I read reports that it cost $200,000,000 to completely open up the club (from construction to DJ contracts). At least $1,000,000 was spent on these invitations. I am very grateful to have a client like AMG and cannot thank them enough for putting us up at the MGM Grand, getting us a table and some bottles. Here is to AMG! You are doing it right guys.

Most Amazing Invitation In the World from mobileStorm on Vimeo.

One of the pictures of myself I thought came out pretty funny. I had slipped on this really odd hat and tilted it backwards, put on some Porsche Carrera sun glasses and of course looking as gangster as possible, threw up “westside!”.

I thought I looked pretty hip hop (but minus the street cred), so I knew with that combination I had a pretty good Facebook profile picture. After posting it I had the usual amount of comments and smart alec remarks one would get from friends and family, after posting a ridiculous picture of themselves.

Last week mobileStorm had an announcement of a new, really important feature, on our “mobileStorm for Healthcare” platform. I had completely forgot that your profile picture on Facebook is not private and can be accessed thru an API. Well that is exactly what happened. Apparently a friend of mine wanting to keep update-to-date on some of the things that were happening with me at mobileStorm, and was using an RSS alert news reader (like Google alerts) to do just that. This RSS technology grabs the person’s profile picture and then slaps it on the news feed with whatever news is being scanned for the keyword he was trying to keep track of, in this case “Jared Reitzin”. He forwarded me the email to congratulate me on the announcement, and I immediately realized I was a part of my own Onion story.

(Original photo taken at Father Daughter Dance Jan 2013)

Healthcare is a pretty conservative industry so I really hope our clients or potential clients will get a kick out of this as opposed to worrying about whether or not they should do business with mobileStorm and it’s “wanna be gangster” CEO. I cannot say there is a silver lining to all of this because it just happened, but who knows; maybe it gives mobileStorm some  ”wall-street” cred?  I definitely feel that when you want your data on Facebook to be private, everything should be private. Who knows what other bits of information they are willing to offer up publicly, or what policies they will change without telling anyone as they have done in the past?

Nice lesson learned on this one.

Cheers,

Jared ReitzinHip Hop CEO

Today the platform just got amped up in a big way.  Partners can now message cross channel in campaigns that contain unlimited numbers of email and sms messages in them all triggered off of time, date, behavior, engagement and profile data.  Imagine the most creative message flows and you can build it.  It’ll only get better when we extend Push Notifications and AppMail™ channels into our SaaS platform this year.

Oh yeah, almost forgot that our legendary customer support will be with you every step of the way to assist you should you need advice.  I’m looking forward to seeing many of our partners in person as we showcase this capability and demonstrate how this will revolutionize the way you communicate with your members.

Here are just a few use cases our clients will be clamoring to implement.

1.  Smoking cessation

2. Weight loss programs

3.  Recurring birthday, anniversary and holiday campaigns.

4.  Bill payment and escalation

5.  Daily, Weekly, Monthly Tips.

6.  Appointment Reminders and Reschedule

etc. etc. etc.

Let me know what you think!

Los Angeles, CA, March 1, 2013 – mobileStorm, Inc. (www.mobilestorm.com), one of the companies leading the charge in America for mHealth patient engagement, announced today that it has taken a significant leap forward with the latest version of its secure healthcare messaging platform, mobileStorm for Healthcare. mobileStorm for Healthcare clients and partners, can engage in relevant messaging and meaningful dialogs with their members. mobileStorm for Healthcare provides the ability to create and execute complex, condition-based, wellness programs, across multiple messaging channels.

“In other words, imagine a scenario where you have a beautiful and easy-to-use web-based (cloud) platform that enables you to quickly query your consumer data to find all Type 2 diabetic female patients over the age of 35, who have been a member for more than 3 years in the city of San Francisco”, states Joseph Shavit, VP of Products at mobileStorm. He continues “Then using our dead simple three-step campaign management tool, you can create a medication adherence campaign that allows you to message this population via multiple channels such as email, SMS, Push Notifications and our secure mobile messaging channel AppMail™, and create a series of rules around these messages that are based upon engagement, behavior, preference, date, and time. And get this, it’s conversational, so not only can we trigger a message if someone for instance hasn’t opened a message, or has clicked on a link with a message, but we can ask questions and provide responses based upon their answers. So to promote adherence, we could ask someone if they took their medicine. If they haven’t we could ask them why not? Did they forget or were they worried about the side effects? If it is the latter, we could send a follow up message and personalize that message with their doctor’s information, requesting that they call for more information. Or if they don’t respond to the message, deliver a Push Notification two days later reminding them to respond. The case studies are endless”.

The updated platform represents a huge step forward and is a major upgrade to mobileStorm’s messaging and communication code within the platform.

