Archive for July, 2010
(mt) Media Temple and Mobile Roadie Talk Pro, Announce Virb Partnership
posted by Michael ArcandOur friends over at (mt) Media Temple came by before the launch of Mobile Roadie Pro and sat down with Michael Schneider and Brock Batten about the product and where we’re headed moving forward. Check out the video then check out the (mt) app.
Media Temple is a hosting company which we are proud not only to have as our friends and clients, but also to use as our very own hosting company. (mt) Media Temple customers can manage their hosting accounts, get support and buy domain names through the (mt) AccountCenter for iPhone web app, without leaving the native app.
Another project from the team at (mt) is Virb, a unique way to build an elegantly simple website. Although the service hasn’t launched yet, we’re excited about teaming up with Virb to provide our app resources to the Virb website platform. With a Virb website and an integrated MoRo app, you’ll be able to update your app’s photos, videos, songs and more – right from your website. That’s right, your updated web info will be pushed out from Virb to your app on the fly, eliminating the need to add stuff through the MoRo CMS.
You can check out our other business partners on our partners page.
Announcing Mobile Roadie 3.0 and Pro
posted by Michael Arcand
We’ve been working hard to get things ready, and the day has finally arrived! Mobile Roadie 3.0 is ready to roll out, and we’ve got some big surprises that will give our customers unparalleled creative control of their apps. So, hold on to your seats and let’s walk through the changes in this upgrade.
First, we’ve expanded our product offering from one CMS package to three. Now our customers will be able to choose their level of customization from Mobile Roadie CORE, PLUS, and PRO. We’ll talk about these in a minute, but first, let’s take a look at the system-wide features being rolled out with the free 3.0 upgrade:
*The Fan Wall has been updated with more location-based features.
*All apps are being upgraded to have Push Notifications.
*The Favorites feature is being added so app users can bookmark their favorite app content.
*A new Top Users section has been added to give a ‘gaming’ incentive for interaction within the app.
*iOS 4 support has been added for multitasking, background audio, and retina-display graphics, and more.
*iPod integration allows users to access music they already own from their audio library, providing a better quality experience.
*RSVPs for shows and events are now synced to the user’s calendar.
*International language support now includes Dutch, Russian, Turkish, Chinese (Simplified), and Korean.
Now for the main event! We’re proud to announce our new Pro service today. It’s been just over a year since Mobile Roadie launched, providing you with a content management system to produce customizable apps, first on the iPhone and then the Android platform. Now, we’re taking things to the next level.
Mobile Roadie Pro gives users the ability to fully customize the menu layout, colors, buttons, and fonts. The new CMS also supports multiple content categories, global search, and new landscape views. The apps pictured above are three examples that have been built on the Mobile Roadie Pro platform, taking advantage of the latest features.
The FADER is offering exclusive content to users who download their app. What users get, however, is a customized experience that utilizes our Pro features to meet FADER’s strict design requirements. You can download the FADER app at http://road.ie/the-fader.
The second example is the Ninja Tune app. Ninja Tune uses the new Pro CMS to feature profiles on all 90 of their musical artists, both new and old. In addition, users can see photos, stream video, buy tracks and concert tickets – all within the app. You can download the Ninja Tune app at http://road.ie/ninja-tune.
The last example of an app built using the new Pro service is the Wynn Las Vegas app. Users can make reservations, check out the restaurant menu, and even reserve a table for two. But why stop there? The app also features information about the nightlife, shopping, and entertainment in and around the hotel. The Wynn Las Vegas app can be downloaded at http://road.ie/wynn.
Our CEO, Michael Schneider, puts Pro into the perspective of our customers:
“In 2009 we launched the first self-service platform to create mobile apps, and today we are taking that a step further with deeper customization and content options. With Pro, brands have complete control and can include as much content as they wish, all within the same easy-to-use interface that they’ve come to expect from Mobile Roadie.”
Last but certainly not least, we’re excited to launch our Partners Page, where you can check out all of our partners, whose products enhance your Mobile Roadie App. Our latest partners include Daily Motion for video and SoundCloud for audio. You can visit the partners page at http://mobileroadie.com/home/partners.
