Bluetooth and Online Marketing

Leading Wall Street analyst Gene Munster with Piper Jaffray says Apple will achieve a market cap of $1 trillion dollars, possibly within the next 24 months.

It would be the first time that any company in the history of the world has achieved that feat.

“First,” Munster writes to investors Tuesday, “we believe dollars invested in US technology companies will increase ~5% y/y on average for the next three years (CY12-CY14). By comparison, dollars invested in US tech companies were up 9% y/y in 2011. Therefore, the tech sector will add ~$390 billion in market cap through 2014. We assume Apple could capture half of this market cap (from 85% in the 4 years prior).”

“Second,” he adds, “the companies we consider to be the 10 most relevant competitors to Apple (Samsung, HTC, RIMM, NOK, SNE, DELL, HP, MSFT, INTC, GOOG) represent nearly $1 trillion in market cap today. We believe 20% of that value, or ~$200 billion could shift to Apple through 2014. Thus there is potential for Apple to repeat history and add another $400 billion to its market cap. At a $1,000 share price (roughly $1 trillion in market cap) Apple would represent 26% of the total US tech market cap from 17% today.”

Also on Tuesday, Munster raised his 12-month price target for AAPL to $910.

Do you agree with the growth projections many analysts are making with regard to Apple or has a new tech bubble of epic proportions

Bloomberg is reporting Tuesday morning that Amazon is testing a service that will allow tablet users to make purchases through mobile applications.

This is the latest clue that the online retail giant wants to step up competition with the likes of Google and Apple, two companies for which in-app purchases are old hat.

Sources familiar with the development say the service being tested allows both subscriptions and purchases of individual items within apps.

For Amazon, the move makes tremendous sense. As Bloomberg speculates, “Amazon could use the transactions to wring more sales from its Kindle Fire tablet and the widening array of applications that can be downloaded to the device.”

IHS estimates that in-app purchases will generate $5.6 billion in revenue in 2015.

Maria Ly, co-founder of Skimble Inc., tells Bloomberg that she has been involved in Amazon’s pilot since March.

“It’s still kind of in its early stages,” Ly admitted this week. “But we’re very optimistic about it.”

Google has an insatiable appetite for mobile payments, that much is clear from the Internet search giant’s most recent acquisition.

On Tuesday, word came to light that Google had gobbled up the mobile payments processing firm TxVia, the tools, talents, and resources of which will now be dedicated to expanding and improving upon the Google Wallet platform.

As of this writing, it isn’t known how much Google paid for the company.

“Over the last year,” writes Osama Bedier, Vice President of Wallet and Payments at Google, “we’ve been hard at work developing Google Wallet, a payment service that makes it possible for people to redeem discounts, earn loyalty points and pay—all at the same time, whether they’re shopping online or at the store around the corner.”

Today, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve acquired payments technology company TxVia to complement our payments capabilities and accelerate innovation towards our full Google Wallet vision. TxVia is a technology pioneer that offers a fast, flexible and highly reliable payments platform—which we believe is one of the best in the world.

Since 2008, Google says, TxVia has supported the management of more than 100 million accounts.

“Finding and purchasing products is a big part

Research associate Lim Shiyang of ABI said Tuesday that mobile users will download nearly 36 billion apps in 2012 and Android and iOS will make up for 83% of the app downloads.

As far as the Windows phone is concerned, it will barely register as a wave maker.

A scant 2% of app downloads will be attributed to Windows Phone by the close of 2012. But that’s not reason to lose hope for the future, the report says.

“Although Windows Phone lags behind RIM’s BlackBerry and even Nokia’s Symbian,” Shiyang asserts, “we shouldn’t ignore the fact that the two percent that we forecast for 2012 would be twice the share the platform achieved last year. Microsoft is gaining momentum, but its starting point is frustratingly low. Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t really a chicken-and-egg problem of low device sales holding back the app business and the slow app business holding back the device sales. It’s more complicated than that.”

There are four factors undermining Windows Phone’s app growth. First, the small device market share is the most obvious drag. Second, Windows Marketplace’s global roll-out has taken a long time, further limiting the number of potential customers. Third, Microsoft has also been slow to enable in-app purchasing, meaning that most of the quality apps remain behind an upfront paywall. And fourth, there have been no tablets built on the

According to a new report published Tuesday by ABI Research, operator spending for mobile core networks decreased from $24.6 billion in 2010 to $21.4 billion in 2011.

