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Every day running a startup is exciting, but some days are more exciting than others. This is one of those days. I’m happy to announce that Pinch Media has signed a definitive agreement to merge with Flurry. Flurry and Pinch Media are the biggest companies out there doing mobile application analytics, and now that we’re combining, we’ve got a dominant position in this exploding space. (And, thanks to Flurry, we’ve got code for Android and Blackberry! I’m so happy to be able to offer this to customers now.)
While planning for this merger, we adopted a simple rule: our customers only benefit. Everyone will retain access to the same features they use now. No one will have to modify their mobile applications to maintain their analytics. Every bit of data you’ve sent us will be retained – you’ll always have access to your reporting. When the integration after the merger’s complete, you’ll have everything you’ve always had, plus more features, better update speed, and the ability to get analytics on more smartphone platforms. Here’s how we’re doing this:
We’ve already decided that the basic infrastructure going forward will be Flurry’s. We were beginning to rewrite much of our system using Hadoop and HBase, to improve our scalability and update speeds. Flurry’s already done this – so this is what we call a ‘no brainer’. So we’re identifying all the features on Pinch Media that aren’t present on Flurry, and we’ll be adding them there. While this is happening, Pinch Media’s not going to go anywhere – everything will continue to work as it always has.
We’ll also be working on a bit of translation, so Flurry’s system can receive data from applications running Pinch Media. This is essential – there are hundreds of millions of application installs out there with Pinch Media code, and we’re going to continue to receive and aggregate every bit of information coming from those installs.
Finally, we’re going to combine our data sets. Your Pinch Media accounts and historical data will be migrated to the combined Flurry product. You’ll be able to get the same reporting you’re getting from Pinch Media via Flurry’s system, including your historical reporting. You’ll also get access to some of the features Flurry has but we don’t – by combining the companies, everyone gets access to a superset of features. Only when all this is done will we stop running two analytics systems simultaneously. At that point, we’ll ask everyone to log into their newly-created Flurry accounts going forward.
The Pinch team will all be staying with the combined company, working out of our New York office. Having a single analytics system frees us up to work on new products – once the integration is complete, we’ll be spending our time building systems that leverage our analytics data to help developers make more money, projects we’ve wanted to do for some time. If you’ve got any questions about the merger, there’s more information in our press release (.pdf) and FAQ, and you can always write our support line at support@pinchmedia.com.
Today’s App Developer’s Corner features Dan Nelson of UK based DN Publications. In this interview, Dan shares with us his experience with releasing his first application and what he plans to do to market it going forward.
Give us a quick overview about yourself
I’m the Director and lead programmer of DN Publications Ltd, a UK based computer software company. I’ve developed several computer games in the past but these have been Amiga and PC based. BATAK Duel is my first iPhone and iPod touch game.
Why did you move into the mobile space and what was your incentive to use the iPhone platform?
I wanted to move into the mobile space because I see big potential there. It’s a large and growing market for at least the next 10 years. I chose the iPhone and iPod touch platforms because I believe they are the best designed and most supported mobile platforms out there. Apple have done a truly great job with the iPhone and currently it’s untouchable.
Seeing as you recently released your first application, what is your marketing plan going forward?
I intend to promote the BATAK Duel game in a variety of ways, for example, sending out press releases, requesting game reviews from mobile gaming websites, publishing YouTube videos and announcing it on gaming forums. I’ll also be doing interviews (like this one:) to raise our company profile.
How have you integrated Pinch Analytics, and how do you plan on using it as part of your overall marketing plan?
I’ve integrated Pinch Analytics into BATAK Duel so we can track things like which parts of the game users are spending the most time on. We also track how many users take advantage of the OpenFeint social networking features.
Pinch Analytics helps us to identify many other useful statistics, for example, how many people are using OS 3.0 or higher and how many people are still using first generation iPod touches. This is all useful information and means that we can identify important market trends and react accordingly. Every iPhone and iPod touch game that we do in the future will use Pinch Analytics to its full advantage.
Do you have any piece of advice for independent and new developers that you would like to share?
I would say don’t just launch your app and then sit back expecting to cash in, in most cases this just won’t happen. Be as proactive as possible in getting the word out, for the first month or so after launching your app spend a couple of hours a day marketing it and don’t give up!
You should notice that the more you promote your app then the more it sells, so just keep promoting it! Also, make sure you create an official website for your app and include a development blog and Twitter support.
Finally, make sure you support your app by replying to all customers’ emails (be polite!), fixing bugs as required and adding new features to your app. If you do all of this then you should do very well indeed.
If you would like to find out more about Batak Duel and DN Publications, check out the website. And if you would like to track how your marketing strategies translate into resulting user behavior, register for an account at Pinch Media and let us know if you have any questions getting started.
