4Prox

Mobile Industry Predictions 2009: Best Year Yet for Mobile Innovators

 

All now recognize that applications sell phones and data plans.  Application development will reach new levels of creativity, both business model and functionality.

 

1) A new wave of applications will make people look, feel and perform better

2) Green applications will be ready for a new energy price surge

3) Social networkers will be bored of their existing friends and seek introductions, for business and pleasure.

4) There will be a mega social networking scare from new companies not adhering to privacy guidelines - enforcement of self-regulation is urgent.

5) PND market share demise will be accelerated and mobile will benefit

6) VC investment will flood mobile eco-system

Proxpro Prompt is a "Useful Business Application."

Proxpro got a very nice mention in last week’s edition of Mobile Europe:

 “Then there are also some useful applications of LBS for business users, such as fleet management, with LBS used as the basis for automated vehicle tracking, or Proxpro Prompt, software available to users of some BlackBerry devices in the US and Canada, which is integrated with the user's calendar and with traffic and public transport monitoring services, tells them when they should leave their current location and alerts them if a traffic or weather problem suggests they should leave early.”  Mobile

Europe

Oct 16, 2008.

Click here to read more

While PC-based Internet Wonders What Web 3.0 Means, Has Mobile Already Got There?

There is a discussion on InMobile.org, the exclusive social network for mobile industry leaders, on which companies will dominate Web 3.0 when it comes to mobile.  Here is my post:

The pc-based internet for too long has treated the mobile industry as the embarrassing half brother who under achieves and doesn’t really get it. 

However on the contrary, I would contend that Mobile 3.0 has arrived, while Web 3.0 is still trying to work out what “Web 3.0” means.  When a mobile application is aware of its environment, comprehends meaning and intelligently projects future eventualities and then conveniently “pushes” just-in-time information to help people make the right decisions to all intents and purposes it passes “3.0” test. 

Meanwhile mobile extensions to web 2.0 applications may struggle to ever get beyond a Mobile 2.0 user experience, especially if they rely on the browser.  The thin client is here to stay.       

 Communication applications will always be important.  Furthermore their propagation worldwide to create the next billion dollar mobile companies is a worthy ambition for a finite few.  However I propose there are possibilities to achieve $100 million businesses by focusing on Mobile 3.0 non-voice needs.

 Google has developed an operating system in multi-facetted strategy to control its destiny in a complex mobile world.  In order of importance BlackBerry, Android, Windows, Symbian, iPhone and Palm will sprout the next $100m mobile 3.0 businesses.  There will be plenty of iPhone mobile 2.0 successes and of course internet companies will do well on mobile too.  But in time the mobile step brother will be able to specialise and outshine his internet half brother.

 

Julian Bourne

CEO and Founder,
Proxpro Inc.
Winner of the People’s Choice Award (Enterprise) at SiRF’s Location 2.0 Summit (Sept 2008)

PROXPRO WINS PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD AT 2ND ANNUAL LOCATION SUMMIT.

 

LBS Industry Leaders select Prompt

- the next generation Personal Information Management (PIM) Tool

Enterprise- Best  Solution.

Left to Right: Diosdado P. Banatao, Executive Chairman, SiRF; Julian Bourne, CEO & Founder, Proxpro Inc.; Kanwar Chadha, Founder & VP Marketing, SiRF
 Weston, MA -  September 17, 2008: Proxpro, the advanced GPS solutions company, today announced that its new product Prompt, a service that makes sure people are never late, won the People’s Choice Award for the enterprise category at the recent SiRFecosystem’s Location 2.0 Summit.  Prompt was chosen by the popular vote of top location-based services leaders because of its “superior use of the power of location to enhance the daily lives of individuals, enterprises and communities, as well as its level of innovation, impact on the market, features and benefits to end users”.

 

 

Prompt is a “push” technology that optimizes navigation and traffic information based on a personal calendar.  Prompt compares the user’s current location to the time and location of their next appointment, consults real-time and predicted traffic, displays the fastest route and tells people exactly when to leave to get to their next appointment on time. 

“Even the best planners can be caught by traffic or construction on their route and the worry of being late for a flight or an important meeting is very uncomfortable," said Marc Kleinmaier, LBS thought-leader and a Location 2.0 Summit attendee, "Prompt is amazing because it's automatic, removes all the guess work in trip planning and ensures an on-time arrival!”

