Terria Mobile has been selected as a Finalist for the Red Herring Top 100 Europe Awards, a prestigious list honoring the year’s most promising technology companies in Europe.

The editorial team of the renowned technology magazine Red Herring has nominated the approx. 200 most innovative companies across Europe as Finalists. The nominees are evaluated on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as technology innovation, financial performance, quality of management, and execution of strategy.

“This year was very rewarding,” said Alex Vieux, publisher and CEO of Red Herring. “The global economic situation has abated and there are many great companies producing really innovative and amazing products. We had a very difficult time narrowing the pool and selecting the finalists. Terria Mobile shows great promise therefore deserves to be among the Finalists. Now we’re faced with the difficult task of selecting the Top 100 winners of Red Herring Europe. We know that the 2012 crop will grow into some amazing companies that are sure to make an impact.”

Robin Wirz, CEO of Terria Mobile, is delighted: “The nomination for the Red Herring 100 Awards affirms us that we’re on the right track with our focus on mobile applications and our LaunchBase™ app management system. Particularly the issue of app management bears a huge potential, as the number of mobile applications is rapidly increasing. We’re proud of the nomination and being in the Top 200, but of course we now hope to make it into the Top 100”.

The Finalists are invited to present their winning strategies at the Red Herring Europe Conference in Amsterdam, April 23-25, 2012. The Top 100 winners will be announced on April 25 at the event.

More Information: www.redherring.com

by Robin Wirz (Guest Contributor), Netzwoche, 15 Feb 2012
(original article in German)

With the rapidly increasing number of mobile applications, managing them efficiently is becoming increasingly important. The history of websites shows that the management of a company’s digital appearance can quickly become very expensive. For mobile applications, additional factors come into play and these further drive up the costs of managing apps. How can developers and companies master these new challenges?

With Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android, there are already two widely distributed mobile platforms to cater to, on which apps not only have to be browser-optimized (like websites), but be created and maintained completely separately. Within Android, the increasing fragmentation of manufacturer and hardware variants can even make it necessary to create several app versions. With Microsoft’s WP7, there is now another important provider penetrating the market. This variety multiplies not only the costs of the initial development, it also has a significant impact on the management of mobile applications.

The rapid development of mobile operating systems and hardware means that regular updates are needed in order to keep mobile applications as current and attractive as possible. But this is not enough. Most companies also don’t have the option of effectively monitoring their apps, because once they have uploaded them onto the app stores, they no longer have any influence in order to bring changes quickly and directly on the end devices.

Many companies have now recognized the strategic potential of mobile applications and develop comprehensive and high-performance apps which “mobilize” entire business branches. This includes an increasing number of company-internal apps, for example for sales and service teams. In short, mobile applications are becoming increasingly complicated and place entirely new demands on control and security. Of course, this also increases the associated management costs.

With organizational adaptations, such as the centralization of mobile activities, companies are trying to get to grips with app management. It is precisely these central departments who require the correct tools, such as frameworks or comprehensive app management systems, to master the various apps that have been created in the different departments.

Setting the right priorities
In management, it is always taught that basic analysis is central to success control and setting the right priorities. It is all the more surprising then that today, only a few apps are equipped with appropriate analysis functions (similar to a web analysis). The various app stores don’t offer much more than basic data, for example the number of new downloads, and leave app providers in the dark as regards to how often apps are used, which end devices are used, or which content or functions are popular. As a result, it is often the developers’ own preferences that determine priorities when creating or further developing an app, rather than basing the decisions on market and user data.

“Mobilizing” content and keeping it up to date
The most obvious element of app management is the updating of content.While the first apps mostly had fixed content, which could only be updated with an update via an app store, it was primarily the news apps that were the first to break the mold. They load new content from (the same) databases and thus offer content, which is always up-to-date, even though the apps are static in their functionality. To cope with the narrow bandwidth of the mobile reality, data has to be appropriately stored, edited and, where possible, bundled, so that it can be received quickly and reliably on end devices. This data is usually also used in other parts of the company for valuable content. Maintaining this content separately for mobile purposes can lead to considerable costs. The solution lies in an appropriate infrastructure, which communicates with the data sources and systems and also permits mobile-specific editing and transmission of data. This then also creates the basis for efficient content management, whether through integration of existing content management systems or with app-specific content management solutions.

Control access and use securely
With increasing levels of mobile company activities, demands on security are also growing. Effective control of distribution and access has to be guaranteed, in particular for apps with a restricted user base. For company-internal applications on company devices (for example for field sales), there are already distribution possibilities, such as the “Apple Enterprise Agreement”, but these also have their disadvantages. If such apps are then also to be used outside of the company – by partners or customers – usually the only route is via the public App Store.

