tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79129000287053354292024-03-05T21:15:12.897-08:00WorldMate CEO, Nadav Gur, blogs about mobile, travel, internet, and where they all meetThis blog was moved to http://ceoblog.worldmate.comNadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-10990431295160663892010-10-18T15:55:00.001-07:002010-10-18T15:57:10.687-07:00My new Blog - The VanguardSo it's out. While my existing WorldMate blog is still there, on <a href="http://www.nadavgur.com">The Vanguard</a> I will be free to share my wisdom and folly on various things - from travel through mobile to managing start-ups and capital. Check it out - <a href="http://www.nadavgur.com">http://www.nadavgur.com</a>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-67792121745319281222009-07-07T02:01:00.000-07:002009-07-07T02:03:10.939-07:00This Blog Is Moving!<span style="font-size:180%;">I have moved my blog to the following address:<br /><br /><a href="http://ceoblog.worldmate.com">http://ceoblog.worldmate.com</a><br /><br />See you there...<br /></span>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-75304212090351917222009-06-16T10:11:00.000-07:002009-06-17T07:02:49.475-07:00iPhone Users Are Predictably IrrationalOver the last year or so, I've visited the topic of<a href="http://wmlive.blogspot.com/2009/01/iphone-itunes-ifart-case-of-tail.html"> iPhone Apps and what they're good for</a> several times. I must say I've angered some of my readers who saw my resistance to this great new wave as being purely bull-headed. Now that <a href="http://www.worldmate.com/iphone">WorldMate for the iPhone</a> is here, and our commitment to serving users on this platform is clear, we can come back to a discussion that's a little more level-headed.<br /><br />My chief concern was how the <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/whatson/appstore.html">AppStore </a>marketing platform – which consists mainly of the best-seller lists, skews the platform towards cheap gizmos. Or basically – my argument is that:<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The marketplace that Apple has created does not allow a company like WorldMate to charge the a price for its product that is in line with the product's value.</span></div><br />As I've spent some time writing a rather long piece - here are my main themes up front...<br /><br /><ul><li>There are dozens of thousands of smartphone users who think WorldMate is worth at least $100 per year</li><li>A rational ROI analysis shows that WorldMate is worth at least $100 per year</li><li>If WorldMate is to make money on the iPhone platform – It can't do that on a few dollars per user.</li><li>Apple's App Store set-up triggered a consumer behavior called "Price Anchoring" which makes iPhone users believe that a price of $1-2 is adequate for apps, without any real rationale</li><li>This makes it very hard to build a scalable business on selling iPhone apps.<br /></li></ul><br />Now you know what I think - let me try to explain.<br /><br />This discussion is by nature an economics discussion, so let's start by figuring out the "Right value" or "Right price" for the product.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.worldmate.com/features/choose_your_phone.php">WorldMate for other platforms</a> (e.g. <a href="http://www.worldmate.com/features/blackberry">BlackBerry</a>, <a href="http://www.worldmate.com/features/windows-mobile/">Windows Mobile</a>) retails for $99/yr. We've done quite a bit of price-testing before settling on this price, and we were considered one of the most successful app developers on these platforms. So you can state as a fact that:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">There are dozens of thousands of smartphone users who think WorldMate is worth at least $100 per year</span><br /></div><br />Otherwise they wouldn't have paid, right? But of course you could always argue that these people weren't thinking straight.<br /><br />So - maybe a better way of justifying the price is by calculating the economical value. What WorldMate essentially does is save you time and get you out of trouble while traveling on business. We inform you of things in advance and provide you info quickly – so you won't miss your flight, get lost, etc., and we help you optimize – for instance <a href="http://www.worldmate.com/features/flight-schedules.php">find another flight</a> when you need to change your schedule, or when your existing <a href="http://www.worldmate.com/features/flight-alerts.php">flight was delayed / canceled</a>. So basically what we do is save you time. Now our average customer travels over 10 times a year and probably spends around $20,000 on business trips on a yearly basis. He costs his employer around $100 per hour in general, and double that while traveling. So – if we save our customer one hour a year – for instance by telling him he can leave for the airport an hour late cause the<a href="http://www.worldmate.com/features/flight-status-lookup.php"> flight is delayed</a>, or by giving him a <a href="http://www.worldmate.com/features/maps-and-directions.php">map to his destination </a>which saves him getting lost – the ROI is positive. If ever we manage to get him home a day early or enable an impromptu meeting while traveling (e.g. using our Connections social network) – that's easily a 5-x ROI.<br /><br />Now one may argue that we need to look at the alternative cost – what replacement products are there. Let's assume that there are 2-3 free products or mobile websites out there that could replace WorldMate for free. If it'll take you one hour to find them, or, if these products are not as well integreated as WorldMate such that over the course of a year of usage it'll take you one more hour to get the info from them that WorldMate would have gotten for you automatically – then again, you paid your $100 to get these "Free" products – i.e. you paid more than you'd have paid for WorldMate anyway. So the bottom line is I think I can safely say:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A rational ROI analysis shows that WorldMate is worth at least $100 per year</span><br /></div><br />Yet another way to examine this is how much does it actually cost us – what's our cost per user?<br />The platform we have cost quite a few millions of $ to develop over the last five years. The iPhone app itself cost us ~$150,000 to develop and we're still spending heavily. The content costs per user are meaningful (in the cents to dollars depending on activity). Hosting costs us six figures a year. So we certainly can't be profitable on $0.70 / user unless we serve millions.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">If WorldMate is to make money on the iPhone platform – It can't do that on a few dollars per user.