This information is derived from the revenues reported by network equipment vendors.

“The overall decrease in mobile core network spending comes despite significant operator investments in 2011 for launching new 4G networks,” says Aditya Kaul of ABI. “Thanks to well-planned architectural evolutions from 3G to 4G and earlier operator investments to make their networks 4G-ready, most operators have been able to simply upgrade their existing core networks to launch 4G services, instead of replacing all of the core network equipment.”

“Despite the decrease in the total market size for core network equipment in 2011, some vendors managed to increase their core network sales,” adds Jim Eller, principal analyst at ABI. “It comes as no surprise that the market leaders are Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks, together accounting for almost half of the total core network revenue.”

Market leaders Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks both increased their market shares in 2011, due to their dominant positions in contracts for 4G LTE core networks.

ABI Research’s “Mobile Gateway and Server Market Data” tracks core network deployments for 3G and 4G technologies, including WCDMA, CDMA2000, LTE, TD-LTE, and WiMAX.

To check it out,

In another compelling example of how tablets are changing the ways in which we do business, the latest data from the Small Business Authority shows the enterprise community is rapidly turning to tablets for a wide variety of needs – all of which are being met by the latest technologies.

The latest SB Authority Market Sentiment Survey, which culls polling data from 1,100 respondents, reveals that 55% of business owners see themselves using a tablet or other device in the future.

28% of business owners are currently using tablets for their business applications, making tablets the item of choice as only 19% of business owners use laptops and only 17% use desktops for their business applications.

The SBA finds that 45% of business owners say that their next technology purchase will be a tablet, with laptops in a close second at 41%.

“We are surprised but closely focused on the growth of the tablet as a tool for independent business owners,” says Barry Sloane, Chairman, President and CEO of The Small Business Authority. “Our client base in excess of 100,000 business accounts when surveyed indicated that over 50% are utilizing the tablet as one of their several devices for business applications. We are well positioned to serve our clients as the marketplace for tablets and mobile business applications expand.”

Although most motorists are familiar with the caveat of using their mobile phones while fueling up outside their car, the innovative geniuses at PayPal have smartly and safely found a way to make gassing up a unique mobile experience.

This week, PayPal confirmed its partnership with regional convenience store chain Cumberland Farms. The new mobile partners will introduce SmartPay, a mobile app that will let drivers pay for their gas while sitting inside their car.

No more fumbling for debit cards, waiting in line to pay cash, or dropping your coins in the parking lot.

“The new Cumberland Farms smartpay app automatically locates the gas station where you are and then lets you turn on the pump and pay with PayPal while still in the driver’s seat,” says Anuj Nayar, Director of Communications for PayPal.

But as Nayar confirms, you still have to get out of the car to pump the gas.

“Unfortunately, we can’t do everything,” he concedes.

But close enough. The new app, which is available on Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android-powered smartphones – not to mention the mobile web – conveniently links the driver

According to the latest research from mobile app analytics giant Flurry, Amazon is where the big bucks are – not Google – if you’re a mobile app developer with a taste for Android.

Flurry says in its latest report that developers see a bigger payday from Amazon’s appstore than Android’s market, which was recently re-branded as Google Play.

We start by taking the revenue generated per user in the iTunes App Store and setting it to 100%. We then compare the relative revenue generated from Amazon and Google to the amount of revenue per active user generated by the iTunes App Store. Doing so, we find that Amazon Appstore revenue per active user is 89% of iTunes App Store revenue, and Google Play revenue per active is 23% of iTunes App Store revenue.

“Amazon’s bet to fork Android in order to put consumers into their own shopping experience on Kindle Fire appears to be paying off,” observes Peter Farago on the official Flurry Blog. “Showing its commerce strength, Amazon already delivers more than three times the revenue in its app store compared to what Google generates for developers.”

With new apps launching across multiple platforms every day, developers continue striving for the opportunities that provide the

Now trading well above $600 per share, AAPL has exploded over the last twelve months and helped many earn small to large fortunes seemingly overnight.

And depending upon which Wall Street analyst has your ear today, you may be hearing that it’s not too late to join the profit parade.

On Monday, Brian White, a leading market analyst formerly with Ticonderoga Securities and now with Topeka Capital Markets, said that AAPL still has huge upside potential.