Passwords protect apps with sensitive content. Although this is relatively secure, mobile applications should also be further controlled, for example in order to block them quickly and easily on end devices if their use has to be prevented with immediate effect. Truly comprehensive app control also opens up new possibilities in terms of selective or personalized use. Not only can different content be displayed based on roles, content variation based on locations (including GPS localization) can also provide additional security. In this way, sensitive data can be linked to certain locations (e.g. a hospital) or it can be made easier to adhere to legal requirements (e.g. cross-border requirements for financial services providers).

Variable distribution also holds advantages and new possibilities for public apps. With the high number of Android devices with substantial differences in OS versions and the hardware, such as different monitor sizes or camera types, device recognition and appropriate adaptation of the app can greatly improve the user experience. Variable delivery also offers an alternative to placing multiple versions of the same app on the Android market. Different versions of an app in the same store are not only confusing for the users, but also mean greater expense in the maintenance for providers.

Bringing updates to the users
As with most software projects, apps are continually improved, expanded and updated. While software updates generally reach the users quickly and directly, things are somewhat more complicated with mobile applications. On the one hand, a new review process has to be passed in Apple’s App Store. On the other hand, the uploading of new versions in the growing number of app stores and the necessary administration already means a considerable cost for the company – for each individual update.

The most frequent causes for updates are “bug fixes”, followed by content updates, new features, interface improvements or even the integration of advertisements. Such updates generally offer little added value to the users. It is therefore not surprising that many of the apps are seldom updated. This, in turn, places demands on the app providers. Not only do they have to continue supporting old app versions, they also don’t have the possibility of introducing important alterations on all devices. The sometimes employed method of simply blocking old versions and forcing the users to download the app again from the app store, usually causes great irritation.

HTML5 can’t (yet) match native apps
What is needed is the possibility to update apps directly on the end devices. This can be done with the correct architecture and corresponding software. Such a solution also has the advantage that the apps can be designed more dynamically. They can offer the user an active experience leading to a more frequent use. The wisdom gained from experience with websites can also be applied here: only regular, useful updates keep the user coming back again and again. A direct updating of apps enables not only a reduction in management costs, but also completely new app concepts.

The challenges in app management described have already led many providers of “native apps”, as they are commonly called in the industry, to search for alternatives. HTML5, which means websites optimized for mobile devices, is often seen as the magic word and the solution to all problems. A cross-platform technology with which the challenges in app development, distribution and updating can supposedly be swept aside.

What sounds very promising in theory shows it weaknesses in practice: use with a weak or no internet connection is difficult to impossible. Not exactly ideal for mobile applications, even in a relatively well connected country like Switzerland. The lack of support for the device functions such as camera, e-mail, compass or the push notification makes many attractive app concepts impossible. In addition, the lack of the sales channel through the powerful app stores can create enormous marketing costs.

HTML5 will develop further, but the technology will not be able to achieve the advantages of native apps in the near future. From experience, it could take several years before the HTML consortium is united on their interpretation of current issues and has implemented the result. This can be seen, for example, in the case of cameras in smartphones. Although these have come with every smart mobile device for some years, the HTML5 support for these is still in its infancy. In supporting functions which are generally established, HTML5 is entirely justified and will be used increasingly for this purpose. Yet in order to stay on the cutting edge of app development, developers cannot avoid native components – especially not if they have to keep up with the rapid developments in hardware and operating systems.

Ideally, one combines HTML5 and native technologies in the apps in order to let them both display their own strengths. The result of this are so-called “hybrid” applications, which combine the cross-platform synergies of HTML with the range of functions and user experience of native apps and also offer new possibilities in app design.

Prepare now or pay a high price
The topic of app management has become hugely important recently. The demands on mobile applications, and with it their complexity and the cost of their maintenance, have increased dramatically. With the success of Android, the support of this platform is now also generally required, which multiplies the cost of development and management.

There is no end in sight. We don’t know what the strategies of the manufacturers will be in the near future. One thing that is certain, that new operating systems, new hardware and new possibilities in general lie ahead of us. One other thing is certain: those who are not already upgrading with the appropriate planning and technology for app management on multiple platforms, will soon be confronted with large costs.

Source of original article:
www.netzwoche.ch (in German)

Basel, January 18, 2012 – Version 2.0 of the app management software LaunchBase, launched today by the Basel-based app specialists Terria Mobile, allows more reach, more control and more dynamics for mobile applications. It allows companies to efficiently develop and manage applications for iOS (iPhone, iPad), Android, BlackBerry and now also WP7.

With a rapidly increasing number of mobile applications, their efficient management is becoming increasingly important. As previously experienced with websites, the updating and general management without appropriate software quickly becomes expensive. This is particularly true in the mobile area: with Apple (iOS) and Android, there are already two widely used platforms to support, and others, such as Microsoft’s WP7, are pushing into the market. The demands on mobile applications are rapidly increasing, and consequently their complexity. In addition, increased company-internal use places new demands on the distribution and security of mobile applications.

