One App. Unlimited Applications.

Former Google employee and founder of DoApp Inc., Joe Sriver, made his company’s mission clear: Give television and print news media the tools they need to join the mobile revolution. His message to traditional media is equally clear: Stop fighting the mobile rage and start profiting from it.

To accomplish its mission, DoApp had to develop a unique application model that could quickly transform traditional news media outlets, specifically local TV news stations and newspapers, into mobile powerhouses. Sriver enlisted the help of Wade Beavers and David Borrillo, both formerly with IBM and now CEO and CTO of DoApp.

“We knew early on that a traditional app model wasn’t going to work when trying to conduct a national roll-out,” said Beavers. “By deploying an application framework, or shell, that can be customized, rather than a specific application for each news media, we’re able to get clients up and running in less than forty-eight hours.”

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The DoApp solution

DoApp’s solution is two-fold and gives its clients the opportunity to implement a mobile strategy with little upfront costs or additional technology investments. The first part of the solution is The Mobile Local News (MLN) Network, which presents television and print news media with an application shell that can be customized and branded as an iPhone news app (and a Web application for other mobile platforms). The second is Adagogo, a first-of-its-kind advertising network that allows advertisers to geo-target ads—within a four-foot proximity of the consumer.

PE.comPE.com screen 2The Press-Enterprise of Riverside California, gave rave reviews to MLN, citing how easy it was to get new content in their application. “As a local media company, we need to connect with our audience where, how, and when they want information and news about the community,” said product manager, Andrew McFadden. “DoApp provided both the content and advertising platforms that helped us make our iPhone application a success.”

“We’ve made it so easy and fast for a publisher, news station, or newspaper to be equipped with a custom iPhone or Web app on multiple platforms,” said CTO David Borrillo, who designed the efficient process. “The MLN and Adagogo Networks also tap into the power of social networks with an integrated, single-click ability to share articles and ads through text messaging, email, Facebook, and Twitter.”

The best app you never had to build

Because DoApp has developed a shell application instead of a custom application, any organization, including magazines, blogs, sports franchises, healthcare professionals, etc, can fill the shell with their unique content and have a custom iPhone application in the App Store in very little time.

“As we were creating our application shell for the news industry, we were very aware of the other potential industries that could take advantage of this type of framework,” added Sriver. “We saw that this application model could pave the way for hundreds of industries to launch mobile strategies without having to reinvent the wheel.”

Since DoApp unveiled MLN in April of 2009, over 80 markets across the U.S. have adopted MLN’s network. The company anticipates growth of 250% or more in late 2009 through early 2010.

And, in keeping with DoApp’s shell application strategy, the Adagogo Ad Network is being updated to allow any app developer to plug into the Ad Network and deploy ads for themselves or their clients, across their own iPhone applications.

“Building an application shell with an integrated content management system has made a tremendous difference in our ability to conduct a national roll-out,” said Beavers. “Taking the standard approach, with custom applications for each client, would have taken us years instead of months. With our unique app strategy, we could launch at ‘the speed of mobile.’”

Subtitle: 
Company employs application shell strategy to get clients up and running fast!
Issue: 
Winter 2010
Department/Section: 
Creating Apps
TOC Weight: 
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