</span><br /></div><br />Still – the iPhone customer market sees this differently. We launched a product at a $19.99 introductory price, and while we generally like the sales figures, still we see comments like "how could this be worth $20". Wait a minute - we've just shown how the product is worth 5 times this?<br /><br />So what is it? Are iPhone users less rational? - not likely; Are they underpaid? Is their time not worth as much? Not really - recent surveys from <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2009/06/12/study-iphone-users-were-an-elite-group-more-than-a-year-ago/">Forrester </a>and <a href="http://www.nielsen.com/">Nielsen survey</a> show over 39% have over $100,000 HHI.<br /><br />So why do iPhone users attribute a lower value or price to WorldMate – or for that matter, any app?<br /><br />The answer is as simple as it is perplexing. There's a developing field in economics called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_economics">Behavioral Economics</a>. Simply put, what it studies is how people actually behave – as consumers, deal-makers etc.. You'd think that what's economics does in general – right? Well, not really… Traditional economics assumes people are rational beings. Empirical studies show they just aren't. And Behavioral Economics tries to understand this conundrum. There's a great book in the field called <a href="http://www.predictablyirrational.com/?page_id=6">Predictably Irrational</a>, written by Professor <a href="http://web.mit.edu/ariely/www/MIT/">Dan Ariely </a>of MIT<em>, </em>and one of the phenomena it describes is "<a href="http://tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/price-anchoring/">Price Anchoring</a>"<br /><br />Price Anchoring in simple terms is the fact that the first price you see for something, is what you'll expect it's worth, regardless whether this price makes any rational sense. I especially like the story about the experiment they did where they told people to write the last two digits of their Social Security Number next to the name of a product – as a price. And then asked the same people how much they really think the product is worth. Lo and behold – people whose SSN ended in high numbers, ended up thinking the products are worth more than did the people whose SSN ends in low numbers. Incidentally, we're talking about highly rational MIT MBA students... Further studies show that it's then very hard to change that "anchor" – the initial impression of price, no matter how irrelevant, affects the long term perception of value, or "appropriate price".<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How does this apply to the App Store?</span><br /><br />When Apple gave early iPhone developers an <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/20/report-iphone-applications-are-getting-cheaper/">incentive to price everything at $0.99</a>, it actually made its customers perceive of iPhone Apps as worth $0.99, $1.99, maybe a few $ - tops. Regardless of the actual value created, the corresponding value of the content / service or any other rational aspect.<br /><br />So for most iPhone users, the equation is simple:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"The adequate price for an iPhone App is $1, maybe $2…"</span><br /></div><br />Oops. How do we make money in such a market? What's the long-term outlook like? Can this change over time? Does Apple care and will it attempt to change it?<br /><br />Frankly, we'll see. We do have some great ideas about how to monetize, but we'll have to live and learn. I'd welcome thoughts and opinions.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Some interesting reads:</span><br /><br /><ul><li>FierceWireless: <a href="http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/story/if-youre-trying-make-money-dump-your-iphone-strategy/2009-06-10"><span style="font-size:100%;">If you're trying to make money, dump your iPhone strategy</span></a></li><li>TechCrunch: <a title="Report: iPhone Applications Are Getting Cheaper" href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/20/report-iphone-applications-are-getting-cheaper/" rel="bookmark">Report: iPhone Applications Are Getting Cheaper</a></li><li>Silicon Alley Insider: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-developers-2009-6">Apple's Relationship With iPhone Developers: 'Reluctant Tolerance'</a></li><li>And of course -<a href="http://www.predictablyirrational.com/"> Predictably Irrational</a></li></ul>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-4303374827740601052009-06-04T03:45:00.000-07:002009-06-04T03:57:32.374-07:00WorldMate for iPhone: The iPhone App is here!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIESrP0qRXZ4lG0HcdptY8s07HlRBCRmMivZBhh92fW0-Wz_6smlwhHkc8kbWV0NXBTMV-pM6vGu_grJyxuCO45twXE8_Zuz_G63CbzSqjtQpTFY0g0-0AAzq9gyTJS2rTtEE7g8FB5tU/s1600-h/mob_3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIESrP0qRXZ4lG0HcdptY8s07HlRBCRmMivZBhh92fW0-Wz_6smlwhHkc8kbWV0NXBTMV-pM6vGu_grJyxuCO45twXE8_Zuz_G63CbzSqjtQpTFY0g0-0AAzq9gyTJS2rTtEE7g8FB5tU/s320/mob_3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343424847465247474" border="0" /></a><br />It's here. After all the debates, arguments, discussions and anxieties - <a href="http://www.worldmate.com/iphone">WorldMate for iPhone</a> is out there. 24 hours ago we launched both WorldMate - a free version, and WorldMate Gold - a Paid version. And these are just the first in a sting of releases planned for the next 3 months, which should make WorldMate for iPhone one of the richest and most valuable iPhone Apps out there.<br /><br />Within 24 hours of launch we had over 1,000 new users. Both WorldMate and WorldMate Gold are already Top-20<a href="http://www.worldmate.com/iphone"> iPhone travel apps</a>. And this is just a beginning.<br /><br />What does it do? Version 1 of WorldMate for iPhone provides our <a href="http://www.worldmate.com/features/iphone/mobile-itinerary.php">itinerary planner</a> that is synchronized with the <a href="http://www.worldmate.com/features/iphone/online-travel-planner.php">www.worldmate.com</a> online itinerary planner, <a href="http://www.worldmate.com/features/iphone/automated-flight-status.php"> real-time flight status</a>, <a href="http://www.worldmate.com/features/iphone/flight-search.php">flight schedules</a>, click-thru to to <a href="http://www.worldmate.com/features/iphone/maps-and-directions.php">maps & directions</a>, a currency converter, as well as iPhone weather and world clocks. The Gold version automates the Flight Status function such that as soon as you enter the app you know if your flight's on time or not. The Free version is Ad-funded.<br /><br />Over the coming months, we will strive to prove the thesis - there are enough serious iPhone users out there who are interested in more than gimmicks and games, to warrant the creation of this service on the iPhone.