Special settings also allow users to effortlessly monitor their daily commute to work in the morning and return drive home again in the evenings.

“Prompt is very useful because it cuts the daily hassle of monitoring the traffic for you before I go to work or on my way home,” said Jerry Mortel, Sales, Comcast, “ It’s simple by just typing in your daily commute address at setup and it does the rest for you.  It tells me how long I have before I leave for work so I can avoid being late and because of that I know if I have time to stop for gas or grab a bite to eat.  I use Prompt daily.”

“I believe that GPS navigation will be integrated to the calendar, providing “when to leave” information so I make my appointment on time.” Jeremy Toeman, LiveDigitally.   “I completely expect the category to standardize around such services in the next few years.”

 

Julian Bourne presenting Prompt at the Location 2.0 Summit, Andrew Seybold (left) about to call "time up."

“Receiving this award is a tremendous accomplishment for us,” said Julian Bourne, CEO and Founder, Proxpro Inc.  “It brings us one step closer to our aim to bring “when to leave” alerts to everyone’s calendar and GPS navigation experience.”

“SiRFecosystem’s Location 2.0 Summit is quickly developing a reputation as one of the foremost strategic forums for the key decision makers of the LBS industry, and the People’s Choice award winners reflect their judgment on how well they demonstrated the benefits of using the power of location to enhance the daily lives of individuals, enterprises and communities,” said Kanwar Chadha, founder and vice president of marketing for SiRF.  “We congratulate Proxpro for being chosen by these top global location industry executives for the

Enterprise

category, and look forward to the unique contribution they will make to the evolution of the LBS industry.”

 

Proxpro Prompt (beta) is available free of charge for BlackBerry devices with activated GPS in

North America

, at  www.proxpro.com  .

 

 

 

About Proxpro

 

Proxpro provides advanced software solutions for the mobile workforce management and location-based services industries. The company’s situation aware products present just-in-time information to empower professionals and mobile teams to make better decisions, reduce costs and improve customer service.  Founded in 2005, the company is headquartered in Weston, MA

 

 

 

About SiRF

 

SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. develops and markets location platforms based on semiconductor and software products that are designed to enable location-awareness utilizing GPS and other location technologies, enhanced by wireless connectivity and multimedia capabilities for high-volume mobile consumer devices and commercial applications.  SiRF’s technology has been integrated into a wide range of mobile consumer devices such as automobile navigation systems, portable navigation devices (PNDs), mobile phones, mobile computers, GPS-based peripherals and handheld GPS devices, and into commercial applications such as location servers, asset tracking devices and fleet management systems.  SiRF markets and sells its products in four target platforms: wireless handheld devices such as mobile phones; automotive electronics systems, including navigation and telematics systems; consumer electronics products such as recreational GPS handhelds, mobile gaming machines, digital cameras and wearable devices; and mobile computing systems, including personal digital assistants, notebook computers, universal mobile personal computers (UMPCs) and mobile internet devices.  Founded in 1995, SiRF is headquartered in

San Jose

,

California

, and has sales offices, design centers and research facilities around the world.  The company trades on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the symbol SIRF.  Additional information about SiRF and its location technology solutions can be found at www.sirf.com.

 

 

 

 

 

SiRF Location2.0 Summit Awards 2008 Finalist: Prompt by Proxpro Inc.

I was delighted and honored to hear this morning that Prompt by Proxpro Inc, has been nominated as one of three enterprise category finalists for SirF's Location 2.0 Summit on September 10, 2008 at the St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco, CA.

The judges are looking for the most cutting-edge location technologies and novel LBS products that positively enhance the consumers’ daily lives. Entries will be judged and evaluated on how well they achieve this goal and the following criteria:

• Level of innovation- Is the product/technology new and innovative?
• Features & benefits to the end-user – How will the product enhance the user’s experience or daily lives?
• Impact on the market — How will the product help drive the uptake of location services by consumers?
  

The judges will be

Kanwar Chadha, founder of SiRF Technology, responsible for the vision of the company and   Andrew Seybold, one of the most respected and influential champions of mobile wireless innovation.

About Proxpro.

Proxpro has spearheaded a new wave of pragmatic GPS software that helps people predict the future. The company won the coveted NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge in 2006 with its mobile social networking technology US # 7,310,676 and patent allowed 11/198,126. In May 2008 Proxpro launched a revolutionary location-based mobile application, called Prompt, that fuses GPS to the calendar, compares people’s current location with the time and location of their next appointment, displays real-time traffic on route and tells them the best time to leave so users are never late. Proxpro is based in Weston, MA, just off the Route 128 corridor.

