Mobile Roadie

From L.A., to the U.K.: Apps are taking over!

Back on July 5th, we posted “Mobile Roadie in the U.K.,” in which talked about our recent expansion into the U.K. and Ireland with the addition of a new team member and an office in London. Since then, a lot more has been going on across the pond and we figured that you all would like to know what’s brewing.

First off, the new JLS app is blowing up in the iTunes store and is currently ranked 5th in U.K. music apps! As if you didn’t know, JLS were runners-up on the British talent show, “The X Factor,” in 2008. Following their success on the show, the group signed a deal with Epic Records and had two number one hits on the U.K. Singles Chart. Their debut album has sold over a million copies in the U.K., with the band taking home two awards at the 2010 BRIT Awards. This year they’ve signed a deal with Jive Records and earned their third number one hit on the U.K. Singles Chart.

The app allows JLS fans to watch videos, listen and buy music, share and download photos, and connect with other fans. Also, keep an eye out for exclusive competitions, messages from the boys and updates. You can download the JLS app at http://road.ie/jls.

In addition, here are other noteworthy updates from our U.K. office:

- Stephen O’Reilly and a new sales manager (TBA) are meeting with hundreds of prospects per month.
- Mobile Roadie CEO, Michael Schneider’s recent trip to the U.K. in early August to meet with potential partners, business owner’s and record labels was a huge success. So much so, that he has booked another long-term follow up trip for conferences and meetings that will span almost the entire month of September.
-Check out our most up to date customer map below. Each dot on the map represents an app that we helped build. As you can see, Europe is our 2nd largest market and growing fast!

We look forward to the map being filled with thousands of dots all over the world. Where will yours be?

• posted under: Customers, Events, news
• 0 comments

3 Apps, One Purpose: to Promote and Connect

Sometimes a group of apps attracts our attention, not necessarily because of the content of the app itself, but because of the way the app is being used. With that in mind, let’s take a look at three apps that were recently released which share one purpose: to promote and connect.

John Lennon Educational Tour Bus

The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit 501(c)(3) mobile audio and HD video recording and production facility. Since 1988, the Bus has provided free hands-on programs to hundreds of high schools, colleges, Boys and Girls Clubs, and more. The Lennon Bus encourages students to play music, write songs, engineer recording sessions, and produce video projects. With the app you can get the latest news, tour dates, videos, and photos from the Lennon Bus straight to your mobile device! Keep up to date with all the happenings on board the JLETB and be the first to hear about exclusive contests featuring opportunities to join the Bus as well as amazing prizes from Lennon Bus sponsors.

You can download the JLETB app at http://road.ie/lennon-bus.

TWiSM

Covering the social media revolution driven by leading products such as Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare, This Week in Social Media delivers news and information in a fast and funny manner. Other regular features include games, competitions, debates on hot button issues and “Great Moments in Social Media,” highlighting the best and worst behavior on all your favorite social networks. With this app you get access to all show materials includes videos, tweets, blog posts and live streams. You can also receive show alerts via push notifications so you never miss an episode.

You can download the TWiSM app at http://road.ie/twism.

Samuel Gordon Jewelers

Samuel Gordon Jewelers is a fourth generation, family owned jewelry store in Oklahoma City founded in 1904. Daniel Gordon, the company’s President, has created over 20 online profiles for the company, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and more. The release of this app takes the Jewelers into yet another new media marketplace: the mobile market. Not only is the company’s first app, it is also the first jewelry app for Mobile Roadie as well! While the app is in the very beginning stages, it currently provides a picture catalog showcasing the store’s offerings as well as videos and information about the store.

You can download the Samuel Gordon Jewelers app at http://road.ie/samuelgordon.

The bottom line is that, although these apps all come from different business sectors (education, social media and retail), they all are utilizing MoRo and the explosion of mobile app users to advance their causes. Each app has its own unique features, and yet they are all promoting their product or service and connecting with the customer in a new and significant way. The future of customer interaction is in mobile, and it has already begun.

• posted under: App Review
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The Mobile Roadie team continues to grow!

Last week, Mobile Roadie welcomed its newest member to the team. Rob Swope comes to MoRo with a strong background in sales, marketing and communications, working nationwide with the top Fortune 500 telecom and cable companies, including Verizon, AT&T, and Time Warner Cable. Most recently he completed projects in NYC with Staples, Gander Mountain and MTVu. As Communications Manager, Rob’s focus will be on client and media relations, social media, and digital marketing. He will be based in Los Angeles, CA, at Mobile Roadie’s HQ in Beverly Hills. Yesterday, he shared his thoughts on why he’s excited to be part of the team:

“Michael and Brock (co-founders) have put together an impressive team of talented individuals and I’m proud to be a part of the mix. The rest of 2010 is going to be a lot of fun and I look forward to working with everyone to take Mobile Roadie to the next level.”