“Driven by an ever expanding portfolio of innovative products,” White revealed today, “a growing integrated digital grid, unmatched aesthetics and a brand that is able to touch the soul of consumers of all backgrounds, Apple fever is spreading like a wildfire around the world and we see no end in sight to this trend.”

White is now the first top Wall Street watcher to set a price target for AAPL at $1001. A major reason for the lofty projection, however, is due to Apple’s rumored forthcoming introduction of a connected HDTV.

“Apple’s digital grid is tough to match and iCloud further strengthens this ecosystem, however, Apple is missing an important product and that is a full blown TV,” White concludes. “We believe the pieces are in place for a launch over the next year, driving an entirely new $100 billion market opportunity, while further strengthening the company’s digital grid and providing customers with a new TV experience.”

The most venerable name in wire transfers, Western Union, is getting with the times.

According to an announcement made late last week, Western Union has officially partnered with MTN, one of the largest mobile operators in Africa, to introduce what’s being called a cross-border mobile money transfer.

The target, however, is collectively spread across the emerging markets of Africa.

Western Union’s new enterprise will be native to the various (close to two dozen markets) presently served by MTN.

The new service enables MTN customers to send money internationally with Western Union directly from their Mobile Money accounts for cash payout at Western Union Agent locations worldwide or to subscribers of select mobile phone companies with which Western Union has agreements.

Western Union and MTN also announced today that they will provide 9,000 branded mobile “Yellow Phones” to Ugandans. Customers who receive these phones must already have an active MTN Mobile Money account or sign up for one in order to use the new remittance service. The phones will be given away via ongoing promotions throughout Uganda over the next few months.

“Western Union is changing quickly and we are leading the way in bringing international remittances to mobile subscribers around the globe,” said Diane Scott, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer and President, Western Union Ventures. “Our network of nearly half a million locations, our experience in moving money across

Ericsson is the new fresh prince of BelAir Networks. That is, on Monday, the company confirmed the completion of its acquisition of BelAir Networks, a North American carrier-grade Wi-Fi company.

This acquisition gives Ericsson a strong carrier-grade Wi-Fi portfolio, technological expertise, IPR, and established customer contracts and relationships, Ericsson said Monday morning in a press release.

As Mobile Marketing Watch reported on February 21, 2012, Ericsson had previously entered into an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the shares in BelAir Networks.

“We are gaining BelAir Networks’ leading position in carrier-grade Wi-Fi equipment both in terms of installed base and product portfolio. By integrating BelAir Networks’ talented people and these new assets into Ericsson’s mobile infrastructure leadership, we will accelerate the integration of Wi-Fi and cellular technologies and strengthen our heterogeneous network (hetnet) offering,” said Johan Wibergh, Executive Vice President and head of business unit Networks at Ericsson.

“We welcome BelAir Networks’ 120 employees to Ericsson. Together we can deliver the industry’s first integrated Wi-Fi cellular offering to Ericsson’s global customer base in 180 countries, to enhance consumers’ mobile broadband experience,” added Wibergh.

On Sunday, World Wrestling Entertainment’s presentation of WrestleMania 28 broke no shortage of records. And social media played a major role in the accomplishment.

With a sellout crowd of 78,363 fans from all 50 states and 36 countries, the annual pop culture extravaganza became Miami’s Sun Life Stadium’s largest attended event and highest grossing entertainment event in history… as in, more than Super Bowls, Madonna concerts, etc.

Grossing $8.9 million, it was also the highest grossing live event in WWE history. The event was broadcast around the world on pay-per-view in more than 105 countries and 20 languages.

With a 12-month build up to last night’s main event between The Rock and John Cena, social media was used to hype the pay-per-view like no modern sports or entertainment event ever has.

Between Cena and The Rock, nearly four million people follow these two superstars on Twitter alone, let alone millions more on Facebook and elsewhere in the digital world.

“WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami-Dade County was an incredible event for WWE. WWE would like to thank our loyal fans, as well as the public and private sector partners for their tireless efforts to help make WrestleMania Week such a success,” said John P. Saboor, Senior Vice President of Special Events, WWE. “We now look forward to building on these achievements as we head to MetLife Stadium for

On Monday, AAA and Sprint confirmed plans to launch the AAA Member ID Pack, which is said to provide instant access to AAA services and information.

With mobile now inextricably tied to every motorist’s safety and efficiency behind the wheel, AAA is understandably receiving much praise for the effort.