For further information contact julianbourne "at sign" proxpro.com

Mobile will Dominate Just-in-time Traffic Information

Analysts are often criticized for exaggerating the potential for a new industry and entrepreneurs often jump on such reports to stoke their enthusiasm.  So when news broke yesterday that ABI Research released a report , Predictive Traffic Information: Historical, Real-time, and Predictive Speed Profile Information predicted 300 million users for traffic prediction data, as Founder and CEO of Proxpro Inc., the leading provider of personalized mobile traffic information solutions, I tried to curb my enthusiasm (for want of a better expression).

As one can see from the graph, the traffic data market is broken down into 4 segments auto, internet, mobile and vertical applications.  ABI Research see auto as by far the most exciting market with 150 million users by 2013.  Mobile, by comparison, is predicted to win over 40 million users.  No mean achievement considering all powerful mobile social networking, according to another ABI Research report, will achieve 80 million users by 2013.  [Putting to one side that both reports are relevant to Proxpro's intellectual property (Mobile social networking US Patents  7,310,676 and 7,424,541 (to be issues on 9/9/08)) and Proxpro's new product, Prompt, navigation fused to the mobile calendar (patent  pending)].

It is impressive that ABI Research see the future so clearly.  However the mobile predictions, are a dramatic under estimate.   It is the ever popular, but under monetized mobile calendar, that will drive demand for traffic solutions in the future.  The mobile calendar, with reference to the time and location of future appointments, is able to generate personalized traffic reports, prior to departure.  (see previous post, Is mobile the key to unlocking $5bn dollar for consumer traffic information).  No other mechanism exists, be it portal, auto, PND or public media, to provide the vital just-in-time, high quality, easy to use, personalized accuracy of traffic information that is essential.  That's why Proxpro's technology is patent pending.  

So the accessible mobile market size is not limited to the 500 million mobile devices  with GPS that will be provisioned by 2013, in countries where traffic data is available.  It is the calendar along with pre-set frequent locations, that will drive demand for traffic data in mobile.  If you peruse the AT&T store you are hard pressed to find a phone without a calendar.  Anyone traveling to S. Koria, Malaysia  or even in the UK with tell you how that the west does not have a monopoly on bad traffic.  I would estimate that ABI Research is an order of magnitude shy of the real accessible market size for mobile advanced traffic information solutions.

About Proxpro Inc

Proxpro is the leading provider of mobile advanced traveler information solutions.  It's product "Prompt" makes sure people are never late by comparing their current location with the time and location of their next calendar appointment, and tells them exactly when to leave (patent pending).  Proxpro is based near Boston, MA, USA.  For further information contact julianbourne "at sign" proxpro.com

FAQs Proxpro Prompt v0.2

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Proxpro Prompt v0.2

 

What is the “when to leave” screen?

 

The “when to leave” screen is automatically activates 30 minutes before the latest departure time for an event in your Blackberry calendar.  Proxpro compares your current location with the time and location of your next appointment, works out the fastest route (allowing for real-time and predicted traffic), and displays the “when to leave” screen.  The “when to leave” screen is “pushed” to your mobile home page.  The “when to leave” screen includes a map of your current location, which changes to a route map, displaying the journey ahead five minutes before departure.  The route map shows the fastest route.  A countdown alarm, a green and red bar, illustrates the journey time to your destination in red, and the time between now and your latest departure time, in green (the cushion).  As time elapses the green portion of the bar will shrink, and the red portion of the bar will fluctuate according to real-time and predicted traffic conditions on your route.  The address of your meeting and your current location can be checked, along with the current time and the arrival time at the future engagement.

 

What if the start location is wrong?

 

Proxpro uses the last valid location as the assumed start location.  If the start location is in correct, select menu | LocateMe and you can choose an alternative start location or enter a new start location.

 

While on route can I use Proxpro Prompt to check I am going to arrive on-time?

 

Yes, this is a really useful feature.  Even thinking you might be late is an uncomfortable feeling. When you embark on your journey, Proxpro realizes you have started moving and checks the road ahead for traffic every minute.  It updates your position and the green portion of the bar, the cushion, fluctuates according to the number of minutes you will arrive early for your meeting.  Users keep this screen running right up until their arrival.