This announcement comes only weeks after Mobile Roadie posted record sales, closed two major partnerships (TBA), opened its new office in the UK and released “Pro” their new flagship service offering. It’s safe to say that Rob will be pretty busy right out of the gate! Say hello and drop him an email at rob@mobileroadie.com.

Welcome to the team, Rob!

• posted under: Corporate, news
• 1 comment

Did you miss the TechZulu Live interview with Michael Schneider?

Yesterday, Amanda Coolong caught up with Michael at TechZulu HQ in Los Angeles to discuss trending tech news, Mobile Roadie updates including its UK expansion, Pro version launch, and future plans, as well as what it takes to be a successful start-up.  There were also mentions of Blackberry relationships, Michael’s worldly travels and Amanda’s confession of knowing how to speak French.  The interview was streamed live through Ustream, and could be viewed through TechZulu’s app, powered by Mobile Roadie.  Talk about a powerful collaboration!

If you missed it, you’re in luck!  The entire interview is available below.  Enjoy!

• posted under: Corporate, Customers, interviews
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Congrats, Your App is Live! Now What?

What do you need to do once your app goes live in the app store? Here are some quick tips on how to maximize your app’s exposure and get the word out about what you’ve got to offer.

* Tweet about it. Twitter is a powerful tool and you probably already know that. Tell your followers about your new app on Twitter.

* Download your Fan Wall widget and use it on your website. You can find your widget in the CMS dashboard.

* Talk it up. This might sound silly in the age of the Internet, but word-of-mouth is still one of the most powerful forms of advertising. Don’t hold back.

* Communicate with your users. Use the Fan Wall to interact with your fans. Listen to what they have to say and respond to their questions. Use push notifications to keep them updated on important events.

* Give them a reason to keep coming back. This is by far is the most important thing you can do after your app has gone live. So what can you do to keep them coming back? Offer them exclusive material on the app, make advance tickets available – anything that keeps them engaged with your mobile platform. One idea that has met with success in this area is to give away a prize for participation in the app. Media Temple ran such a contest and gave away an iPad, among other prizes. Their contest resulted in participation from thousands of customers. Another way to keep users engaged is through push notifications. Ashton Kucher uses push notifications to share his A+ list of top videos every week. Taylor Swift engaged her fans in another unique way recently by streaming a 13-hour meet and greet live via Ustream to over 10,000 of her app users.

The bottom line is that once your app is live, you’ve got to get the word out there and make it engaging for the users. Building your mobile brand is really no different from building your brand offline or online. Bring people in by word of mouth or any other means possible, show them what you’ve got, and give them a reason to keep coming back.

• posted under: Customers
• 1 comment

Announcing the Linkin Park App!

Linkin Park is synonymous with alternative rock, nu metal, and rap rock music genres. Today, we’re proud to announce that Linkin Park is the newest addition to the Mobile Roadie family of apps. It’s our first artist app on our recently launched Mobile Roadie Pro product and includes their Topspin campaign integrated into the app itself.

Linkin Park is one of the top selling artists of all time in the Apple iTunes store, so we’re sure this app will be a big hit with mobile fans of the band.

Linkin Park was formed in 1996 and hails from Agoura Hills, California. The band hit a home run right out of the chute with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which went Diamond. Their follow-up album, Meteora, went to the top of Billboard’s 200 album chart in 2003, when the band was also named the sixth greatest band in music videos by MTV2. The band has done charity work around the world and collaborated with many other artists. To date, Linkin Park has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and won two Grammy Awards.

You can download the Linkin Park app at http://road.ie/linkin-park.

• posted under: MoRo Pro, New releases
• 3 comments

(mt) Media Temple and Mobile Roadie Talk Pro, Announce Virb Partnership

Our 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.

• posted under: Customers, MoRo Pro, interviews, news
• 0 comments

Announcing Mobile Roadie 3.0 and Pro

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?

• posted under: MoRo Core, MoRo Plus, MoRo Pro, MoRo v3.0, New releases, news
• 13 comments

My thoughts on Google’s App Inventor

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/

• posted under: android
• 4 comments

Former Olympians Build Swimming App

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?

Its’ 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

• posted under: Case Study, Customers, New releases
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