“I’m really excited,” said Jared Reitzin, Founder & CEO of mobileStorm. “We are at fifty percent smart phone penetration and headed towards eighty percent in the next few years. There is no better place to reach someone and influence behavior than on a device that never leaves our pocket. Our vision is simple; we are building the most intelligent messaging platform on the planet. Even though we have a ways to go before we can make that claim, its features like our multi-channel rules and dialogue engine, that is getting us closer to our vision. I think my team is doing some incredible, game changing stuff, and the best part is, it’s not all complex algorithms and code. As a client, or partner as we like to call them, you can see a picture of your account manager in the interface and with a click of a button chat with them, call, or email them. Its little things like this that I don’t believe the healthcare industry is used-to, yet it flows perfectly in line with our core value to provide Legendary Customer Service. We don’t just hand someone a technology platform and say “have a nice day”, we are with them every step of the way, helping them think about the incredible use cases they can create. We’re super busy helping payers, providers, pharmacies, and pharma companies, come up with all of the ways a communication platform like this can help them find new customers, reduce costs and provide an incredible user experience.”.

About mobileStorm
Based in Los Angeles, California, with more than a decade of email, mobile and social communication, mobileStorm has delivered billions of messages on behalf of thousands of premier customers such as Humana, NASCAR, American Idol, Kaiser Permanente, and Ashley Furniture HomeStore. As a Communication Service Provider (CSP), mobileStorm’s mission is to help companies communicate with as much relevancy as possible, allowing everyone to win, from the ISP or carrier who delivers a message to the consumer who desperately wants to engage with the content that matters to them. mobileStorm backs up their web-based technology with expert advice and legendary customer service that drives ROI for its customers.

To check out the pictures, go here.

If the Smartphone killed the mobile phone, then what will kill the Smartphone?  What is the next round of disruption to this industry?  Why exactly is the Smartphone dead?

To develop disruption, the first step is to identify the pain points within the existing process.  For telephony it’s actually pretty easy.

1. Smartphones need to have big screen sizes.  Practically, there is only so far a screen can grow and still be portable.  Current phone sizes can range up past 5 inches; however, no one thinks a 7 inch screen is practical for daily communication purposes.  However, increasingly the gap between tablet, Smartphone and computer is shrinking.  We must find a way to execute more with less space or fundamentally change the equation.
2. Touch screens aren’t that practical.  Finger prints drive us all crazy.  Screen protectors are just painful and steal the vibrancy away from today’s high res screens.  Cursor positioning on a Smartphone is a labor in futility and don’t get me started on why iOS won’t add the cursor arrows to their keyboards.  Touch screens also require you to be looking down or at them to engage.  How many times have you almost walked into a pole, while texting or surfing on your phone?
3. Does anyone like earpieces?  Both Bluetooth and wired have fundamental issues and limitations.  Tangled cords, poor sound transmission, poor amplification, noise cancellation that baffles both the user and party on the other line.  Do you walk around all day with an ear piece on or put it in your pocket until needed.  You need to charge it with a separate charger than your phone (generally) and how often does either your phone or earpiece run out of power when you need it most?  The underlying problem is that flat, rectangular phones are a flawed shape for telephony.  Great for data, poor for conducting a conversation.
4. Where do you put your phone when you aren’t using it?  Nomophobia is the fear of losing your phone.  We can all agree that it is a well founded fear and most of us have misplaced, lost or dropped a phone.  With phone prices rising, it’s easy to understand how this has become a condition.  The bigger phones get, coupled with the more power needed to support the larger and higher resolution screens, the harder it is to comfortably walk around with a phone in your pocket.  Form and function are again at odds.

So what does my crystal ball say as to the future evolution of personal computing, communication and telephony.  It actually takes a page directly out of Apple’s own playbook.  Identify a form factor that can be stylish, trendsetting and leverages existing capabilities in a way that provides a differential experience.  Take technologies that are already there and combine them in a way that hasn’t been thought of yet.

Welcome to, iGlasses 2018.  Not the currently interpreted view of what Google’s Project Glass and Apple’s existing iGlasses initiative represent but the real world and disruptive application of that vision.  Imagine a set of eye glasses, with thousands of frame choices for you to make, that integrates hard-wired earbuds (think of a better version of what Oakley makes) and battery and charging systems to make them a completely integrated system.  Utilize induction to charge and slim connectors, Bluetooth or wireless to upload and download data.

These transparent, head mounted, displays would permit the wearer to view and interact with content through a much, much larger perspective.  Imagine how you would interact with a 50 inch screen in front of you?  Don’t worry about walking into a pole because you can see right through the data and you have your head up all the time.

Now how would you interact with the data?  On a Smartphone you touch, tap and drag.  Using iGlasses, you could use four different data input methods.