 

I see the “when to leave” screen, how do I snooze it?

 

The “when to leave” screen appears 30 minutes before your latest departure time.  You may like to keep an eye on it, or snooze it or switch it off.  To snooze the screen press menu | snooze.  The screen will reappear once 5 minutes before your latest departure time.  To switch it off for this engagement select the “escape key” to the right of the “trackball”.  To use other applications, but be able to return to the “When to leave” screen, press the red “end” key, then press the Prompt icon when you need Prompt again.

 

My meeting time has changed, how do I update Proxpro?

 

Simple.  Go into your BlackBerry native calendar and update the time of your meeting, save it and Proxpro will immediately update you when to leave screen.

 

How does Proxpro pick the route?

 

Proxpro analyses 3 routes and chooses the optimum before presenting it on the screen to you.  As you get closer to your destination the magnification automatically increases, until you arrive.

 

I’ve heard GPS drains the battery on BlackBerry’s, how will Proxpro reduce battery performance?

 

You are correct, with most GPS applications you need to watch out for battery drain. However while designing the application we realized this was an important issue.

Proxpro uses about 5% of battery resource of turn-by-turn navigation.  From my experience you will not notice incremental battery drain.

 

Why do some items in my BlackBerry native calendar not appear in my Proxpro Prompt calendar?

 

The Proxpro Prompt calendar displays only one calendar week’s events, from the current day forward for 7 days.  If there is no location, or an invalid location, in the BlackBerry native calendar event’s location field, then Proxpro will not present an event in the Prompt calendar.

 

What is a valid location?

 

A valid location includes street address, city and state.  Proxpro does some nifty language recognition, so you do not need to enter zip code or house number.   

 

What is MyCommute and how does it work?

 

MyCommute is an easy way to check traffic on your daily commute, personalized to your location and the time when you like to arrive at work, or at home, in the evenings.  By default MyCommute is switched off.  You can activate MyCommute either when you first download Proxpro, during set up, or my selecting menu | preferences.  By entering your home and work addresses, and the preferred time of arrival, Proxpro will automatically check the road ahead for unusual traffic conditions and 30 minutes before your latest departure time present the fastest route and travel time needed.  This also works for your commute back home in the evenings.

 

How can I tell the travel time for a future trip?

 

For events in the future you can tell the travel time and route simply by clicking the event in the Proxpro Prompt calendar.  This gives a time-based travel duration and distance.

 

I shall be travelling abroad, will Proxpro work for me?

 

No.  Proxpro is switched off if your time zone is outside US time zones.

 

How do I switch Proxpro off and on?

 

If you wish to switch Proxpro Prompt off, simply press menu | preferences | menu | switch off.  Proxpro Prompt will not work again until you press the Prompt icon on your home screen.

 

How do I switch Proxpro on again?

 

Select the Prompt icon on your home screen

 

How do I unsubscribe from Proxpro?

 

If you don’t want to switch off Proxpro but would prefer to unsubscribe, go to Settings | Options | advanced options | applications | highlight PimSync – menu | delete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Predicting the Future of Mobile (location-based) Social Networking

 ABI research has released a provocative report on the future of mobile (location-based) social networking.  The press release and published graphs have stimulated a skeptical response from the blogosphere. Clint Boulton, eweek, and Frederic Lardinois, ReadWriteWeb, have articulated their doubts particularly with respect to $3.3 billion forecast 2013 market size, the business models and today’s poor performance .  Granted the mobile eco-system's dysfunctional structure, software and hardware have limitations, business models are yet to be proven and the offerings to date have not been compelling.  Perhaps an analysis of the numbers will help us determine truth or hype?

 

Let’s dissect the numbers (and make some assumptions).

 

A $3.3 billion market with 80 million users, that’s an average of 58 million users generating $4.8 / user month or $0.20/ day in 2013.  At $5-20 CPM net (avg. $12.50), means that each user has to generate 16 page views per day – that’s high if you are just searching for your closest friends.  Currently to open a page enter information (16 characters), click return, and receive a page of results takes about 28 seconds, including network delay – 8-10 minutes per day, that’s achievable.  The point is that getting the page views is easier than the achieving the daily habitual usage.

