Improve Time to Market with Mobile Procurement

By John Houghton on December 4, 2012

Mobility empowers organizations to improve time-to-market, especially for 24/7 operations.  Employees frequently don’t mind working on-the-go, as long as the process is easy and helps them move their projects and careers forward.  If processes are difficult, they won’t get done, but if companies design processes to be straightforward, things get accomplished more efficiently.  Simply put, going mobile makes things easier.

Much project work involves ordering new products and services, and the quicker we can receive these, the faster our organizations can move.  Procurement performed on mobile devices such as iOS or Android, whether it’s phones or tablets, helps organizations move forward.

Faster Time to Utilization – Employees often need to order items to keep projects moving, but […]

4 Tips for Building a Powerful Investor Relations App

By John Houghton on June 15, 2012

Thanks to the boom in sales of mobile devices, there is continuing demand for all types of apps to serve content, and investor relations (IR) apps are no exception.  Peter Warne, Head of Nestlé IR Communications Services, offers four tips for making your investor relations app a success.

1. Stay ahead of the game

In Nestlé’s case, they were one of the first companies with an investor relations iPhone app.  In addition to the 40,000–50,000 app downloads, they received a lot of recognition for being one of the first companies to utilize such media channels to reach their investors.  Ok, so you can’t be the first with an IR app because that’s already been done, but you […]

Video: Stopping In at the Informal iPhone Developer Meetup

By John Houghton on May 25, 2012

For those who can’t come to Silicon Valley Meetups, I thought I would drop by the Informal iPhone Developer Meetup and see what’s going on.  I spoke with Carl Baltrunas an iPhone developer, who has come up with an innovative idea for visualizing iPhone applications.

This Meetup meets every Thursday from 7PM -10PM at the Red Rock Cafe in Mountain View, California.

Video: After Heart Surgery, Entrepreneur Builds App For Improved Emergency Response

By John Houghton on May 23, 2012

After heart surgery, Joseph Ekman was given a card to place in his wallet to instruct future emergency responders that he had a heart monitor.  Being very nervous about such responders finding this card, he decided to create an app to make sure his responders would know about his condition.  In order for it to work, he would have to create a nationwide network of processes and systems for emergency responders.  The net result is that everyone can benefit.

Joseph is now CEO and Founder of Emergency Standard.  Using the phone’s accelerometer, his company can detect a serious accident and dispatch emergency responders.  Not only that, he’s partnered with the GPS and Analytics company Alohar Mobile […]

Video: The City of Palo Alto Embraces Apps

By John Houghton on May 23, 2012

Find out how one California city connected with the local university with a hackathon to build a utility app to measure the condition of their local roads.  The prototype was built in 24 hours and the whole project was free for the City.  Jonathan Reichental, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the City of Palo Alto provides perspective on the issues faced by cities and discusses how Palo Alto is embracing apps:

– Emergency services such as police dispatch and earthquake protection
– Ideas for parking apps
– Augmented reality for business locators and city history

Below – CIO of Palo Alto, Jonathan Reichental, discusses how they are using technology, specifically apps, to solve problems.

Video was recorded at the Silicon Valley iOS Developers’ […]

How to Make an iPhone App for Your Company

By John Houghton on May 17, 2012

Creating an iPhone app for your company has many benefits, and can even be the holy grail for some, but there are misunderstandings about what it takes to do it right.  We’re concerned here with the process for creating a high-quality enterprise app.  There is a lot of information out there on how to create an app in 5 minutes, or for as little as $99, but we aren’t concerned with that here.  You can also create a web page in 5 minutes, but this level of effort ultimately won’t help your company, and neither will cranking out a cheap app.  If you are putting your brand on an app, it has to be good.  […]

Increase Marketing ROI with an iPhone App

By John Houghton on April 10, 2012

So you’re looking to build a marketing app for your company?  It’s not a bad move, since the audience is shifting to mobile apps, and you and your company would be well served to gain experience in mobile.  Being in a social agency for the last 7 years, I can’t tell you how many companies hold back for too long, then try to jump in at the last minute.  The result is that their efforts are an embarrassment for their brand.  It’s better to get little chunks of experience along the way, and then grow from there.

One of the first apps that companies such as Chanel, Audi, Ericsson, Cisco, and Oracle tend to create is […]

iPhone Application Development Average Cost

By John Houghton on February 7, 2012

Article updated for 2014:  One of the most common questions in iPhone app development is, “How much does it cost?”  It’s a good question.  Of course, everybody wants fabulous quality with almost no cost, but we have to be realistic.  The bottom line is: you get what you pay for.  Lets take the example of changing the oil in your car.  You have a few options:

1. Get your teenager to do it.
2. Get the guy down the street to do it.
3. Take it to a reputable garage.

If you go with the cheapest option, you might end up having to redo it and a lot of your time will have been wasted.  In the worst case […]

Getting Started with Apps for Your Company

By John Houghton on January 12, 2012

Everybody wants an app.  Just to have it on your website makes you feel more hip, relevant, and current.  Getting started with a simple app gives you experience, so that you become familiar with the process, and the possibility for developing a more sophisticated app later.  You can spend a lot of time planning your app, and if it’s a major part of your mix, then you should, but here are a few quick ideas to get you started on any simple apps you might be considering.

Utility Apps

Utility apps are popular and easy.  A utility can be a calculator, clock, flashlight, notepad, and so on.  Are you a real estate brokerage?  Consider perhaps a loan […]

How to Maximize Reach of Your Podcast via Syndication through iTunes and Social Networks

By John Houghton on January 4, 2011

Updated For 2014: Gain maximum audience exposure and search rankings with these techniques

So you’ve decided to launch a podcast, and now you want to be sure to get as much return as possible for all the effort you’re putting into it by distributing it as widely as possible.  Deciding how to syndicate (distribute) your podcast is a very important consideration, and can make the difference between a popular podcast that gets traction or one that never gets off the ground.  This article is about how we do syndication at MobileCast Media, and it’s information you can use to build a larger audience with your podcast.

How Are Podcasts Distributed?

Podcast listings are placed into podcast directories, such […]