
By DAVID C. PHILLIPS
In a world dominated by technology, a recent Nielsen survey yielded the compelling statistic that over 50% of US consumers use smartphones. Not surprising is that the mass demographic utilizing such technology is between the ages of 25-34, with 2 out 3 people in this age group using smartphones. Subsequently that means, roughly, that half of you are not using a smartphone.
A smartphone is essentially a mobile telephone built upon a mobile operating system giving it significantly more functionality than your basic mobile phone and putting a small computer in your pocket. Such capabilities include internet browsing, mobile applications including access to internet based applications such as Facebook and Twitter, and most commonly the ability to send and receive electronic mail or e-mail. ‘SMS’ (Short Messaging Service) messages, or text messages, have also become a dominant force in the way we communicate both in our personal and business lives.
Now, how does one effectively use such a device to make their existence more efficient? For most, including yours truly, the goal of utilizing such a device is purely enhanced communication and efficiency. From my phone I manage six email accounts, Twitter, Facebook, my Fantasy Football teams, Dropbox for file sharing and numerous other information outlets. That may sound insane to some of you, and I’m not here to validate my sanity as we simply don’t have the space, but in this technological world, using a smartphone allows me to be more efficient and mobile. Understanding this leads me to further think, ‘How can I become even more efficient personally and professionally?’
Smartphone users in the business world are often using email as their main form of communication. Additionally, in many instances full-time employees are not given corporate email addresses by their employers.
For example, let’s look at the chain restaurant industry. Under a typical corporate umbrella, there may be a Head of Operations who oversees 2 thousand restaurants. At each of those 2 thousand restaurants there are 3 managers who have corporate email addresses. Within each of those restaurants there are 50 employees, who do not. Are you with me so far? If you can imagine, it would indeed be quite the trickle down communication excursion if you were the Head of Operations and needed to communicate with everyone in the company. Given the demographic of restaurant employees and smartphone users, there is a very good chance that most all can receive ‘data’, or have internet capability. Now since you need to get a message out to all employees, what would be the most efficient way to do that? Given the above scenario it would logically involve
an email to all managers
emails to employees’ personal accounts
calls/texts to employees and
word-of-mouth to those reamining
The process is inefficient. In today’s world, there is no excuse not to be able to pass important information through given channels. Until now.
Enter ‘Red e App’ (www.RedeApp.com). Having spent over 20 years in the tech-startup ‘world’ building successful companies, effectively rising to various executive Sales/Marketing roles, founder Jonathan Erwin has found a business communication void and efficiently filled it. Throughout his career, like many of us since the inception of email, Erwin has constantly been wired in for business reasons. Email was and has been a main form of communication in the workplace. Then there was IM (Instant Messaging), now Facebook, and Twitter just to name some larger communication mediums. Coming in third in the social media world is still LinkedIn but it is more of a connective network than a communicative one. What Red e App has done is essentially trump all of these.
On a single platform, Red e App has developed a way to ‘spray’ communication from the top down to reach any smartphone device. It’s instant, the analytics are in place to account for read/unread messages, and its reach is far greater than any other tool in the industry. In short, a company would upload all of their employees into Red e App’s portal, the employees would authenticate by individual ID#, and the app would be available on their smartphone for instant communications. Longer than text, at 340 characters, Red e App provides a technology in which to devise a private communication channel leveraging employees’ own smartphones. Who knows, if I were an employer I may even provide employees incentives to get smartphones to further enhance lines of communication.
Currently, Red e App has multiple pilot projects in place, some paying customers, seed investors, and sees bright things ahead for the future. Locally, with the help of Enterprise Corp and others, they’d like to grow in the community and truly aggregate some of the brilliant ideas of the entrepreneur community.
Erwin’s advice for entrepreneurs:
You must willing to live, breathe, and
bleed your vision with undying belief.
We look quite forward to a future with
Red e App and their place in Possibility City.
As a writer you really online assignment need to embrace promotion.