-Adit Shukla
On today’s App Developer’s Corner, we’re talking to Adrian Ochoa President of Avantar. According to their homepage; “Avantar is a sister company to Yellow Pages Directory and a leader in local search and advertising.” The following is what Adrian had to share with us about his business and the iPhone App market.
Give us a quick overview about yourself and company.
Adrian Ochoa, President of Avantar. Previous to this I co-owned an interactive yellow pages business directory service targeting Latin America, which eventually sold to TELMEX (NYSE: TMX).
Avantar is a leader in local search with nearly 3 million downloads and delivers 8 million monthly local search results. Our most famous applications are Yellow Pages (#1 downloaded Navigation app), Showtimes (”Best Movie App” Macworld), and AirYell (local navigator). We also just launched the first Facebook Yellow Pages App and will soon expand our products to other smartphone platforms.
Our business is not in development of applications. It is as a provider of a local advertising search solution for publishers. We are currently working on a turn-key advertising data feed solution for any type of app publisher that can provide local search queries.
Why did you move into the mobile space and what was your incentive to use the iPhone platform?
I’ve been an Apple enthusiast and customer since the inception of Apple. Apple’s hardware and software helped me to create a successful movie production and advertising agency for Latin America.
Having always kept up with all their technologies, the buzz about the iPhone, geolocation capabilities, and GPS on mobile couldn’t be ignored. So, with my expertise in the yellow pages industry it was a perfect fit.
We started development months before the App Store launched, and were approved just in time to have two of our apps be the first of the 300 at the grand opening.
When developing a marketing plan, what would you say has been the most successful strategy/avenue for promoting and increasing visibility for your projects?
First to market.
How has Pinch Analytics helped with app development, promotion, and marketing?
Intelligent data is key to smart marketing, development and promotion decision making. With Pinch we can tell how frequently our apps are being used, which notifies us if something is wrong and needs further looking into, or if something is working right that increases our traffic. We can also tell how many new users we have and what version of our apps they are using.
Do you have any piece of advice that you would like to share?
In the now highly competitive landscape I would suggest you focus on capturing a niche that’s not well served and excel in it. This is your best shot at long-term growth and profitability, unless you get lucky enough to be featured somewhere and strike it rich as a “one-hit wonder.”
If you would like to find out more about Avantar’s Apps, check out their website. And if you would like to track how your marketing strategies translate into resulting user behavior, register for an account at Pinch Media and let us know if you have any questions getting started.
-Adit Shukla
Today’s App Developer’s Corner features Ronnie Schwartz of IntuApps, makers of popular applications like Swine Flu Tracker Map. The following is what Ronnie shared with us about running an end-to-end development shop.
Give us a quick overview about yourself and company.
I’m CoFounder and CTO of IntuApps, our mobile brand that focuses on app design, development, and strategy. We’ve developed more then fifty apps and have seen great success in downloads/engagement for several of our apps, including one that hit the #1 spot in the App Store. Since 1994, when I founded RustyBrick, I’ve been developing custom web software and technologies for businesses and organizations.
Why did you move into the mobile space and what was your incentive to use the iPhone platform?
As soon as Apple announced the SDK, we joined in. We started writing software for Jewish iPhone users, and then we partnered with NY marketing agency, Intuwin, to launch our mobile brand, IntuApps. Our incentive – the rich features of the SDK coupled with the unprecedented marketing distribution channel of the App Store.
How do you differentiate yourself from other developers when working with brands, retailers, or book publishers?
We do everything in house which translates into more cohesive apps. Our designers, developers and sales people all use iPhones. This really helps the whole process in understanding what is involved in creating an intuitive user experience. And, for retailers, it is usually necessary to communicate with their backend systems; so, we differentiate ourselves by already having such experience in building and customizing existing infrastructures.
When developing a marketing plan, what would you say has been the most successful strategy/avenue for promoting and increasing visibility for your projects?
iPhone apps are all about what is hot in the news. We wrote an app called Swine Flu Tracker which got so much press. It wasn’t the app that was outstanding, it was the timing. If you’re the first and release at a good time, you’ll get press. Press = downloads.
How has Pinch Analytics helped with app development, promotion, and marketing?
We are able to see how people use our apps and develop updates accordingly. Also, we can monitor things like usage across the world. This helps us decide if we should release a localization for different countries.
Do you have any piece of advice that you would like to share?
You wouldn’t release a website without Google Analytics, why would you release an app without Pinch? It’s essential to track usage and engagement no matter what medium.
If you would like to find out more about IntuApps’ offerings, check out their website. And if you would like to track how your marketing strategies translate into resulting user behavior, register for an account at Pinch Media and let us know if you have any questions getting started.
-Adit Shukla
