We've put a lot into Currency a modern mobile commerce interface. Not just the usual engineering design and business efforts to create a product but also our experience and expertise gained from creating successful mobile solutions for our commerce clients.

With Currency our goal is to package a set of best practices implemented in code to give you a head start in engaging customers on any device. Think of Currency as not only software to provide a modern mobile commerce interface but also as a best-practices platform for building engaging mobile commerce experiences and gaining market advantage.

We’ve designed Currency to facilitate these five best practices for mobile commerce which are universally applicable regardless of the technology you choose.

1. Integrate using REST APIs

Loose coupling is an imperative of Internet architecture and a necessity for sustained success on mobile.

In Currency this is an important purpose of the Currency Server which connects to your eCommerce platform and exposes your store through an extensible and customizable REST API. Currency Toolkit’s pre-built assets use that API to help AngularJS developers quickly deliver mobile-ready adaptive and responsive commerce websites.

Of course if AngularJS isn't your thing the loose coupling achieved by the REST API opens your eCommerce platform to whatever front-end technologies you like. We've already seen a real-life storefront written in Backbone.js adapted to use the Currency REST API.

2. Manage API access through a common platform

Defensive programming is part of safe programming on the open web just as defensive driving is part of safe transit on the open road.

An engaging mobile store doesn't only connect to your eCommerce platform. It also integrates with third-party services for things like payment location data analytics reviews and more. Fortunately most of these services already provide REST APIs. Unfortunately these aren’t the APIs you’re looking for.

Third-party APIs are powerful. They are also dangerous in that they can infect your code with their complexity cause unexpected performance issues and change at the worst moment. There are no good moments for your APIs to change.

Currency Server gives you control of third-party APIs by doubling as an integration platform. The server’s REST API is extensible and customizable so that you can eliminate unneeded complexity cache results to improve performance and centrally manage your dependencies on third-party APIs. Out-of-the-box Currency Server manages integrations to services such as PayPal and UPS.

3. Adapt to your customers and engage them in new ways

Mobile continues to change consumer expectations preferences and behavior and offers one of the best ways to engage your customers in new ways.

Whatever platform your customer wants to use at the moment be there too. Whether it be with installed apps mobile websites or even traditional desktop websites don’t just be there be your best.

To make technology that adapts and engages we need to maximize reuse and simplify integration.

Through IBM MobileFirst Studio a Currency-based store is ready to be packaged as an installable app for Android and iOS. By having the same foundation powering mobile apps and adapting to the web experience of any device you have the opportunity to provide a consistent and enjoyable experience that takes advantage of the strengths of each form factor as never before. All without your development and maintenance costs spiraling out of control as you try to support a myriad of device form factors and OS versions.

Through built-in support for device-specific client-side rendering of business user-created content from IBM WebSphere Commerce Composer and customizability to support targeted in-app notifications through IBM Mobile Customer Engagement a Currency-based store gives your sales and marketing teams control over their campaigns as never before.

4. Use standard assets to deliver faster

Currency is built on web standards (HTML5 CSS3 and JavaScript) follows web best practices (REST and Responsive Web Design) and leverages leading open source packages (most prominently: AngularJS and Node.js) to give your team a platform that "just works" that is easily configurable and extendable and that helps you remain open to embrace future opportunities.

Currency weaves these open technologies together and creates a customizable and extensible platform that speeds and simplifies the delivery of engaging mobile commerce experiences. Currency Server Currency Toolkit and The Point Store starter store accelerate your initial implementation. They are designed for customization and extension such that they become your standard assets that enable ongoing delivery at market speed.

5. Be prepared for the future

It is safe to assume that mobile devices will have more and different capabilities packaged in new and different forms in the future. This expanded reach is all the more reason to make sure you’re prepared to respond to its changes and challenges. Keeping an open mind and following the previous four best practices will put you in a good position to seize whatever opportunities come your way.

Having a trusted and expert partner to face the future with can transform a challenge from something that needs to be mitigated into an opportunity that can be exploited. Best practices are valuable but depend on the best people and the best relationships to realize their potential. Visit us at PSCurrency.com or contact us at hello@pointsource.com to learn more about Currency.