According to details provided this morning, with only one download, Sprint customers can now compare gas prices near home or on the road, call for roadside assistance, find AAA Approved hotels and restaurants, route a trip and more on select Sprint phones – but only those which are Android-powered.

“AAA members value the peace of mind membership provides including access to roadside assistance, travel information and AAA’s safety tips,” says Marshall L. Doney, AAA National Vice President. “Accessing these benefits just got easier with the launch of the AAA Sprint ID Pack which enables users to download all AAA apps and links at one time.”

The AAA Sprint ID Pack also includes a variety of AAA apps and web links for members who want to access AAA’s content, services and information on the go.

For more information or to download, click here.

On Friday, Portio Research published the 6th edition of ‘Mobile Messaging Futures’ which boldly predicts MMS to be a cash machine over the next four years.

According to Portio, MMS – launched after the initial success of SMS to deliver multimedia content – has until recently been the second greatest revenue generating non-voice service, after SMS.

Last year, roughly $31 billion of the worldwide mobile messaging market’s $202 billion came from MMS.

Such a demonstrable pedigree over the years has made it all the more baffling as to why such a valuable service never shook the industry misconception that it was a failure.

“With the dawn of more advanced technologies like 3G and accelerating smartphone penetration, MMS growth has now started showing signs of slowing down,” says John White of Portio Research. “Amongst various benefits of faster Internet speeds, the combination of smartphones and 3G has extended the novel idea of multimedia file sharing with appropriate simplicity.”

Portio’s forecasts show that MMS will generate revenues of $183.2 billion over the years 2012-2016.

“That is still a very sizable chunk of cash,” White says, “so let’s not write MMS off yet.”

On Friday, ABI Research reported that global handset shipments are on pace to increase 29% from 1.7 billion in 2012 to 2.2 billion in 2016.

ABI’s findings come on the heels of Nielsen’s recent report covered by Mobile Marketing Watch showing a dramatic increase in smartphone penetration in the United States.

The key driver of future mobile growth will come from the smartphone segment, ABI concurs, which is forecast to become larger than the ultra-low cost, low-cost, and feature phone segments combined by 2016.

The total shipments of non-smartphones will grow 1.08 billion in 2012 to 1.09 billion in 2016 while smartphone shipments will grow from 643 million to 1.1 billion over the same period.

“This emerging scenario could become a very dangerous situation for Nokia’s handset business as the smartphone and feature phone segments will not be able to support each other in trying times,” says Kevin Burden, vice president and practice director, mobile devices.

Low-cost smartphones are forecast to grow from 45 million shipments in 2012 to 170 million in 2016.

“The writing is on the wall: either you have a successful smartphone strategy or you will have to steal market share

Taking a page out of Apple’s eCommerce playbook, Google is said to be planning its own online store that will allow shoppers to purchase Android tablets.

With sales of Android-powered tablets struggling in the face of overwhelming competition from Apple’s new iPad, Google is simply trying whatever it can to make waves where its yet to make a splash.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Internet search giant will “sell co-branded tablets directly to consumers through an online store like rivals Apple and Amazon.com Inc.”

Google went this route with Android-powered smartphones in 2010 when it offered a device called the Nexus One made by HTC Corp. But the effort was scrapped after several months amid better sales of other Android-powered smartphones.

The online store should also help Google when the company finally begins producing its own tablets, an inevitability due to Google’s pending $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc.

Will a dedicated Google store make you more likely to browse and potentially purchase Android-powered tablets?

Please weigh in with a thought or comment below.

The Magic Kingdom has become a beacon for social gaming.

On Friday, DeNA Co. – Japan’s leading mobile social gaming platform operator – and The Walt Disney Company announced that both companies have agreed to bring mobile social games to millions of players worldwide, through DeNA Group’s Mobage social gaming platform.

The new partnership underscores Disney’s growing reliance upon the mobile channel and heightened interest in the markets of the far east.

The two companies launched their first jointly developed social game, Disney Party, on Wednesday on the Mobage network in Japan, which currently serves over 35 million.

DeNA and Disney plan to launch their second title, Disney Fantasy Quest, this Monday, April 2, and the third title based on Marvel Comics characters this summer in Japan.