Unique software for management of apps on different platforms
With LaunchBase, the Swiss app specialist Terria Mobile has developed a software solution that allows apps to be managed across different systems. Version 2.0 is the answer to the latest market developments. LaunchBase is now available in three modules, which cover reach, control and dynamics respectively.

The three modules of LaunchBase 2.0
The basic module, LaunchBase Foundation, offers the infrastructure to efficiently integrate data sources, including content management and business systems. With the multi-platform architecture, companies can expand the reach of data, systems and apps. New in LaunchBase 2.0 is the support for Microsoft’s WP7 (from 7.5 Mango) and extended possibilities for data integration and handling.

The LaunchBase Control Center is used for monitoring and controlling apps. It determines, for example, how and from which end-devices apps are used. The distribution of different app versions for a range of parameters, such as device type, access rights or geographical location, is also controlled in detail. In LaunchBase Version 2.0, new user-defined labels additionally serve the selective distribution of different app versions. In particular for non-public apps, this offers an effective and secure control mechanism. These precise control possibilities enable new app concepts and are of central importance for applications with a closed user-group.
Also new in LaunchBase Version 2.0 is the In-app analysis. In addition to analysis of device types and general app usage, it allows, similar to a website analysis, investigation of user behavior within the app and answers, for example, questions about the most popular content and functions.

Greater dynamics allows the LaunchBase Orbiter module to update apps directly on the end devices, making updates via app stores largely obsolete. The improved interface of LaunchBase 2.0 allows an extended handle on the apps and new, more dynamic app concepts.

Robin Wirz, CEO of Terria Mobile, is delighted with the launch of LaunchBase 2.0: “LaunchBase 2.0 brings us one huge step forward in app management. We hear from our customers on a daily basis how important solutions for current burning issues, such as the creation, distribution and management of apps are. LaunchBase 2.0 can comprehensively and elegantly master these challenges.”

Jorgos Brouzos, Handelszeitung, 6 October 2011
(original article in German)

The latest presentation of the new iPhone from Apple is boosting the mood in the middle of Basle’s pedestrian zone. The offices of Terria Mobile are situated in a dim side street. The young software company is currently successfully riding the wave of mobile communication.

Four letters are generating increasing sales for the Basle natives. The young company specializes in keeping apps up to date. The solution for the small programs is unique in Europe, and the number of competitors worldwide can be counted on one hand.

“The pain is increasing,” says CEO Robin Wirz in summarizing his business model. By that he means the level of pressure that companies feel to manage different apps for multiple mobile platforms. Many companies have developed and distributed an app in the past months. Now that the apps are out there, they have to be maintained. “Customers no longer want just an app, they have multiple programs in circulation and these start to grow beyond their control,” says Wirz.

Many companies underestimate the effort and cost it takes to maintain the apps. In larger companies, apps have often been developed by different departments and now need to be reconciled. So the development can sort of be compared with that of websites. At the start, it was just about having an Internet presence, with time it became more important and increasingly complex for the company.

The market potential is enormous. The iPhone from the US electronic giant Apple has completely changed the way people use mobile Internet. According to the market researcher Net-Metrix, two million users in Switzerland already use mobile devices to access the Internet. And apps are finding their way onto them. There are already well over 400,000 apps for Apple devices and more than 300,000 apps for Android smartphones and tablets in circulation.

Android and Apple count
Launchbase is the name of the new solution from Terria Mobile, which aims to help companies with the maintenance of apps. It allows companies to keep their apps up to date, without requiring a new approval by Apple for each update to reach the mobile phones or tablets of customers or employees. This saves up to seven working days, in which Apple tests the app, and saves a considerable amount of effort. If field staff require the latest product infos, these will be installed when the program is started. Simultaneously the app’s range of functions can be extended. This offer is unique in Europe.

In the USA, two companies offer a similar all-round service. Launchbase also comes with a delete function. It can be used if the customer consultant’s tablet goes missing and important company data is still present on the device, or if access to the data is to be denied to former employees. The products are currently proving popular with banks, pharmaceutical companies, and medical technology companies. For instance, Terria Mobile are developing a simulator of an electronic pipette from Mettler-Toledo: this allows customers to test the functions of the pipette, without Mettler-Toledo having to distribute the sensitive devices.

Nowadays, it is no longer sufficient to offer just an iPhone App, customers with Android devices also have to be taken into consideration. In the USA, Android devices have already overtaken Apple. According to market researchers from Nielsen, Android smartphones have a market share of 43%, a trend that is increasing. iPhones maintain a market share of around 30%. Apple phones are very popular in Switzerland, but even here Android has established itself as the second power. “Both systems are important for our customers,” says Wirz. The effort required for an Android app is not greater than for an iPhone app, but the variety of Android devices makes the maintenance more complicated. Other operating systems, such as Windows Mobile, play hardly any role at all.