So what are you waiting for?
My thoughts on Google’s App Inventor
posted by Michael Schneider (Mobile Roadie CEO)My email box blew up last Monday. Most were emails from concerned friends, telling me that Google just “killed” Mobile Roadie on the Android platform. This was the day they launched Google App Inventor.
For those of you that don’t know, Google’s App Inventor is a way for non programmers to “build anything you can imagine” on the Android platform.
Mobile Roadie has been the only platform on Android since we launched Android support in February. With the rest of the world having tunnel vision on the iPhone, we wanted to give our clients the flexibility and depth that comes with multi platform support. Android is just the first of many additional platforms we’ll be adding – build it once, it goes anywhere.
I watched Google’s video on their new offering with great interest. Afterwards, I had the impression that I had just watched a presentation on Microsoft Visual Basic in 2000. I love the idea of empowering people to build their own apps (that’s Mobile Roadie’s business). But the trick is in execution. And I don’t know a single Mobile Roadie customer that would watch that video and come away with a sense that it’s easy, quick, and requires no programming knowledge to create apps – all the things that make Mobile Roadie successful today.
That being said, I am sure a lot of people will use Google’s App Inventor, and that’s a good thing because it gets people comfortable with the idea of using a platform to create apps vs. custom development, and widens the market for all. There is a risk, however, with a free tool like this of a massive amount of SPAM apps. Time will tell. With all of Google’s resources, if they simply paid a full time designer to help, it would really improve their offerings.
What do you think? Does Google’s service seem easy-to-use? TechCrunch didn’t think so: http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/12/android-app-inventor-demo/
Former Olympians Build Swimming App
posted by Michael Arcand
Go Swim is a joint venture between Glenn Mills and Barbara Hummel. Glenn was a member of the 1980 Olympic Swim Team and is a Masters world record holder. Barbara is a veteran of two Olympic Trials and is currently a coach and world Masters Top-Ten Swimmer. Between them they have over 50 years of high-level competition and coaching experience, and are both learn-to-swim instructors. I had the privilege of chatting with Glenn on the phone recently to talk about his business and Mobile Roadie app.
Why did you build the app?
Coaches, swimmers … everyone uses technique material, but it’s always away from the pool. We want to get people the information that they can use when and where they actually use it. We wanted to test the waters, so to speak, to see if a mobile app is a viable way of doing this.
Are you using it the way you envisioned?
We try to take advantage of the Mobile Roadie app as much as possible. We serve our own videos, upgraded with Mobile Roadie’s help. We needed more bandwidth than YouTube was able to offer, so they helped us with that. We use the Fan Wall as well as Pictures, which are updated each week. We also have our Twitter feed and RSS news from popular swimming websites. The app reflects our website in a good way. There is tons of content on the app, and we’ve got tons of content on the website as well. Our business model is to give away some information, but also drive more people back to the website for DVD sales.
What have you discovered or been surprised by the most?
The Fan Wall is probably the thing that surprised me the most. We get a lot of kids on the app – more than on the website. Kids are used to this format more because of things like Twitter and texting. So the demographics, I would say, are that the app is used by a lot of younger people. Moderation is easy with Mobile Roadie, because it’s all done online. And as these kids grow and become more serious swimmers, we’re there for them. We want to think long-term with our brand and develop our market going forward.
How has your experience been working with the Mobile Roadie platform?
It’s very stable. For someone like myself and our business, we don’t have a ton of time to chase around the tech side of things. We are content creators for a niche market. So, having something that’s been so relatively easy to put together has been important. In creating all this content, we need to be able to focus on creating the content. The stability has been tremendous for us. The upgrades and features, like Ustream, to have something like that just show up – I don’t think we’d be able to develop something like that on our own. It keeps us on the cutting edge, and helps us stay ahead of the competition. I’ve also been surprised by how responsive the support staff is, all the way up to the top of the company. Makes a small business like ours feel important.
You can download the Go Swim app here: http://road.ie/go-swim
French Web Interview with Michael Schneider
posted by Michael ArcandDuring his current European tour, Mobile Roadie CEO Michael Schneider had the opportunity to give an interview to FrenchWeb.fr, a French website whose stated mission is to present the various initiatives of French “players” anywhere and everywhere. It includes a community of more than 7100 professionals, entrepreneurs, experts, investors, all connected on their LinkedIn group.