<br /><br />Let's kick ass!Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-82314692761475891602009-04-30T04:55:00.000-07:002009-04-30T05:01:19.614-07:00iPhone musings one last time - the moment of surrenderFirst I was applauded, then advised, then blasted. The iPhone has changed the landscape, and I cannot ignore this any longer. Competitors like Tripit and FlightTrack are learning from us, duplicating our product, and trying to take the market away from us.<br />It's time we re-claimed our invention - the <a href="http://www.worldmatelive.com">mobile itinerary application</a>, and put it on the iPhone.<br /><br />We've just published a post on the WorldMate blog explaining why WorldMate for iPhone and why now. <a href="http://blog.worldmatelive.com/2009/04/at-the-moment-of-surrender-or-why-worldmate-on-the-iphone-and-why-now.html">Check it out.</a>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-46147505103496380482009-04-02T18:45:00.000-07:002009-04-02T18:54:37.969-07:00The BlackBerry App World launch - Is this pent-up demand or what?It's been less than 36 hours since the <a href="http://www.blackberry.com/AppWorld">App World </a>was launched, and I have to say we're surprised at the rate of take-up. Our own app, WorldMate Live, is one of the apps featured there and hovers around #12 in the top downloads tables.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwy15gAytJOerKM3Z834abmg3niOqjYwYBd8z2XDaDIM6wxhJWzhArZZKDorK5iffznLJoytATfsOH7_60K3dr_GMPKw5Byl2BSNvzij268EQ6mJNWp8YKiYaF1AKNunU1uI0VAFuwO0Q/s1600-h/Capture21_48_15.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwy15gAytJOerKM3Z834abmg3niOqjYwYBd8z2XDaDIM6wxhJWzhArZZKDorK5iffznLJoytATfsOH7_60K3dr_GMPKw5Byl2BSNvzij268EQ6mJNWp8YKiYaF1AKNunU1uI0VAFuwO0Q/s320/Capture21_48_15.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320277541189122402" border="0" /></a><br />Extrapolating from our download numbers over these 36 hours, I'm expecting there were over 1M downloads from the App World in the first 24 hours. A million! Considering that the App Store was NOT pre-installed in any BlackBerry, but people actually had to download it to get at the apps in it, this is extremely impressive.<br /><br />The App World itself still has some quirks - strange process of acquiring and displaying reviews, some usability issues here and there. But it's 100% functional and does the job. And the apps are top-notch. So very different from what we see on the iPhone App Store for instance.<br /><br />I guess we're off to a good start then!Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-44730341671982801382009-03-31T04:10:00.000-07:002009-03-31T04:25:00.359-07:00Going to TravelCom '09For the next 3 days, I'll be attending <a href="http://www.tia.org/industrymeet/travelcom/index.html">Travelcom '09</a> , one of the key travel trade-shows attended by all the who's who of the industry. Like every '09 show, the economy has a major effect on the vibe and the topics discussed. However at the same time, the travel industry is going through a quite a unique process of change, inflicted by a mixture of economic, regulatory and technology trends. I will be sitting on a panel about mobile and its influence on travel - "<b><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">What you must know about Marketing Travel through Evolving Mobile Communications Systems"</span></span></span></b> to which I've been invited by one of the few real luminaries in travel - <a href="http://www.tia.org/industrymeet/TravelCom/speakers_09.html#Henry">Henry Herteveldt</a> of Forrester. So if you're there - drop by, I guarantee it will be interesting.<br /><br />Time permitting - I intend to write my next post about Web 2.0 and Travel. It seems like, unlike other areas, in Travel, web 2.0 actually means business.<br /><br />Oh, one last thing - I owe you this picture, taken from seat 2F on yesterday's Continental flight EWR-ATL... I'm thinking of making it part of the WorldMate brand...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzIcgB6F3UUqC5AM23iiC6773VGmJ2aKJUpPcUq0ufNJn8FJlD2SDRSIdyHV84XlVvEnJ_GBWq8DtJItssvjoeCWrTV32yRZiwbKPwaoaJgnjlj7N_WbNiHcxOKa6OYTswZSY9KathVI/s1600-h/Sky_out_of_CO091_Mar302009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzIcgB6F3UUqC5AM23iiC6773VGmJ2aKJUpPcUq0ufNJn8FJlD2SDRSIdyHV84XlVvEnJ_GBWq8DtJItssvjoeCWrTV32yRZiwbKPwaoaJgnjlj7N_WbNiHcxOKa6OYTswZSY9KathVI/s320/Sky_out_of_CO091_Mar302009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319311259748751234" border="0" /></a>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-65660682143762431632009-03-25T13:57:00.002-07:002009-03-25T14:05:42.308-07:00Of Power LuncheonsWhat a day, after being lectured to by my VP of Products, and before being lectured to by my CFO, I managed to steal a few hours and participate in a luncheon arranged by <a href="http://www.blonde2dot0.com/blog/">Blonde 2.o</a> and <a href="http://www.ylventures.com/">YL Ventures</a>. Spent 3 hours at the same table with <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/bios/Sarah_Lacy.htm">Sarah Lacy</a>, <a href="http://www.deborahschultz.com/">Deborah Schultz</a> and <a href="http://www.blonde2dot0.com/blog/about/">Ayelet Noff </a>- I guess I must be doing something right, no? Oh, yes, Yossi Vardi was there too...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorpT4023NlAZPb0WH7XX7N5G_pkEKia7Tq1-UKhx4RBMJJTDjOlAlGkBRv2oijQANbu4xIROy0-oQvvXhYXI8eJTiSTEL2YvYGGi1bjMWLhaEnILynj9x0_LGsjLMZYrKBBofrjyxf_0/s1600-h/n561367937_2344567_6390178.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorpT4023NlAZPb0WH7XX7N5G_pkEKia7Tq1-UKhx4RBMJJTDjOlAlGkBRv2oijQANbu4xIROy0-oQvvXhYXI8eJTiSTEL2YvYGGi1bjMWLhaEnILynj9x0_LGsjLMZYrKBBofrjyxf_0/s320/n561367937_2344567_6390178.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317234130002336146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-zmEktrcutbrBLjF63D3w12F8g-PS7vTH8QNHLbHoL_1VgGSRqVRkf7RmbkIJrPymCdZi8-UucZ3GrLosDXFtNHV0EZfP0ENPfakTzfUkGUyPdYnjdBX4EW1Dttz-veDTLeLneaeaWE/s1600-h/n561367937_2344460_3164169.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-zmEktrcutbrBLjF63D3w12F8g-PS7vTH8QNHLbHoL_1VgGSRqVRkf7RmbkIJrPymCdZi8-UucZ3GrLosDXFtNHV0EZfP0ENPfakTzfUkGUyPdYnjdBX4EW1Dttz-veDTLeLneaeaWE/s320/n561367937_2344460_3164169.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317233709941528498" border="0" /> </a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-zmEktrcutbrBLjF63D3w12F8g-PS7vTH8QNHLbHoL_1VgGSRqVRkf7RmbkIJrPymCdZi8-UucZ3GrLosDXFtNHV0EZfP0ENPfakTzfUkGUyPdYnjdBX4EW1Dttz-veDTLeLneaeaWE/s1600-h/n561367937_2344460_3164169.jpg"> </a>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-90257559720301519572009-03-18T01:20:00.000-07:002009-03-18T01:27:42.696-07:00iPhone SDK 3.0: WorldMate Live on the Horizon!We were absolutely thrilled about Apple's announcements yesterday of what is coming in SDK 3.0. Push (at last), subscriptions, tiering, Google Maps integration. 