uber iOS app and store their account on file will be prompted to enroll in the Amex rewards program with just one tap.

The exponential growth in mobile e-commerce will leave Australian businesses critically exposed to the soaring risk of data breaches unless they dramatically ramp up their focus on IT security, says a technology expert from a global consulting firm. "In 2013 alone, almost 300 billion mobile transactions worth more than $930 billion were processed. By 2015, the number of mobile apps developed for smartphones and tablets will outstrip PC based software four times over, pushing transaction volumes to even greater heights. And by 2016 more than half of the world's top 1000 companies will be storing sensitive customer data in the …

E-commerce is growing at twice the rate of total retail sales, but only 20 percent of small-to-medium-sized businesses accept electronic payments through their websites. As big chains continue to beef up their online presences, small businesses are being left behind and missing out on revenue opportunities through e-commerce. Online presence is no longer just an option for small businesses -- they must incorporate e-commerce capabilities to take advantage of new streams of revenue.

Sequoia Capital recently led a US$100 million round of funding for South Korean retailer Coupang, suggesting that the rapidly growing Korean e-commerce market is the hot new scene for investors looking to capitalize on a country full of mobile shoppers. Founded and run by the Korean-born, Harvard-educated Bon Kim, the site has grown to become Korea's leading online retailer. The recent round of funding gave it a $1 billion valuation. Kim launched the store when he realized there was a market itch in Korea that he could scratch -- his native country was full of smartphone users that loved to …