1. Voice.  Clearly Siri and voice technology is only improving.  It won’t be long for you to be able to guide your experience through voice alone.  Siri, pull up today’s calendar.  Siri, call my brother.  That works already, however it would become cumbersome on its own for repetitive navigation commands.
2. Eye tracking.  The frames of the glasses could have sensors that track the movements of your eye to reference where on the virtual screen you are looking at.  Currently, there are dozens of practical applications using eye tracking as a computer interface.  It simply needs to be miniaturized to fit this application.
3. Hand/finger tracking.  Kinect and other gesture control technologies are exploding right now.  Unlike eye tracking, imagine the sensor is on the other side of the rim tracking your hand/finger movements to position the cursor on the virtual screen.  Look anywhere and virtually type in the air to compose your next email.
4. Lastly, and certainly not as far off as you think is mind control.  No really!  Check out this TED video to see how a small number of strategically positioned electrodes can enable anyone to move cursors and 3D renderings with their mind.  Imagine that the rim, temple and earpiece have sensors that detect your unique brainwave pattern.  Instead of reading how to click and swipe in the instruction manual, it’ll teach you how to calibrate the sensors to read your thoughts.

So you may ask… How would you ever fit all the components required by a phone into a slim pair of iGlasses frames?  Great question.  That could be accomplished in at least two ways.

1. Miniaturization.  If Moore’s Law holds then it won’t take more than 5 or 6 years for the circuitry in a standard Smartphone to fit within a modestly sized frame.  Batteries are also shrinking and smaller circuits require less power to execute the same functions.
2. Key fob.  Imagine that instead of having the phone within the glasses, the actual telephony hardware, computer and main battery are shrunk into a key fob that pares with the iGlasses to do the heavy processing.  The key fob would still be very small but can be shaped in a form that allows for the components to fit better together.  Now you have another reason to fear losing your keys!

Am I serious?  Absolutely!  Is it a disruptive idea?  You tell me.  While you think about, it, I’m placing my advanced order.

The University polled 106 physicians and found that 27 percent named texting their preferred method, compared to 23 percent that favored hospital-issued pagers, and 21 percent that said face-to-face conversation was preferred.  Among the survey pool, 57 percent reported sending or receiving work-related text messages, though it’s important to note that a majority of those polled were younger physicians — with 62 percent only having practiced medicine for 10 years or less.

“We’re using text messaging more and more to communicate with other physicians, residents and even to transfer a patient to a different unit,” lead investigator Dr. Stephanie Kuhlmann said in an AAP press release.  “The way that physicians are communicating appears to be shifting away from the traditional pager method.  Personally, I probably get 50 to 100 text messages during a shift,” she added.”

It’s apparent that the use of SMS in medical settings is steadily on the rise, but it doesn’t mean that fears of costly HIPAA violations have subsided.  Despite the growing popularity, only 10 percent of respondents said that their hospitals offered software that encrypts text messages, for example.  More than a quarter of respondents (27 percent) reported receiving protected health information (PHI), as defined by HIPAA, via SMS, and 41 percent worried that texting could violate HIPAA privacy standards.

It’s a known fact that SMS and protected health information don’t play well together, but it doesn’t mean SMS should be taken out of the communication loop completely.  The fear over HIPAA violations and the so-called “grey area” of healthcare communication was one of the largest drivers behind the creation of mobileStorm for Healthcare, a fully HIPAA-compliant communication channel.  The centerpiece of mobileStorm for Healthcare is a new mobile messaging channel known as AppMail, which allows encrypted messaging to be sent directly to user’s smartphones via mobile applications.  This communication is 100% secure, and since it allows for the inclusion of protected health information, can be extremely relevant whether you’re communicating directly with members or medical colleagues alike.

Get in touch with us today to learn more about AppMail or the mobileStorm for Healthcare platform in general.  We’d love to give you a demo of our technology and explain the ins and outs of secure healthcare communication.

Thanks to the folks over at emailmonday.com, it was revealed that mobile email will account for 10-35% of total email opens by 2013, depending on your target audience, product, and email type.  In addition, it was revealed that more than one-half (56%) of US consumers who have made at least one purchase using their smartphone have done so in response to a marketing message delivered via mobile email.

Consider the following graphs:

An incredible amount of additional mobile email usage stats is available here for continued reading.

Our Director of Casino Client Services, Darren Withers, will discuss how to use an email and SMS digital marketing strategy to not only keep new players and guests coming through the door, but also retain active Players Club and Hotel databases through engagement to maintain loyalty to your property.

You’ll learn the ins and outs of using email and SMS marketing separately, as well as how to boost performance and ROI by integrating the two channels for maximum exposure and effectiveness.  Following the presentation, we’ll also be holding a Q&A session to answer any casino marketing -related questions.  We hope to see you there!

Register here to reserve your spot.

We’re holding an in-depth webinar as a walk-through and demo of our digital marketing platform, where we’ll be discussing everything from creating and uploading lists, using targets and setting up text-in keywords, to creating and sending email and SMS campaigns from start to finish.

Join us tomorrow, April 12th at 10am PST — you can reserve your spot by registering here.  If you’d like a personalized one-on-one demo of how our platform can be used for your specific situation and/or organization, don’t hesitate to contact us.