Today in the Connected Economy: Future of Auto Industry Includes Software, More

Today in the connected economy, the head of Ford Motors says software, services and shared mobility offer “the most exciting kind of land grab in revenue” since the Model T. Plus, Meta adds a new “Calls” tab to Messenger as the volume of audio and video calls jumps 40%, while Apple and Square work together on Tap to Pay for the iPhone.

Ford CEO: Auto Industry’s Future Lies in Software, Services, Shared Mobility

An increasing portion of the car industry’s mix of revenue will come from software, services and shared mobility, according to Jim Farley, CEO of the Ford Motor Company. Software has become the key feature that differentiates a carmaker from its competitors, and it’s often something for which carmakers can charge extra, Farley said when addressing the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference.

Meta Adds ‘Calls’ Tab as Messenger Calls Jump 40%

With audio and video calls on its Messenger app on the rise, Meta Platforms has added a new “Calls” tab to the function bar at the bottom of the app. The addition comes as Messenger is seeing a rapid rise in the use of video and audio calling, with 40% more users making calls from the app now compared to the start of 2020. More than 300 million audio and video calls are made using Messenger each day.

Square Working With Apple to Enable Tap to Pay on iPhones Within POS

Square and Apple are working together to enable Tap to Pay on iPhones using new technology that offers sellers greater flexibility at checkout. The latest tech add-on will also give sellers an on-ramp to the Square ecosystem at checkout, while a select number of sellers can now test the Square integration through the company’s Early Access Program. Tap to Pay on iPhone uses Apple’s contactless payment acceptance capability within the Square point of sale (POS) app. Sellers will be able to use the tool to take in-person contactless payments using only an iPhone and Square’s POS app.

Transcard’s SMART Hub Payments Collabs With Sage Intacct

Payments and data technology platform Transcard is integrating its SMART Hub payment portal as part of a collaboration with cloud-based financial management and services company Sage Intacct. The integration is designed to streamline the process of making and receiving payments while eliminating complexity. SMART Hub eliminates the need for Sage Intacct users to create and pre-fund new bank accounts to make or receive payments.