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...

WorldMate Raises a Round of funding from the BlackBerry Partners Fund and Motorola Ventures

Last week, we announced our recent round of funding, 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. The BlackBerry Partners Fund 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.

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.

The Intelligent Travel Agent - Now In Your Holster

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.

So what's the big deal you may ask? There are a zillion websites with hotel bookings, no?

But do you want to surf those websites on your mobile?

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."

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.

And once you book – all the information flows into your WorldMate Live itinerary so WorldMate can guide you straight there.

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).

Safe Travels!

WorldMate Live - The Birth

Well...

It's been almost 3 years since the "WorldMate Itinerary" vision started forming. Three years of what sometimes felt like a totally Sisyphean struggle - to get funding, co-operation, people, access to information, and much of the time - to stay afloat. 2006 has seen us transforming - from a bootstrap to a start-up, and the last 6 months look like one long sprint to get where we're going. Well - we're just starting, but it looks like we've just cleared the first hurdle - with the release of WorldMate Live's private beta.

This blog will record the story from now on - the story of a new, and if may say so myself highly innovative, product. We will try to tell the story of what was done, say what we can about what would be done in the future, and learn from you, the readers, what should be done.

What is WorldMate Live? Well, in a nut-shell, WorldMate Live is our attempt to take all the gizmo technologies we're carrying in our pockets and really put it to use for the aid of travelers. If you've ever done any serious business travel, you don't need to be told what a stressful and tiring chore this is. As if going through a string of meetings with complete strangers whom you have to convince to take a gamble on you within 90 minutes is not a challenge on its own, an obstacle course consisting of late aircraft, closed airports, lost taxi drivers, mile-long check-in queues, rude attendants and noisy hotels was devised to make sure the busy executive is never bored. Well , we believe that knowledge is power, and with the right information delivered at the right time and linked to the right actions, we are able to empower the business traveler - saving him time, money, effort, but, most importantly - stress. The stress of not knowing where you are, and how to get to where you want to be.

How many times have you asked yourself:

• What is my gate number? Which terminal is that at?
• Will I make it to my connecting flight? If I'm stuck, is there another flight later?
  
• Can I walk from the station to the hotel, or should I take a taxi?
  
• Where is the hotel, anyway?And do I have a valid reservation? Where's that confirmation number?

Or the proverbial - where the blazes can a bloke get a bite to eat round here?

If you've been there, done that and got the scars, we want to give you a better way to travel. One where you know what's going on around you, even if you didn't have time to do your homework. One where you're not limited by the time / patience / intelligence of your travel agent, nor have to find 10 minutes and a hotspot to log on and do it yourself. When everyone else is forming a queue, you already got what you need. When everyone is asking questions and exchanging rumors, you already know. Our way, you breeze through travel - because you have an automated aid that helps you, every step of the way. That's what WorldMate Live is really about.

So - WorldMate Live is this service, where your mobile device knows where you're going, what flight you're taking to get there, where you pick up your rental car and where you park it at night when you go to bed. It automatically gets this information from your calendar, from e-mails you get from your travel supplier, and from dozens of sources on the Internet. It then wakes up to remind you of your flight, tell you where you've landed and how to get to your car / hotel / meeting, and when to catch that flight home, at last. And, if we can help it, it does so with class. Cause there's no act like a class act...

Will this blog usually be this fluffy? I guarantee it won't. Mostly we'll be telling you highly technical things, like when the next release is expected and what will version 6.12.001 contain. But we hope that WorldMate Live will become a good part of your life - such that from time to time, if you want to know where we're taking it, and why, or tell us we're great, or good, or wrong - you'll come back here.

June 28 2007 marks the release of WorldMate Live's private beta. For now, we're keeping it to ourselves and a few of our close friends. Very soon, it will be yours. After all, it's not about navel-gazing, it's about giving people what they want and need. We're glad to be kicking this off at last. Lets see where it gets us.