This document summarizes a presentation given at the 19th International Conference on Software Telecommunications and Computer Networks (SoftCOM) about the development of a social shopping platform called ShopLovers. The presentation discusses: 1) The background and objectives of developing a social network to enhance sociability for customers and empower social media marketing solutions for companies. 2) An overview of the ShopLovers prototype, which aims to interconnect products and customers in a retail environment through a social network platform. 3) Details about the user research conducted to understand needs and requirements, finding that users prefer to share discounts, promotions and accumulate personalized coupons.

1. 19th International Conference on Software
Telecommunications and Computer Networks
SoftCOM 2011
Design and Development of a Social
Shopping Experience in the IoT domain:
the ShopLovers solution
Ugo Carlo Valentina Alice Serena Manuele
Biader Maria Volpi Moroni Sposato Tamburrano
Ceipidor Medaglia (speaker) (speaker)
Symposium on RFID Technologies and Internet of Things - September 15, 2011

2. EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
CATTID research activities:
 First experiences in NFC applications development and testing
Background:
 Environment of interconnected objects through RFID/NFC technologies
(NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION & INTERNET OF THINGS)
 Growth of Web 2.0
(COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PEOPLE AND BRANDS)
Objective:
 To enhance SOCIABILITY for costumers
 To empower SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SOLUTIONS for
companies and brands
The ShopLovers solution:
 SOCIAL NETWORK PLATFORM Prototype
 INTERCONNECT PRODUCTS and CUSTOMERS in a
retail environment
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 2 of 15

3. CATTID…
WHO
WE
ARE
C.A.T.T.I.D.
is
the
research
centre
for
Informa(on and Communica(on
Technology
of
“Sapienza”
University
of
Rome.
The
Centre
was
founded
in
1979
to
support
the
didacLc
using
methods,
technologies
and
every
type
of
IT
tools.
Over
the
last
years,
it
has
become
an
innova(on centre in
digital technologies:
it
now
works
in
close
contact
with
other
Departments
of
“Sapienza”
University
of
Rome,
as
well
as
with
other
UniversiLes
both
in
Rome
and
in
other
ciLes.
The
scienLfic
work
of
CATTID
has
also
drawn
aTenLon
of
many
na(onal and interna(onal
companies and
also
led
to
the
signing
of
several
collaboraLon
acts
with
important
naLonal
and
internaLonal
industry
and
research
organizaLons.
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 3 of 15

4. CATTID
Labs
CATTID is directed by Prof. Ugo Biader Ceipidor and it is composed
of four Labs, coordinated by Prof. Carlo Maria Medaglia.
RFId Lab, Laboratory of testing and integration of Radio Frequency
Identification technologies (http://w3.uniroma1.it/rfidlab), directed
by Prof. Gianni Orlandi.
LUA, Laboratory of Usability and Accessibility of software (http://
w3.uniroma1.it/lua), directed by Prof. Stefano Levialdi.
LABeL, Laboratory of the methods and technologies for e-Learning
(http://w3.uniroma1.it/label), directed by Prof. Valerio Eletti.
Multimedia Lab, Laboratory of convergence on the interactions of
media and new technologies, directed by Prof. Giandomenico Celata.

5. Research
AcLviLes
 RFID
and
wireless
for
cultural
heritage
 RFID
for
inclusion
 Wireless
Sensor
Network
 Real
Time
LocaLng
System
 Mobile / NFC
 Food
traceability
 Supply
chain
management
 Augmented
Reality
 Interac(on Design / Usability
 Physical
and
Logical
Security
 …
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 4 of 15

6. NFC@CATTID
In
November
2006
CATTID
joined
the
NFC Forum
as
a
Non-­‐Profit
member.
CATTID
has
also
been
one
of
the
partner
of
the
StoLPaN (Store Logis(cs and Payment with NFC)
Project,
funded
by
the
European Commission within
the
6th
Framework
Programme.
Finally,
CATTID
is
involved
in
the
organizaLon
of
acLviLes
as
regards
the
NFC Academy Advisory Board.

7. FIRST
EXPERIENCES
IN
NFC
APPLICATION
DEVELOPMENT
AND
TESTING
Presented
at
First
InternaLonal
Workshop
on
Near
Field
Presented
at
CHI
2009,
CommunicaLon,
Rome,
Italy
Hagenberg,
Austria,
2009
Published
in
Journal
of
Computer
Technology
and
ApplicaLons,
Volume
2,
Number
6,
June
2011
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 5 of 15

8. TECHNOLOGY
BACKGROUND
Near
Field
CommunicaLon
(NFC)
 Wireless Connection based on  Jointly developed by Sony and
RFID technology Philips in 2004
 Operating RF: 13.56MHz  The NFC Forum formed in 2004
works for the advance of the use of
 Practical working distance: <10 cm NFC technology
(typically about 2-4 cm)
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 6 of 15

9. TECHNOLOGY
BACKGROUND
There are different alternatives for
SE’s position (Cfr. Mobey Forum):
- On the handset itself (embedded SE)
- On the UICC (SIM card)
- On the Trusted Mobile Base (TMB)
- On a Secure Micro SD card
- On a Sticker
FROM AN EMBEDDED SOLUTION
TO A HYBRID ONE
Micro SD or Sticker solutions
are the best way to
overcome the current lack
of smartphones that
natively support the
technology, as they can be
used on any mobile phone.
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 7 of 15

