At Furious Tribe we’ve been quietly working away for the last few months on improving our Apptivate platform.

When we first launched Apptivate in 2010, we created a highly disruptive business model that allowed enterprises to build and manage their own Apps for iPhone.

Since then, we’ve sold thousands of Apptivate licences all over the world and we’ve also added multi-platform support and a host of other new features to better meet our customers needs.

Today we’ve added the biggest and most exciting feature since Apptivate’s initial launch and we think it’s going to be a game changer for both our product and our customers.

We’ve introduced an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) into Apptivate so our customers now have total control over their Apps. Using our IDE, our customers now have the power to break free of our pre-built modules and templates and completely customise everything about their App, from the placement of a button to complex user interactions. Now our customers can edit or create code within the Apptivate IDE and make use of web technologies like jQuery mobile, CSS and javascript to make their mobile Apps come to life.

Files and folders are easily created and saved, and users have the option to choose their preferred colour theme to code in.

We’ve changed the user journey for creating new Apps a little bit. Users now have the option to create either a ‘Simple’ or an ‘Advanced’ App. Users can only use the IDE with an Advanced App, however for clients who don’t need the IDE our pre existing modules are still available via a Simple App. Within our new system, users can create multiple Apps within the one account, and you can assign version numbers and notes to go with each App.

We know from working with some of our Enterprise customers both locally and internationally that this is exactly the kind of feature our clients want to be made available to them. All our product development is directly influenced by what we’ve learned by working with clients such as RSA, AXA Global Distributors, Davy and Danone to name a few.

We’ve recognised that there is a strong demand from the Enterprise market for strategic mobile consultancy coupled with innovative technology that allows enterprises to have control over the maintenance of their Apps. We believe the Furious Tribe offering is meeting our clients’ needs but we’re not stopping there. We’ve already moved on to developing new functionality and we’re looking forward to releasing even more innovative features for Apptivate in the very near future.

We’re delighted to announce that Furious Tribe has been chosen to work with the Danone brand as they move into the Mobile space. While we can’t reveal details of the project just yet, we’re very much looking forward to working with Danone. Watch this space!…

he number of mobile devices available in the world are far greater than desktop PCs and laptops. The ratio of mobile phones to computers in the world is approximately four to one. This staggering difference can be seen most in the developing world. There are many factors to the rates of adoption in developing nations. The poor fixed-line infrastructure being one. Another is one that helped the mobile revolution to take a foothold in our own little island, cost.

Mobile phones are naturally cheaper to have than a fixed line and the networks are easier to install and maintain as only the base stations need care as opposed to kilometers of underground cables. As the availability of mobile phones grew, so too did the potential for business opportunities. These opportunities empowered people who traditionally could not succeed in business.

One example of this can be seen in Bangladesh where a non-profit organization was set up to allow rural villagers have access to mobile phones. Garmeen Telecommunications provides low-cost mobile phone services to villagers as each transaction is made on a per-call basis. This enterprise is notable in that most of the people who own the mobile phones in the rural areas are women. The mobile phone is perfectly suited to this kind of small scale entrepreneurship as they are owned by the people in the village who make a decent profit while allowing their neighbors to communicate with distant relatives and find work elsewhere. The Garmeen model has spread to other countries such as Uganda where a similar project is being developed called “Village Phone”.

Such innovative projects that are built around the unique abilities of a mobile phone allow people to build lasting and meaningful businesses in which they can thrive. People who would not traditionally have many rights are empowered by such technology as the women who operate the phones in Bangladesh are the owners of the phones and work independently. It is projects such as Garmeen Telecommunications that will pave the way for future prosperity and cement the place that mobile phones have in the modern world.

Irish businesses need to wake up to mobile. After years of mobile platforms dripping with mediocrity – mobile is finally here to stay, and this time its serious!

Join us over the next month as we discuss all things mobile. In this first blog post we aim to cover the current state of mobile usage in Ireland and indeed internationally. We’ll also be taking a look at mobile experiences, branded entertainment, mobile advertisement, App’s and of course techniques for monitisation of your mobile content. The latest reports in show an alarming move to mobile computing from traditional desktop & laptop computers.

Currently for every personal computer that is being sold there are four Internet enabled mobile phones sold. But does this actually mean that the Internet features are being actively used?

According to our friends’ over at Amas, the answer is – yes:

• 24% of Irish Males are actively using the mobile Internet
• 39% of 15 -24 use the mobile Internet on a regular basis
• 21% ABC1′s accessing the mobile Internet
• 44% Students use the mobile Internet on a daily basis

So what exactly does this translate into?

Here’s the deal, there are 800,000 people in Ireland who have access to the Internet on their phones. Mobile broadband subscribers are believed to be at around 350,000. If mobile Internet subscriptions continue to follow this rapid growth pattern, Irish businesses need to recognise mobile as a key platform to engage with new and existing customers.

Think of it this way: mobile is the only platform that you have with you, or on your person “18 hours a day”. The only time you cannot interact with your mobile device is when your sleeping. Mobile devices are getting richer, more interactive, faster, smarter & cheaper. They are capable of delivering richer experiences that you cannot deliver through traditional platforms, they provide a new opportunity for you to engage with your customers on their terms, where and when they like.

Communications can be tailored to a users exact location, this allows business to target customers with laser like precision, from special offers and alerts to rich augmented reality experiences.

The mobile platform is set to change the game, not only in terms of how we do business and market to users but also how we interact on a personal level too. Is your business mobile ready?

Stats: Amas.ie