CardinalCommerce is adding some impressive features to its mobile payment suite. The company announced today that it is launching a new self-service, web-based mobile marketing and commerce platform called CustomerConnect.

With this new platform, merchants can create and manage text message deal generation, opt-in mobile alert databases, and targeted marketing campaigns. Cardinal's payment platform serves as the pillar, the company said, driving online and in-store traffic, revenue increases and consumer outreach.

Marketers can use CustomerConnect to communicate directly with consumers on their mobile devices, sending them information on deals, flash sales, product announcements and more. Messages are connected directly to a merchant's mobile optimized website or mobile application to make the mobile browsing and buying experience seamless and easy.

"CustomerConnect enables our merchants and merchant service providers to realize the revenue potential of mobile commerce," said Tim Sherwin, executive vice president and CMO for CardinalCommerce, in the announcement.

Sherwin said the company's new technology could be seen as "the first domino" or starting point that begins the chain ending in a mobile purchase.

"As a company whose mission is to universalize payments at any point-of-interaction, CustomerConnect evolved organically from our successful work mobilizing payments for hundreds of our merchant customers by linking mobile marketing to actual mobile commerce," Sherwin said.

CustomerConnect is the newest feature of the company's Cardinal MAX mobile transaction platform, the company said. It also offers mobile site solutions, mobile payment solutions, and mobile gift card and loyalty solutions.

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