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Nike develops interactive m-commerce app

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 - 13:51 by Sarah Collinson

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A new application, designed for the iPhone by Nike and supported thanks to a tie-in with e-commerce retailer, Pro Direct Soccer, has been launched this month, bringing football fans closer to the professional players they respect.

The app is called Pro Direct Soccer Zone, which hints at its origins in the US and, although it will initially be available only on iOS devices, an Android version of the software should be making its way to compatible handsets later in the year.

The app itself is all about checking out the latest information from one of 12 different footballers who are sponsored by Nike, including Christiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

The app integrates aspects of their social media personas, as well as vital statistics about their performance and, of course, the boots which they wear.

You can buy the boots from within the app via safe shopping online and there is even an augmented reality feature, which lets you 'try on' the various items of footwear before you commit to a purchase.

This works using your smartphone's camera, which you can point at your foot and watch as a superimposed image of the boot which you have selected is plastered over the top of the moving image in real time.

It is this kind of implementation of smartphone technology, coupled with the ability to offer safe shopping online, through a bespoke m-commerce app, which allows certain retailers and brands to stand head and shoulders above the competition.

A slick, touchscreen interface and high resolution imagery helps the app feel like it has been created with care, even if the information which it contains will only be of interest to a relatively small percentage of the total m-commerce market. Given the speed with which it is expanding, even a modest stake will become significant.