90% of what we need to implement the full WorldMate Live vision on the iPhone. Here's Engadget's <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/17/live-from-apples-iphone-os-3-0-preview-event/">coverage of the announcement event</a>.<br /><br />We will be making some announcements about this in the near future.<br /><br />Thanks to all our fans who've petitioned Apple for this!Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-75632927543488716502009-03-15T02:48:00.000-07:002009-03-15T03:56:43.182-07:00Leaders and followers - How everyone is following Apple's lead (?!)In the last few months I've posted some <a href="http://wmlive.blogspot.com/2009/01/iphone-itunes-ifart-case-of-tail.html">rants </a>about the shortcomings of the iPhone AppStore before, for instance under " . In doing so I've echoed the voices of many other industry players, including <a href="http://wmlive.blogspot.com/2009/01/iphone-itunes-ifart-case-of-tail.html">AppCubby</a>, <a href="http://www.mobile-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=032002OCP934">Mobile Tech Today</a> and others. The general assumption in the market was that when introducing the AppStore Apple wanted to start simple, learn, and upgrade later. An example for such an upgrade are the "Top Paid" and "Top Free" apps tables.<br /><br />One thing I certainly did not expect is for everyone else in the industry who's been distributing mobile apps for years, to look at Apple's success and draw the conclusion that they need to "go primitive" in order to be competitive. Take a look at <a href="http://www.handango.com/">handango.com</a> for instance. They've been leading the mobile applications downloads market for years, and were the Mecca for early-adopter smartphone users. Over the early years, they've evolved their merchandising practices. For instance, they moved from a "Top 50 downloads" table counting downloads, to a "Best sellers" counting unit sales (just like iTunes), to a best sellers list measuring revenue generated by the different titles. And it worked for years.<br /><br />Over the last few years, growth has stagnated. While I can't put my finger on it exactly, I can say from our ISV partner point-of-view that it seemed like things have slowed to a crawl there. Initiatives like subscription billing, free applications distribution with pay-per-download for the vendor and others took years to evolve for "IT reasons". And the iPhone has dealt them a blow - with their core audience switching in droves from Windows Mobile and Palm to iPhone, and then being forced to download only through the App Store.<br /><br />How does a company respond to such market conditions? Well, in their case it looks like they've picked a very naive version of "if you can't beat them, join them". A couple of weeks ago they've switched their best-seller lists to be run by "most units sold" instead of "most revenue generated". So long $99 eOffice and WorldMate Live. Long live $0.99 iFart and iMaid.<br /><br />Does this strategy make sense? Let's assume for one second that this strategy is indeed the right one for the App Store (I don't). Is it the right one for Handango? Are Apple and Hadango equivalent? let's see. Apple's targeting un-informed consumers who purchased the "coolest phone out there" and is trying to <span style="font-weight: bold;">educate </span>them to download apps. It has an existing <span style="font-weight: bold;">billing relationship</span> with them which means that it can easily power a good user experience for a $0.99 impulse purchase. The focus is on mass market "goods" and the strategy is focused on the lowest-common-denominator.<br /><br />Handango's audience reached it after looking for a place to <span style="font-weight: bold;">buy</span> applications for their (non-iPhone) smartphones. They put their credit card numbers in to pay for their purchase. They have opted for BlackBerries and Windows Mobile devices. Are they the same psychographic as iPhone users? Will the lowest-common-denominator strategy work?<br /><br />An even bigger concern are Apple's competitors. The AppStore's success is of course something they cannot ignore, and the rush to issue such stores of their own is justified. Advertising their phones as application platforms is something they should have started doing years ago (and believe me, I personally pitched such campaigns to them in the past). But are you going to be a leader or a follower?<br /><br />One of the giants of this industry, a company who's been defining the mobile market for years, has recently announced its upcoming application store. This company has built various application and content distribution channels over the last 10 years, and has tested every model you can think of - from internet to on-device to retail-point-of-sale. They've done everything except one thing, which is to actually <span style="font-weight: bold;">promote application use to consumers</span> when they advertise their phones. Wait, isn't that a key part of Apple's marketing strategy?<br /><br />Anyway, they're working with their developer community on the upcoming launch of their app store, and initially stated they will support a variety of business models - subscriptions as well as one-times, trial apps, freemium, etc. Then all of a sudden they have a change of heart. You see, now they are looking for a "consistent download experience", so why don't everyone go back to pay-before-you-download applications with a one-time fee and that's all?<br /><br />What's going on here? Have Q4 reports been so bad that a market leader has lost any ability to think on its own and is blindly following Apple's example? What will they do in a few months when Apple will come out with subscriptions, trial apps etc.? Implement them then because then it is good practice in line with consumer expectations? Incidentally - is this also the strategy with your phones? To just clone Apple? Is this scalable? sustainable?<br /><br />The latest news is on RIM's BlackBerry App World. The good news: an App Store for BlackBerry, with some more flexibility allowed to developers, and RIM heavily promoting application use. The bad news: RIM seems to be assuming BlackBerry users and iPhone users are the same demographic / psychographic. Therefore it taks the $0.99 - $9.99 pricing levels that are the norm on the iPhone App Store (but not imposed by Apple) and setting them as <a href="http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/appworld/faq.jsp">the established price level for the BlackBerry App World.</a> Is your tool worth $50? Is your service going to generate / serve the business user $500 in value? Sorry, this is a Dollar Store.