Other income will come from licensing deals, like Gypsii and Garmin that will support the short term mobile social networking coffers; rev. share partnerships, between FaceBook and Loopt, that will increase frequency of use and customer acquisition; there will be a combination of native and third party apps populating added to the mobile social networking experience that may bring further revenue.  However I think these items will have a marginal impact in the short run.

The real problem with proximity social networking today is woefully poor user experience, that' s why they lack critical mass, even the leaders.  They are light years away from 16 daily page views per user.  Social networking is only partially about “where you at?”, Loopt’s tag line.    Mobile social networking is about allowing people to expand their contact base, disseminate peer-to-peer information and advance themselves socially and professionally. 

 

 How do you make mobile social networking compelling?

 

People’s lives have got to revolve around their mobile social network service.  They have got to reach for the app as often as they look at their email inbox (more than use voice features).  There has got to be excitement and new possibility “pushed” from the phone constantly.  The mobile's intimacy and convenience is a huge asset.
 

 

The obvious extension is the opportunity to meet new people  with whom they share interests. The CTIA US Privacy Guidelines (I led the early team drafting the early privacy provisions) are complete and new introductions are now possible.  Privacy can be modulated to create a safe experience (click here to read more about privacy).  When social networking becomes about advancing one’s self socially and professionally, expanding one’s contact base, that’s when it grabs you, that’s a big part of the answer.

 

About Julian Bourne

Julian Bourne is an inventor of mobile social networking and other award-winning GPS mobile applications. He was granted a mobile social networking patent US #7,310,676 and a further patent allowed; He launched the world's first location-based (AGPS) mobile social networking application in the UK provisioned to events attended by 500,000 people (Oct 2004); won the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge, best social networking application, April 2006 (4 winners / 140 entrants); He has built the first GPS navigation application personalized to the digital calendar. This patent pending product is called Prompt. It makes sure people are never late, and has been described as "a service more intelligent and resourceful than anything we've seen before" (Mobile Messenger 2.0, July 2008). Proxpro is based near Boston MA.

Proxpro Prompt V0.2 Available Today

I am very pleased to announce Proxpro Prompt V0.2 is available today!  Visit www.proxpro.com or go to http://wap.proxpro.com in your BlackBerry browser.

Proxpro V0.1 will continue to work for 30 days, but I strongly recommend upgrading to Prompt V0.2.

Click here to see new look, new features and improvements.

Please Note:

Before you press the "download buttton" for V0.2 check the JAD (Java Application Descriptor is the screen describing application you are about to download) shows V0.2.  If it shows V0.1, in your browser app, press menu | options | cache operations | clear history to clear content cache, pushed content and cookie cache.

How would you compare on-line business networking to in-person business networking?

Martin Brossman, a success coach, asked the following interesting question on LinkedIn Answers

How would you compare on-line business networking to in-person business networking?

I believe the key concept is intellectual proximity. Intellectual proximity is a quantitative measure of the incremental social capital to be gained from two people meeting (online or in person). It is a function of networking intent, as well as the relative hierarchical level of the networkers. If there is a zero sum game (I win you lose) there is no incremental social capital. Online it is easy to calculate, for networker and networkee, if there is intellectual proximity. However at a party, in a crowded room, it is difficult to find people you share interests with. Socially we use introductions to help identify intellectual proximity, "you must meet so and so, you are in the same business." for instance.

If there was a way to identify intellectual proximity with people in your physical proximity then you have the perfect scenario. What is needed is an enabling technology to help find the people that matter to you, and meet face-to-face to build relationship. If you are interested read this patent US # 7,310,676.

About Julian Bourne

Julian Bourne is CEO and Founder of Proxpro Inc, a company spearheading a new wave of pragmatic GPS software solutions that help people predict the future. A location-based services thought leader, Julian is an inventor of mobile social networking (Patent No.: US 7,310,676 and continuation 11/198,126) and other awarding winning GPS software applications. A seasoned veteran of high tech industries, Julian’s prior role was as Global President of Morgan Crucible’s Specialty Division, where he led a range of growth businesses serving semi-conductor, solar, aerospace, super-abrasives and fuel cell industries. While traveling frequently for business, he recognized the need for services to help executives to “connect the dots” when traveling on business in unfamiliar places.

In April 2006, Julian won the social networking category in NAVTEQ’s 2006 Global Location Based Services Challenge, best Social Networking application. In August 2006, Julian received the 40-under-40 award in Boston Business Journal’s list honoring 40 rising stars under the age of forty.