During the interview, Michael explains the Mobile Roadie business model, our relationship with Apple, and the international development plan, which is already in full swing. Items on the menu to complete this year include CMS support for BlackBerry, Nokia and iPad.
Speculating as far as next year, Michael mentions Microsoft, Samsung and the mobile web as areas of opportunity for Mobile Roadie. With representatives around the globe and by keeping the production in California, the goal is to be close to Apple and Google in order to stay on top of the industry, provide the best quality product possible, as well as provide local support for customers.
Mobile Roadie in the U.K.
posted by Michael ArcandMobile Roadie is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen O’Reilly as our U.K. & Ireland representative. Stephen will be overseeing our expansion into the U.K. & Ireland and will be on the ground in London, working closely with our current partners and clients and helping to develop new opportunities.
Stephen is really excited to be a part of the Mobile Roadie team and has shared his thoughts with us:
“I am really looking forward to this great opportunity of working alongside Michael and his team. After many years working with clients in the fashion, sports and music industry I can’t wait to see what lies ahead. I have been a huge fan of mobile apps and the possibilities they present. Mobile is with us everywhere, and by reaching people anywhere they are, you have a huge opportunity to sell, promote, engage, and be remembered. Mobile Roadie is already working with some of the biggest names in music, sports and film and I hope to build on an already impressive roster of clients.”
Michael Schneider, our CEO, had the following to say about the European market:
“Investing in Europe is a top priority for Mobile Roadie as the smart phone and app market is rapidly taking off. Our existing customers in Europe appreciate being able to leverage our amazing technology homegrown in California, combined with our local sales and support.”
Stephen joins an already strong European presence, with reps in France, Germany, and Spain.
If you have an interest in developing a mobile app for your business in the U.K. or just have questions, you can contact Stephen using one of the methods below.
Twitter ID - @steoreilly
Email - stephen@mobileroadie.com
Welcome to the team Stephen!
Comedy Apps Deliver Laughs and Customers
posted by Michael ArcandWe’ve started taking a look at various business models that are using mobile apps to reach their customers and generate new business, such as photography apps. Today we want to take a look at what a mobile app can do for comedians and comedy clubs. So let’s start off by taking a look at one of today’s hottest comedians and his app on the Mobile Roadie platform.
Jamie Kennedy is a comedian and actor who rose to stardom in the 1990s in the Scream series of horror films, playing the role of Randy Meeks, the video store hero. He garnered his own stand up comedy reality show on the WB Network from 2002-2004, called The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. More recently he has starred in the CBS series Ghost Whisperer, as well as lending his voice to FOX’s animated comedy, The Cleveland Show. Now you can catch more of Kennedy’s comedy action on his official iPhone app.
Download the Jamie Kennedy app here: http://road.ie/jamie-kennedy
The Laughter Lounge is one of Ireland’s premiere comedy clubs, with four venues: Dublin, Belfast, Galway and Waterford. The original location opened their doors in 1997 and quickly became one of the most popular comedy venues in the country. Their iPhone app allows them to post full details on forthcoming shows, videos, news, photos and it is where they also post all of their best ticket deals. If you’re in Ireland or planning a trip there soon, this app is a must-have for entertainment while you’re there.
Download the Laughter Lounge app here: http://road.ie/laughter-lounge
The Sin City Comedy Show is one of Las Vegas’ most highly acclaimed attractions, creating a mixture of burlesque dance and comedy, keeping audiences entertained. The venue has a rotating lineup of nationally known comics perform each night, with stars of Comedy Central, Letterman, The Tonight Show, VH1, HBO, and from famous comedy clubs around the country. The Sin City Comedy Show is produced by Emmy award winner John Padon. Now, with the iPhone app, they are sharing videos of these great comedians on Apple’s mobile devices.
Download the Sin City Comedy app here: http://road.ie/sin-city
Still don’t think a mobile app is right for your business model? Why don’t you take a tour of Mobile Roadie, then give us a call. Let’s see what we can do for you!
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