<br /><br />Where is it all going? How much innovation is going to go down the drain because of this infatuation with $0.99 gimmicks? Frankly I don't know. I can only take solace in comments posted by our users on my previous posts about this, for instance:<br /><br /> "If people are willing to pay $.99 for crappy apps and odd sounds, imagine what they would pay for an app that is actually useful and works wonderfully like WorldMate Live."<br /><br />Let me know what YOU think...Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-69383229791384033942009-03-10T00:41:00.001-07:002009-03-10T00:42:21.253-07:00WorldMate Blog LaunchedJust dropping a note to say at last we've launched the company / product blog (as opposed to my blog). it's at <a href="http://blog.worldmatelive.com">blog.worldmatelive.com</a> and already contains some interesting content!Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-49619259685553125532009-02-16T09:58:00.000-08:002009-02-16T10:17:08.195-08:00WorldMate Live wins a GSMA AwardThe news is just in from Barcelona... WorldMate Live has been named "Most Innovative Mobile Application in a Vertical Market" by the GSM Association in the 2009 EMEA tournament.<br /><br />With the GSMA being the <a href="http://www.gsmworld.com/about-us/index.htm">leading global organization</a> for wireless operators and device makers,this further stresses our recognition by the market leaders as the a leading light in mobile applications and the leader in mobile travel services. Kudos to the WorldMate team!Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-55980724031758242782009-01-02T07:00:00.000-08:002009-03-11T09:55:03.640-07:00iPhone, iTunes, iFart - A case of the tail wagging the dog? Or is this a cat?First, we heard of the <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/07/14appstore.html">dozens of millions of applications downloads</a> on the iPhone - as soon as the AppStore was available. Then, it was "<a href="http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/09/apple-app-store-over-100000000-downloads-in-60-days/">100 Million Apps in 60 days</a>". Then, comes what happens when you have such a big pool of active and dynamic primordial soup - the creation of life, and continued evolution. Culminating in the gem of creation itself, <a href="http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2008/12/24/ifart-mobile-becomes-lucrative-top-ranked-download-for-iphone/">the most lucrative, top-ranked download for iPhone </a> <span style="font-weight: bold;">- iFart</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.apptism.com/screenshots/000/040/749/thumb.jpg?1229350324"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="http://www.apptism.com/screenshots/000/040/749/thumb.jpg?1229350324" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So is iFart a unique phenomenon, or is this the norm?<br /><br />As of today, the top Free apps on the AppStore are 5 games, 2 gimmicks (Lightsabre and Flashlight), and the Facebook client. Top paid apps? 6 games, gimmicks (PocketGuitar, Koi Pond, Face Melter) and an online radio client.<br /><br />Merriam-Webster defines <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/application">an application</a> as "a program (as a word processor or a spreadsheet) that performs one of the major tasks for which a computer is used".<br /><br />Games, gimmicks, iFart, "... the major tasks for which a computer is used." Is this what Apple had in mind?<br /><br />If I was an iPhone cynic, I could have said "QED" and be done with it. But I guess I'm not. So what is going on here? How does this reflect the iPhone market? What does this mean for iPhone application developers?<br /><br />First, there is nothing new here. Back in the late 90's, Palm software websites like palmgear.com and palmcentral.com (later renamed Handango) were initially dominated by similar applications - gimmicks (remember Mirror? or our own FanMate?) and games - including some great ones like Bejeweled and Vexed!.<br /><br />Those sites were managed very similarly to the current AppStore - Top 50 Downloads. What this meant was that something that a gimmick that appeals to a lot of people and is viral, is free, and happens to come to the market early on - will rise to the top and remain there. Later, because the Top 50 Downloads chart prefers applications with a long history - it gets extremely hard to stand out, no matter how good your new application is. The "Top 50 Monthly" was a slight improvement, because if your widget was <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> good, it could outshine those "older" widgets.<br /><br />But is this a good business eco-system? It's a system that prefers small, easy-to-understand gimmicks, that are priced at 0 or something close to it, over anything that is more complex or pricey - but has lasting value. Guess why all the top-seller iPhone apps are $0.99? What makes a Best-Selling iPhone App? - <a href="http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1863961,00.html">according to TIME</a> , a best-selling iPhone app - is a $0.99 gimmick.<br /><br />Is this good for the iPhone? Initially, probably it is. But over the longer term? I don't think many Light-sabre or iFart users are very excited about those apps a week or a month after they've downloaded them. And this type of experience wears off pretty quick - unless you're a teenager. Remember Facebook apps, not so long ago - the next big thing?<br /><br />And in a parallel universe - we have WorldMate users who've been with us since 2000...<br /><br />This goes back to the dilemma facing serious application developers when faced with the iPhone. On the one hand, it's obviously an <a href="http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/12/02/needham.on.iphone.share/">extremely popular smartphone platform</a>, whose users are indeed focused on downloading stuff to. On the other hand - it seems like the vast majority of them are downloading entertainment / personalization stuff, not "real" applications - Personal Productivity, Utilities, Business Apps etc. Furthermore the AppStore has a built-in preference for tiny little snippets of value (entertainment or otherwise) that will be consumed and forgotten, over more complex products that may cost more and appeal to less people, but will provide significant value over a long time. The App Store is a one-size-fit-all - comparing downloads, not volume of use, and units, not revenue.<br /><br />So do we want to be a gourmet restaurant in a fast-food court? How do we market in such a marketplace?<br /><br />I'd love to hear your suggestions!