WorldMate CEO blog – Nadav Gur

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Location Based Hotel Booking


Well, the news is out, we now have location-based hotel booking in WorldMate Live both on mobile and on the web. The great thing about it is that it's so easy to explain. I was at a meeting with a VC a few weeks ago, and we were talking about online booking, and the guy says - "you know, I never have to do it, I just tell my secretary - find me a 4-star near the meeting, and it's done".

So in essence - that's what we launched. "Find me a 4-star near my meeting.". The meetings are there, the hotels are there, they're all laid out on a map, and hey presto! You got what you need. Try it. I'd love to hear what you think.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

CEO Blogging and the merits of the common flu

Yes, you got it. I am home with the flu. So suddenly the blog gets some attention. And I expect that if you track other CEO's blogs, and see sudden spikes in creativity, it means something similar. That is, of course, assuming they write it themselves, which is this case.

WorldMate Live on the BlackBerry Storm and the Storm vs. iPhone debacle

Last week, we released a version of WorldMate Live that supports the latest BlackBerry Storm. This is probably one of the first "real" Storm apps, i.e. one that works with the new touch-based user interface and was customized especially for the Storm, rather than an existing BlackBerry app that runs in "compatibility mode".



Of course, everyone asks me what I think of the Storm. It looks like the pre-release campaign was very effective. I was presenting at a conference the other week, and while I was backstage with my BlackBerry Bold in hand, one of the secretaries asked me "Is that the new BlackBerry Storm?", I told her it wasn't, and the Audio equipment guy tells her "it can't be, they're only releasing it on the 21st...". So if average Joe audio guy can recite your launch date, it probably means you got some people excited. The question is - how will they react to the actual product?

Well, a couple of weeks later we have some Storm lovers and many Storm bashers... Just google "BlackBerry Storm vs. iPhone"... Everyone is there to tell you that product A rather than B is the right one. Or vice versa. Furthermore, many reviewers are citing the Storm's software issues as its drawbacks.

This is naive. First, the notion that there's a "one size fit all" in a market with over 2 billion customers is just silly. Second, it is clear that in its race to release a product before Christmas, RIM has cut some corners. This happens very often (including to Apple), and is later fixed with over-the-air software upgrades, for instance. Why do you think the stock was depleted in 48 hours? Did RIM really not expect for the device to succeed, after the concerted marketing efforts?

In my mind, RIM had a situation on its hands. On the one hand - the shopping season is beckoning. On the other, the product is not yet 100% ready, and the main competitor's product is probably on the top of many people's Christmas lists. The Storm competes with the iPhone more than it does with the Bold - so whatever can be done to delay decisions, shift demand to RIM's product - is good for RIM. And that's what they did - early pre-announcement and consumer-focused campaign, got many people in the Storm camp. But wait - there's a risk. Cause if the product is a flop just because the software wasn't ready (and could have been - had you waited 6 weeks or so) - the backlash could be devastating, harm the product in the long term.

Well, did they make the right judgement call? Too soon to tell. Personally I believe the Storm software will see both glitches removed and user interfaces improved over the next 3 months. When they are, it will be a kick-ass device. Not as good for an e-mail intensive user as the BlackBerry Bold, but better than the current iPhone, for sure.

And WorldMate Live on the Storm? Just like the Storm - will get even better in a month...