“Disney’s characters and stories have cross-border and cross-generational appeal,” said Isao Moriyasu, Representative Director and President of DeNA. “DeNA has enormous reach around the world with its proven cross-device platform for mobile social games. Together, we can delight millions of players with games featuring Disney’s and Marvel’s beloved characters.”

“We are very excited about working closely with DeNA, which is the market leader of mobile games, to provide great new services,” added Paul Candland, President of The Walt Disney Company (Japan). “We are also

They’re likely playing hail to the chief around the offices of PayPal Friday, as the company celebrates the installation of a new president.

Last night, eBay Inc. CEO John Donahue confirmed his selection of David Marcus for president of the eBay-owned PayPal.

“I’ve picked David Marcus as the new president of PayPal and I couldn’t be more thrilled,” Donahue wrote on the official PayPal blog. “David’s just the right leader for PayPal. For more than 15 years, he’s been a successful technology entrepreneur with a passion for great products that both engage and delight customers.”

Privately, Marcus is a said to be a bright, innovative, hard worker who will likely do wonders to advance some of his company’s latest efforts to expand PayPal’s footprint across numerous market segments.

A professed believer in the power of all things mobile, Marcus will now oversee all of PayPal’s biggest “outside of the box” endeavors, like the company’s mobile wallet services freshly installed at 2,000 Home Depot stores throughout the U.S.

“Please join me in congratulating David as he takes the lead at PayPal,” Donahue concluded in his post. “Together with the PayPal executive team and the entire eBay Inc. family, we’re working to change the way the world shops and pays.”

On Thursday, venerable research and analytics giant Nielsen reported some impressive finds about the U.S. smartphone market.

We all knew it was growing… but it’s unlikely we were cognizant of just how much and how fast that growth was transpiring.

The new report by Nielsen indicates that close to half of all the mobile phones purchased in the United States today are, indeed, smartphones. With feature phones dramatically losing their luster, smartphone penetration has spike 38 percent over last year when just 36 percent of mobile subscribers were smartphone owners.

This growth is driven by increasing smartphone adoption, as more than two-thirds of those who acquired a new mobile device in the last three months chose a smartphone over a feature phone.

“Overall,” the Nielsenwire reads, “Android continues to lead the smartphone market in the U.S., with 48 percent of smartphone owners saying they owned an Android OS device. Nearly a third (32.1%) of smartphone users have an Apple iPhone, and Blackberry owners represented another 11.6 percent of the smartphone market.”

Android and iOS are much closer, however, in terms of recent smartphone purchases.

Nielsen finds that among recent acquirers who got their smartphone

Android isn’t as profitable for Google as Apple’s rival iOS is. That’s according to the latest information made available with regard to Google’s mobile revenues.

Despite the company’s $2.5 billion annual run rate for Google’s mobile revenues, it appears that Google has earned less than $550 million from Android between 2008 to 2011.

Two weeks ago, Macquarie Capital estimated that in 2011 Google took in more than $1.3 billion in paid search revenue from iOS devices alone.

“In other words,” says Greg Sterling of Search Engine Land, “Google made more (top-line) revenue in one year from the iPhone than it did in three years from Android handsets.”

If Google activates 800,000 Android devices daily it would mean 292 million devices activated per year. Using the $10 per user, per year revenue formula that would translate into $2.92 billion in global Android revenue over the course of a hypothetical year.

Although the numbers remain somewhat fuzzy and inconclusive, mobile is obviously a bigger-than-ever part of Google’s business and will be critical to the company’s short-term and long-term growth strategies.

Best Buy has announced that it is moving forward with plans to shutter some 50 stores nationwide and reduce its workforce by an estimated 400.

It’s the latest effort by the consumer electronics giant to slash $800 million in costs.

“I am not satisfied with the pace or degree of change we have made up to this point,” Chief Executive Brian Dunn says. “We are evolving our retail store strategy. We are increasing our points of presence while decreasing our overall square footage.”

From the Wall Street Journal:

The changes, which came as Best Buy reported a $1.7 billion loss for its fourth quarter ending March 3, were the most dramatic signal yet that the Richfield, Minn., company is struggling to adapt to a changed landscape in retailing that has left many big specialty stores looking like dinosaurs.

No word yet from the retailer as to where those stores will be closed. The closures, however, are expected before year’s end.

Esurance has made a big change that seems to make a lot of sense for the popular direct-to-consumer personal car insurance company.

Esurance’s latest mobile update helps consumers find services while on the road.