<br /><br />- Nadav<br /><br />Late addition:<br /><br />Many interesting articles sprouting up. One of them - <a href="http://www.appcubby.com/blog/files/financial_realities.html"><span style="font-size:100%;">Financial Realities of the App Store</span></a>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-71523663783518151812008-12-16T13:50:00.000-08:002009-01-03T23:13:39.532-08:00Location Based Hotel Booking<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkd7daU8hUxpMVbpyhvSkwWIO6Zq4BioGHndydkJ3jFCmV2QE1q-MbdtrHIuDrrZBhFBxRGZKJGBza71XuljDH-JI5SWT9Nf-W2-QqJiRBQBNRUosV5yQyJouHmROfRAcrloLJaMgAmE/s1600-h/BkBox.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkd7daU8hUxpMVbpyhvSkwWIO6Zq4BioGHndydkJ3jFCmV2QE1q-MbdtrHIuDrrZBhFBxRGZKJGBza71XuljDH-JI5SWT9Nf-W2-QqJiRBQBNRUosV5yQyJouHmROfRAcrloLJaMgAmE/s320/BkBox.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280512336955106658" /></a><br />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". <br /><br />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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBmUbFYt_LnkOHPlPpEVTG7QXRbrMmZPJ_83sOaRUCpZcvE9iUygkYqDtLmo7ZUmlwkyJVg-EY0OKLZf4y-mi01SfSGXA7Lo1ww2N9Mr2N9JrKLghquvjNDQzBYR0hI2Un3O2YnAFtcE/s1600-h/hotels_map.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBmUbFYt_LnkOHPlPpEVTG7QXRbrMmZPJ_83sOaRUCpZcvE9iUygkYqDtLmo7ZUmlwkyJVg-EY0OKLZf4y-mi01SfSGXA7Lo1ww2N9Mr2N9JrKLghquvjNDQzBYR0hI2Un3O2YnAFtcE/s320/hotels_map.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280512550872472562" /></a>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-78774458665090120972008-12-07T23:49:00.000-08:002008-12-07T23:52:15.670-08:00CEO Blogging and the merits of the common fluYes, 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.Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-41904696755520587232008-12-07T23:20:00.000-08:002008-12-08T11:26:03.788-08:00WorldMate Live on the BlackBerry Storm and the Storm vs. iPhone debacleLast 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".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMuOKa50m1BjZsd5Oc0V32a3jZbUec0ajVmy-jiDvU-Jxblv408W40hiQQFYPiuiAsiFb1nJ4unv8cOc0Di-hz-hzHTVbpeP_OtXbL5uNJAhGXcbbvZ2KMrr_aQTrGXqd3eFjLBq2E5U/s1600-h/Storm-final.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMuOKa50m1BjZsd5Oc0V32a3jZbUec0ajVmy-jiDvU-Jxblv408W40hiQQFYPiuiAsiFb1nJ4unv8cOc0Di-hz-hzHTVbpeP_OtXbL5uNJAhGXcbbvZ2KMrr_aQTrGXqd3eFjLBq2E5U/s320/Storm-final.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277501795976639778" /></a><br /><br />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?<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />And WorldMate Live on the Storm? Just like the Storm - will get even better in a month...Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-44588541822221771952008-11-06T03:15:00.001-08:002008-11-06T03:27:37.657-08:00WorldMate Raises a Round of funding from the BlackBerry Partners Fund and Motorola Ventures<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Last week, </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.mobimate.com/media/news.php">we announced our recent round of funding</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">, led by the BlackBerry Partners Fund. Raising money in this day and age is of course a challenge, and we're glad (and relieved) that we have completed this round. But it was as important to us to raise it from the right people. In fact a few months ago we rejected a bird in the hand (from a notable VC) for this bird on the tree, at significant risk. The reason we did this was simple. </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.blackberrypartnersfund.com/">The BlackBerry Partners Fund</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> is a fund with a real vision for the mobile internet, led by people who totally "get it". That to us has significant value. On top of that, RIM (RIMM) is a limited partner in the fund and has an open dialog with them. If you follow this blog you probably know what we think of the BlackBerry platform and how our vision is intertwined with theirs. So getting up-close-and-personal with them is something we value highly.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">There are a few more companies like that in the mobile arena - Nokia, with whom we have a good relationship, Samsung, who seem to be taking their #2 position in the mobile device market seriously and are now building an eco-system, not just devices, and of course Apple. We are hoping to deepen the relationship with them too in the near future.</span><br /></span>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-16323832707946201902008-10-13T02:03:00.000-07:002008-10-13T02:43:19.818-07:00On winning the GSMA Award for Innovation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mobimate.com/images/corporate/virtual_tourn_topinno_july.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.mobimate.com/images/corporate/virtual_tourn_topinno_july.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />A few weeks ago, we were nominated as a Semi Finalist for the GSMA Innovation Awards 2009. WorldMate Live was named the <a href="http://www.gsmworld.com/news/press_2008/press08_57.shtml"><span style="font-style: italic;">most innovative</span> </a><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.gsmworld.com/news/press_2008/press08_57.shtml">mobile application in a vertical market</a>.<br /></span><br />This is of course a great honor. But further then that, it may be an indicator about how the mobile industry and specifically operators are seeing the future. You see - the GSMA is really an association centered around the needs and interests of mobile operators, and these awards were geared towards what is interesting to them.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Taking an interest in WorldMate Live<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>is really wanting to get involved in travel, becoming a part of the travel distribution value chain - potentially going beyond being a data-pipe into and taking a part in commercial processes done via mobile devices - m-commerce.<br /><br />m-commerce has been over-generalized and over-hyped in the past. Most self proclaimed m-commerce companies are really enablers to payment, tracking and so on. That's like saying e-commerce is about clearing credit cards on the Internet. Or like saying Amazon's business is to take money from people. Yes, this is an important enabler and important aspect of it... but it totally misses the point. Building the m-commerce business is about making products that are relevant to consume or purchase while on-the-move, available to purchase in a compelling manner through mobile devices. This is no trivial feat.<br /><br />Travel is going to be at least as dominant a vertical in m-commerce as it is in e-commerce. Simply because travel <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> mobility and you consume travel products <span style="font-style: italic;">on the move</span>. This is what WorldMate Live is ultimately about, and we're glad to see the mobile industry is taking an interest.