Interview with Brian Mac of Mobile Nordic AS
SMSpreview is a useful SMS tool that improves the way you view messages in your inbox and was featured as one of our the top 10 free apps when the Ovi store initially launched . The company behind this free app, Mobile Nordic AS just won the 2009 GSMSA Mobile Innovation Award for Best Mobile Consumer Application with 118 Mobile, a real world directory look up service. For this interview, I corresponded with Brian Mac, Marketing Campaign Manager at Mobile Nordic.
1. First, tell me a bit about your company. How many apps do you have for Symbian devices? How long have you been in business?
So I joined Mobile Nordic AS about 7 months ago but they have been around for about 2 years now with their first Symbian application 118 Mobile. It all started when Rudi Rørstad one of the founders was laying in bed asleep when he got a call at 4am in the morning from an unknown number. He tried to call them back but no answer then spent the rest of the night frustrated and restless trying to figure out who it could have been. The next day he called Inge Andre Sandvik, a friend of a friend in the mobile industry, and was said there has to be a way to See who is calling with one single click?? From there 118 Mobile and Mobile Nordic was born, now the application is available in 5 countries, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Germany. We are looking to have it up on the Nokia Ovi Store soon and launch in a few more markets this year. SMS Preview is the company’s second application and was decided to be given away for free to help users get more out of their mobile experience. The company is all about helping the world say “Hallo” (Hello in Norwegian) in anyway it can.
2. Talk about SMSPreview and how it benefits users?
Well SMS Preview is all about convenience and communicating with those who matter. We all love to talk and text, so when you hear that little text sound or vibrate it is hard not to go in and see what the message was. Also it isn’t always appropriate to check your message, say in a meeting, and sometimes the message might not even be important. With SMS Preview people can quickly glance at their phone and decide how they want to respond, right away, maybe later, maybe not at all, at least they have the choice.
3. What other apps are you working on and are you expected to make additional apps available to the Ovi store?
we are working on getting 118 Mobile on the Ovi Store as we are putting final touches on the application and looking at some cool marketing ideas around it. We are also hoping to launch a beta version of an application that essentially will keep your contacts updated, available, and backed up anywhere you go. More on that later!
4.There has been a lot of negative press in regards to the current state of the Ovi store. What is your first impression about it? In what ways do you think Nokia can improve the store?
I think Nokia has done a great job with the Ovi Store in aggregating a lot of applications for users in one location. It also has a very good developer back-end with a very through Q/A process so the applications on the Store are great. Just like any App store it takes time to work out the kinks and for the crème to rise to the top. Nokia could add a cool social component to it, where users can showoff their device configuration and share it with others. Hey Blank, check out what I have on my phone I think you will like Cough* SMS Preview. Just an idea.
5. Since your app is free to download, what is your monetization and marketing strategy? what is going to take to win in this crowded space (mobile applications)?
SMS Preview is free as our way of giving back and discovering better insights into which market to go next with our other application 118 Mobile. What it will take to win in this crowded space is the same thing in any market, deliver and add value to a great experience, listen to your customers, like really listen to what they are saying.
6. What apps do you have on your phone?
118 Mobile , SMS Preview, Facebook , Opera
7. Any tips for other Ovi developers that are just starting out on the platform?
Just get going. Taking from Stoic philosophy here a little, but it is all perspective, look at every hurdle, costs, time, bump, bug, negative feedback, etc. as the next challenge to overcome. Nokia is the largest manufacture and the Ovi store opens up a truly global opportunity, so find local problems or global ones to solve the best way you can, and the rest will follow.