10. RELATED
WORK
Existing literature that explores the use of NFC to access
the virtual world of Social Networks
NFCSocial • Ease update of location information on social
(Fressancourt et al., networks.
2009)
All-­‐I-­‐Touch • Retrieval of product information at the
point-of-sale.
(Kneissl et al., 2009) • ConnecLon
with
Facebook
community.
Hot in the • Sharing
of
users
locaLon
in
indoor
environments
by
reading
RFID
tags.
City • Friendship
request
by
touching
other
users’
NFC
device
(Haikio et al., 2010)
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 8 of 15

11. SOCIAL
MEDIA
MARKETING
AND
CONSUMER
EXPERIENCE
A interconnected world create a richer
shopping experience mediated and
redefined by smart objects, smart
OTHER
CONSUMERS
devices and virtual relationships.
INSTITUTIONS
PRODUCTS
CONSUMERS
AND
AUTHORITIES
COMPANIES
AND
BRANDS
The exchange of information on social GREATER AMOUNT OF REAL TIME AND
CUSTOMIZED INFORMATION
network (and generally on Internet)
generates a WORD-OF-MOUTH. Moreover COMPANIES are now
The consumer coproduces value and more active in conversation with
meaning for marketing communications. their costumers.
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 9 of 15

12. THE
SHOPLOVERS
SOLUTION
is a social network platform to
easily share with friends the
information related to the shopping
experience in a real retail contest.
ShopLovers connects the user’s favorite
products, shops and brands.
It acts a brand marketing tool:
 Strengthening customer loyalty
 Interesting him in purchasing
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 10 of 15

13. THE
SHOPLOVERS
SOLUTION
User
Needs
and
Requirements
THE USER IS THE CENTRE OF 4 main issues to examine:
THE PROCESS (UCD)  The inclination for the shopping
passion
ANALYSIS
 T h e f a m i l i a r i t y w i t h n e w
technologies and the ICT world
USABILITY
 The grade of sharing and use of
DESIGN
TEST social network
 The engagement and awareness
of mobile applications related to
PROTOTYPE the shopping experience
To collect information about Additionally, we asked the 100
user’s wants and needs we respondents sample about what
created a QUESTIONNAIRE they would like to do and find in a
DISTRIBUTED ONLINE. social network focused on shopping.
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 11 of 15

14. USER
NEEDS
AND
REQUIREMENTS
First of all sharing information on discounts, 81%
promotions and initiatives of your favorite
brands or products you have purchased
From the survey conducted by the Reporting to a friend or acquaintance a 65%
team* emerged that in a social Which of the product that might interest him or her
Accumulation of personalized coupons based 65%
network focused on shopping, the following on purchases
users’ preference is addressed to functions Getting tips on what you want or you would 57%
like to buy
gain some kind of REWARDS. would you like Exchange coupons with friends or 42%
to find on a acquaintances 38%
First of all they like to share social network Giving advice on shopping for friends and
people you know 27%
information on DISCOUNTS, dedicated to Publication shouts of purchases that you
shopping? made or wanted to make 25%
PROMOTIONS and INITIATIVES Publication shouts of purchases that your
of their favorite brands or products friends or people you know made or wanted
to make
0%
they have purchased and to Other
accumulate PERSONALIZED Picture of the product you bought or you 55%
COUPONS. would like to buy When you go
Shop you went into 55% shopping,
The information they like to share Price of the product you bought or you would
like to buy
41%
which kind of
the most is the picture of the Description of the product you bought or you 36% information
would like to buy
product they bought or they would Brand of the product you bought or you 33%
would you like
like to buy, as well as the shop would like to buy to share with
No information 18% your friends or
they went in. Date of purchase 4%
Time of purchase 2%
acquaintances
*Sample formed by 100 respondents Other 2% ?
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 12 of 15

15. THE
SHOPLOVERS
SOLUTION
System
architecture
THE FIRST PROTOTYPE
HAS BEEN DEVELOPED
AND TESTED ON THE
HTC WILDFIRE, WHICH
SUPPORTS ANDROID
VERSION 2.1 UPDATE 7
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 13 of 15

16. THE
SHOPLOVERS
SOLUTION
Use
case
scenario
LET’S SEE HOW IT WORKS IN
A RETAIL ENVIRONMENT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Aan2M1-SQk
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 14 of 15

17. CONCLUSION
AND
FUTURE
WORK
ShopLovers system is a tool to enhance the user’s shopping
experience making use of contactless technology such as RFID and
NFC, enablig an IoT scenario at the retail point.
...TILL NOW FUTURE WORK...
 Collection of user needs and  Development of the mobile application
requirements (questionnaire for more mobile OS and handset
distributed online). models (with embedded NFC).
 Use of “bridging  New usability tests and prototype
technology” (NFC Sticker).
 First phase of prototyping.  Mobile payments
SoftCOM 2011 - Design and Development of a Social Shopping Experience
in the IoT domain: the ShopLovers solution Page 15 of 15

18. carlomaria.medaglia@uniroma1.it
moroni@cattid.uniroma1.it
valentina.volpi84@gmail.com
D i s c l a i m e r : a l l
t h e
p r o d u c t s ,
t h e
s h o p s
a n d
t h e
b r a n d s
u s e d
i n
t h i s
p r e s e n t a L o n
h a v e
t h e
o n l y
p u r p o s e
o f
e x a m p l e .
A t
t h e
p r e s e n t
L m e
t h e r e
i s
n o
r e a l
i n v o l v e m e n t
o f
t h e
m e n L o n e d
c o m p a n i e s .