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i><span style=";font-family:";" ></span></i><span style=";font-family:";" ><o:p></o:p></span></p>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-66275120971243944232008-10-09T15:17:00.000-07:002008-10-09T15:29:46.341-07:00iPhone Musings - Episode II<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was over a year ago when I commented on the shortcomings of the iPhone as a business tool on this blog. Since then, that post got the most reader comments I ever got here... Lately, we're inundated daily with user requests for WorldMate Live on their iPhone. And certainly - the iPhone SDK and the iPhone 3G are not to be ignored.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, there are significant issues still. The iPhone SDK does not allow an application to update information in the background - e.g. the Auto-update functionality of WorldMate / WorldMate Live. It does not include a robust push mechanism yet, or allow us to build our own - enabling the pushed flight alerts, trip reminders and welcome messages which put the "Live" in WorldMate Live. And the iTunes App Store model is not a great match for our distribution philosophy.<br /><br />So will iPhone users get WorldMate Live? Well, we'll do whatever we can. At the same time - if you want it on your iPhone, we should jointly petition Apple to enable us to do those things. I am thinking of putting up an online petition for Apple to open these APIs for us. If you're a supporter - comment here. I promise that if we get 10 people commenting, we'll post an online petition.<br /><br /></span></span>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-55165946682533710512008-10-06T04:45:00.000-07:002009-01-03T23:14:11.884-08:00The cool new WorldMate Live !<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVoGlZOUVFMbSajSZTr-WmXIzCxK8NWePsckyfGdyRD4fzg9c_V6aAFmTFPXk1HRjt6_iJKDEjaN1Gf8m52WKzXkr2ntmvieK2jLoZqbzTVKcM9LKYVwNURJxxJt_dvxQkxpKDgkfAqA/s1600-h/wml_color_wtag.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVoGlZOUVFMbSajSZTr-WmXIzCxK8NWePsckyfGdyRD4fzg9c_V6aAFmTFPXk1HRjt6_iJKDEjaN1Gf8m52WKzXkr2ntmvieK2jLoZqbzTVKcM9LKYVwNURJxxJt_dvxQkxpKDgkfAqA/s320/wml_color_wtag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254007666379917842" border="0" /></a><br />We were walking around for the last few months with a strange feeling. On the one hand, we had what we believed is a kick-ass service for travelers, one of the richest, most advanced mobile services. On the other hand, it didn't feel right. Something was missing.<br /><br />It was at a meeting with one heck of a smart guy, David Steinberg of <a href="http://www.caivis.com/about-us.html">CAIVIS</a> that it dawned on us. David asked how we reached our users, and when we told him most of them encounter our service directly on their smartphones - he said "Guys, you need to wow them. You gotta make it the coolest thing they've seen on those phones!". That took me back a few years...<br /><br />So - with the help of our great programmers and designers - we are now proud to present the all-new WorldMate Live. We improved the usability and UI of everything - website, web app, BlackBerry app, Windows Mobile app - everything. And we launched our new branding. So kudos to the WorldMate team, and mates - you just have to check this out at <a href="http://www.wmlive.com/">www.wmlive.com</a> !<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2UtN3Au19iMiXP39MqVY-3zO1vjG1KZO_lh9cUgOSBan_W6k42YsDtKI4KFlqoJwxmjKGIWgkhTb6V52Obdi5O3zKWgpmCfIC8ch1Oewdy7m8-NiKsZPpTrFHwZcJMjWcb7iZgz9i47U/s1600-h/WML_podanim4.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2UtN3Au19iMiXP39MqVY-3zO1vjG1KZO_lh9cUgOSBan_W6k42YsDtKI4KFlqoJwxmjKGIWgkhTb6V52Obdi5O3zKWgpmCfIC8ch1Oewdy7m8-NiKsZPpTrFHwZcJMjWcb7iZgz9i47U/s320/WML_podanim4.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254008531428940562" border="0" /></a>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-80369265342973924082008-08-14T06:19:00.000-07:002008-08-14T06:49:32.154-07:00The Intelligent Travel Agent - Now In Your Holster<p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style=""><span style="">Earlier this week we have soft-launched our latest achievement and great hope for the future – our first m-commerce service. WorldMate Live now enables users to book hotel stays directly on their phones. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style=""><span style="">So what's the big deal you may ask? <span style=""> </span>There are a zillion websites with hotel bookings, no?</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style=""><span style="">But do you want to surf those websites on your mobile?<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style=""><span style="">If you're traveling tomorrow and need a last second solution – wouldn't you rather have someone who tells you "well, you forgot to book, but no worries – I have 3 hotels just around the corner from where your meetings are tomorrow. They're also all 4-stars under $200 a night, best of all - one of them is a Hilton, so you're getting points on your HHonors card."</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style=""><span style="">Well – that's exactly the WorldMate Live way of doing it. Hotel search that is based on the location of your meetings, your brand and budget preferences, and that reminds you to book in case you're embarking on a trip and haven't done so already – and then lets you complete the booking right on your smartphone with a few clicks. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style=""><span style="">And once you book – all the information flows into your WorldMate Live itinerary so WorldMate can guide you straight there.</span></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsY9ABDb7ahyphenhyphenYid9OecN7p9YrYbOSwGGhgZhHmp_BRGibv3B0sOHdqJK_QmOjaYbm89xLq8obRgS8L09-D8MWhLYH0Wv-tCcrFtN6Yge-LaXYsp_dq5ddRzJc1v4BchALW58TZrIF_OOw/s1600-h/Notification-trip.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 318px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsY9ABDb7ahyphenhyphenYid9OecN7p9YrYbOSwGGhgZhHmp_BRGibv3B0sOHdqJK_QmOjaYbm89xLq8obRgS8L09-D8MWhLYH0Wv-tCcrFtN6Yge-LaXYsp_dq5ddRzJc1v4BchALW58TZrIF_OOw/s320/Notification-trip.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234367132427834930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEAC_vbTUaVFg7SV4J78S2G22TUGhkSHaEqOyVrDta8ZJ8QLFRsxS1UbXTPceL6Kw7RNs1LoY5KJyf-iRhjD5p4WODdNmIyg5G6AfkQz2zIySUYje28uW_NOeThwIbAQjWBI2DjhvC0E/s1600-h/hotel-results.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 313px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEAC_vbTUaVFg7SV4J78S2G22TUGhkSHaEqOyVrDta8ZJ8QLFRsxS1UbXTPceL6Kw7RNs1LoY5KJyf-iRhjD5p4WODdNmIyg5G6AfkQz2zIySUYje28uW_NOeThwIbAQjWBI2DjhvC0E/s320/hotel-results.