Today, the company announced an update for its Android app to give users the ability to use location-based search to find auto-related services they are likely to need while on the go.

The new feature now integrates Google Maps into the Esurance Mobile app and allows users to find the things they or their cars are most likely to need.

“By entering a ZIP code, or using their current location or home address, users can search for nearby businesses and services that meet these criteria,” Esurance says.

Among the new mobile features:

• Fuel up or recharge: locate the nearest gas or biodiesel stations, along with charging stations for electric or hybrid vehicles.
• Repair, service or tow: find the nearest towing services, auto parts or repair shops, or oil change service centers. The app can also pinpoint the nearest car washes and car dealerships.
• Park or get a ride: uncover the nearest parking facilities, as well as rideshare and rental car companies.
• Feed a craving: discover the best eats for hungry travelers, including coffee shops, burger and pizza joints, and even ice cream parlors.

Apple CEO Tim Cook remains in China this week on an ambitious venture that has taken the new company head inside the controversial facilities of Foxconn, which operates a plant in Zhengzhou, China.

In recent months, Apple has come under fire in response to claims that horrendous working conditions threaten the physical and emotional well being of those who work at the facility.

But just this past January, Apple became the first technology company to join the Fair Labor Association, a move that subjects factories that produce products for member companies to inspection.

Although issues were found via inspection, progress has been steadily made – thanks in no small part to the enormous attention given to the situation by media coverage and Apple-related protests around the world.

“Apple has had a string of negative publicity this year with Foxconn factory issues,” Mark Natkin, managing director of Marbridge Consulting Ltd., a Beijing-based market research firm, tells Bloomberg. “Apple is trying to demonstrate how seriously they take these issues, and how strong their commitment is to China.”

No word on how much longer Cook will remain in China.

According to the latest research and insight provided by market research group IDC, one billion connected devices – including everything from smartphones to tablets – shipped in 2011.

If you think that’s impressive, just wait until 2016 when that figure is expected to double.

The universe of smart connected devices, including PCs, media tablets, and smartphones, saw shipments of more than 916 million units and revenues surpassing $489 billion dollars in 2011.

These numbers reflect the combined total from IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, Mobile Phone Tracker, and Media Tablet Tracker, the company says.

“Whether it’s consumers looking for a phone that can tap into several robust ‘app’ ecosystems, businesses looking at deploying tablet devices into their environments, or educational institutions working to update their school’s computer labs, smart, connected, compute-capable devices are playing an increasingly important role in nearly every individual’s life,” says Bob O’Donnell, vice president, Clients and Displays at IDC.

In the short term, unit shipments for smart connected devices should top 1.1 billion worldwide

Don’t mess with MasterCard. That’s what the well-known and equally well-respected consumer credit card giant is saying this week as the company introduces a new weapon in the battle against online shopping fraud.

With the stated goal of helping online merchants “mitigate the risk of fraud in online transactions,” MasterCard is preparing for the release of “Expert Monitoring Fraud Scoring for Merchants.”

The new tool enhances merchants’ insight into card behavior beyond a merchant’s website or a cardholder’s shopping cart.

In other words, the service provides merchants with a “predictive fraud score for Card-Not-Present transactions in real time to measure the likelihood that a transaction is fraudulent.”

Basically, the service looks at the buyer’s history and gives an evaluation, much like a summarized list of references but in the form of a single score.

This is done using fraud detection models designed specifically for eCommerce merchants, MasterCard says, which uniquely enables merchants to evaluate a longer span of transaction history to deliver a fraud score that more accurately describes online cardholder behavior.

“Fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their approach, so online merchants must be even more vigilant in their efforts to protect the integrity of the online shopping experience for cardholders,” says Johan Gerber of MasterCard Worldwide. “Our new

Talk about making a grand entrance.

On Thursday, shares of Millennial Media are the toast of Wall Street, doubling today in the mobile ad company’s long awaited market debut.

As Mobile Marketing Watch reported just yesterday, Millennial Media priced its shares at $13 on the eve of today’s first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

The high water mark for shares of “MM” today – so far at least – was $27.90.

Millennial’s impressive debut closely mirrors that of LinkedIn, which went public in May of last year and closed up 109 percent in its opening day of trading.

All told, it’s a big week on Wall Street for IPOS. Millennial is one of four companies debuts today and one of ten overall this week.