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234367130758902210" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><a name="OLE_LINK2"></a></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnflk1BJGS7Z0hOOVJpF3phyphenhyphenT-75LtZfyr-9XAiX6TCe_AhM_cIqSijlJRdgoNs7axfjBSx46pD442A1Gu58XJGFwylUSYfIhWeZljfZyCXjWlJakOpOCaHgSbAuluRwN3fbrSDVGxs0/s1600-h/hotel-rooms.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnflk1BJGS7Z0hOOVJpF3phyphenhyphenT-75LtZfyr-9XAiX6TCe_AhM_cIqSijlJRdgoNs7axfjBSx46pD442A1Gu58XJGFwylUSYfIhWeZljfZyCXjWlJakOpOCaHgSbAuluRwN3fbrSDVGxs0/s320/hotel-rooms.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234367757540799282" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style=""><span style=""><span style=""> </span><span style=""><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" spt="75" preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:formulas> <v:path extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" connecttype="rect"> <o:lock ext="edit" aspectratio="t"> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_10" spid="_x0000_i1028" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:177.75pt;height:133.5pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\nadav\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png" title="Notification-trip"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_7" spid="_x0000_i1027" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:178.5pt;height:134.25pt;"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\nadav\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image003.png" title="hotel-results"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8c9Rlc1Dwnohg5MBPgqHCs8yGRAkMR7cRGefIpWZMgx9vAY7GiaaMz3Ux8V9CeUWNq4QGBRmur9RkunmR3sD1yEfK6TVtAnUejuWWrS2KQ7F-LFfIrlp2mM-lNGppdtTqyLfur16MtA/s1600-h/map.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8c9Rlc1Dwnohg5MBPgqHCs8yGRAkMR7cRGefIpWZMgx9vAY7GiaaMz3Ux8V9CeUWNq4QGBRmur9RkunmR3sD1yEfK6TVtAnUejuWWrS2KQ7F-LFfIrlp2mM-lNGppdtTqyLfur16MtA/s320/map.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234367758469603730" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style=""><span style=""><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_4" spid="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:175.5pt;"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\nadav\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image005.png" title="hotel-rooms"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_13" spid="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:180pt;"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\nadav\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image007.png" title="map"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><br /><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style=""><span style="">Our version 1.0 implementation is integrated with our BlackBerry version of WorldMate Live and includes access to all Hotels.com inventory and prices. Pretty soon we will add platforms and inventory, as well as continue improving the user experience (adding AGPS and much more).</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;">Safe Travels!<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style=""><span style=""><br /></span></span></p> <span style=""></span><span style=""></span> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-62756183205833547382008-02-06T03:33:00.000-08:002008-02-06T03:38:32.805-08:00100,000 down, 40 Million to go!Well, now it's official. WorldMate Live crossed the 100,000 registered user line (in fact, since we authored the newsletter about it, we've already crossed 110,000...). Our first system-wide upgrade is out, including MAJOR improvements to the BlackBerry client, the web application and the Outlook Add-in. Our first newsletter published yesterday tells all about it - <a href="http://www.worldmatelive.com/newsletters/newsletter1.php?">click here</a> to read it.<br />Later this week we'll be releasing some highly interesting information about this audience. And some more announces are slated for Mobile World Congress! (3GSM) Stay tuned!Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-47052125939701351782008-01-31T01:50:00.000-08:002008-01-31T01:52:53.676-08:00Something for the IsraelisOh my, it's been so long, I feel I really have to make amends somehow. So here's one way to do it, and thanks to Eyran Blumberg!<br /><br />A guy is sitting in the bar in departures at a busy airport. A beautiful<br />woman walks in and sits down at the table next to him. <br /><br />He decides because she's that pretty, she's probably an off-duty flight<br />attendant. So he decides to have a go at picking her up by identifying<br />the airline she flies for, thereby impressing her greatly.<br /> <br /> He leans across to her and says the Delta Airlines motto 'We love to fly<br />and it shows'.<br /> <br /> The woman looks at him blankly. He sits back and thinks up another line.<br />He leans forward again and delivers the Air France motto 'Winning the<br />hearts of the world'.<br /> <br /> Again she just stares at him with a slightly puzzled look on her face.<br />Undeterred, he tries again, this time saying the Malaysian Airlines motto<br />'Going beyond expectations'.<br /> <br />The woman looks at him and says 'What the fuck do you want?'<br /> <br />'Ah!' he says, sitting back with a smile on his face. 'EL-AL'.Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-22251378921158080582007-10-14T01:35:00.000-07:002007-10-14T01:38:29.008-07:00WorldMate Live hits 10,000 user line!Well, with just 2 weeks on the air, we already have 10,000 people signed up! That's quite a kick-off!<br /><br />And here's our first blogger review: <a href="http://damianrochman.blogspot.com/2007/10/your-blackberry-personal-travel.html"> Your Personal Travel Assistant </a>Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912900028705335429.post-73358210167690332522007-09-26T14:32:00.000-07:002007-09-26T14:38:38.930-07:00WorldMate Live goes... LIVE!Well, we're LIVE. I was expecting to write a long piece, but the feedback from the announcement is virtually keeping me up at night answering people, so that will have to wait.<br /><br />In the mean time, here's a link to the announcement: <a title="http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070925005476&newsLang=en" href="http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070925005476&newsLang=en">http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070925005476&newsLang=en</a><br /><br />The system is now open and anyone can join for free - so sign up at <a title="http://www.wmlive.com" href="http://www.wmlive.com/"> </a><a href="http://www.wmlive.com">http://www.wmlive.com</a> now!Nadav Gurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02745473499296738642noreply@blogger.com3