Major role model around the corner
Terria Mobile has seven employees to date. The company does not release details of its turnover. The three founders and a private equity investor have financial holdings in the company. Although the company wasn’t operating in the black from the first day, Wirz is convinced that “it’s all going according to plan”. One office room is still free and is awaiting new programmers. “If the orders continue to increase like this, we will definitely also have to increase the number of employees,” says Wirz. Terria has a famous neighbor, which has already demonstrated how quickly a growth story can unfold. Day Software is situated just 200 metres away.

The two companies are also close in business terms. Day helps companies to maintain their websites, Terria does the same with apps. Terria CEO Wirz was among the first employees of Day and the one-time head of development at Day, David Nüscheler, has recently taken up a position on Terria Mobile’s Board of Directors. By the way: Day was taken over by software giant Adobe a few months ago for 250 million francs.

Source of original article:
www.handelszeitung.ch (in German)

by Reto Vogt, ComputerWorld, 29.08.2011

Since the Android boom, there is hardly a single company who can afford to develop just an iPhone app. “Increasingly, every platform has to be served,” says Terria Mobile CEO, Robin Wirz. The time and financial cost this requires, however, is massive: If there is already an iPhone app, around sixty per cent of the programming work has to be repeated, in order to create, for example, an Android app, Wirz explains. Furthermore, it takes a lot of effort to manage each app store when there are updates. However, the CEO doesn’t see mobile websites on a HTML5 basis as the solution to this problem. Above all, the constant internet connection, the limited use of device functions and the lack of the distribution possibility through app stores speak for native applications.

The “LaunchBase” software from Terria Mobile is designed to be much more helpful. The platform is partially based on Open Source Software PhoneGap and allows companies to develop apps for the mobile operating systems iOS (Apple), Android (Google) and BlackBerry. This means they can still be placed in the app stores initially, but LaunchBase should make the update procedure easier and deliver more detailed statistics than the stores of Apple & Co. So companies not only know how many users have downloaded the app, but also on what types of device they have been installed and how often the app is actually used. In addition, full control is guaranteed: apps can be inactivated, either on all devices or by individual users. The web-based user interface from LaunchBase aids control (see screenshot).

Simplified Update Process
The most useful function of LaunchBase however is the simplified update process for apps, because it cuts out the detour through the individual app stores. It is sufficient to register one update and deliver this from a central point to all devices – whether Android, iPhone or BlackBerry. In addition, you can define whether users have to install the update or whether it should remain voluntary. Terria Mobile was able to win the Swiss Heritage Society as the first customer and create an Android, iPhone and iPad app for them.

Original, published article:
computerworld.ch (in German)

With David Nüscheler, Terria Mobile has enlisted one of the best-known software developers of the Swiss IT and Web scene onto its Board of Directors. As co-founder and CTO of the Basel-based Day Software AG, he designed the basic concept of the CQ content management system, was responsible as CTO for research and development and is currently Vice President and CTO of the “Customer Experience Management” division at Adobe Systems. The specialist for applications and system programming in Web environments was awarded the “Best of Swiss Web” prize in 2008 and holds several Java Developer Awards.

With his expert knowledge and his international know-how, David Nüscheler brings great competence to the Terria Mobile Board of Directors. Robin Wirz, CEO of Terria Mobile: “With David Nüscheler, we were able to bring on board one of the best known IT developers. With his knowledge, ability and network, he provides us with support on all levels. We are proud to be able to benefit from his technical and strategic experiences, as well as his visions. The fact that David Nüscheler is joining our Board of Directors confirms to us that we are on the right track with our focus on mobile applications, their management and the multi-platform strategy.”
 
“With the thematic and technological focus on mobile applications, Terria is at the forefront of today’s developments – and with the multi-platform approach, they on the right track,” says David Nüscheler. “The issues of multi-platform app development as well as the app and device management in enterprises are right at the start of a rapid development. After all, app management is the tricky and expensive area of mobile applications across multiple platforms, in different App Stores and for a large number of different devices. Cross-platform application development and app management are becoming increasingly important to companies and this is where Terra Mobile is spot-on,” continues Nüscheler. “It’s great to see that there are more and more young, innovative technology companies in Switzerland – with Terra Mobile now also one clearly focusing on the area of mobile solutions for enterprises.”

The Swiss Heritage Society worked with Terria Mobile to develop the “Architectural Heritage” app. The excursion planner for mobile devices makes the same content and functions available to users on iPhone, iPad and Android devices free of charge. The new app has information on over 500 buildings all over Switzerland, covering the many facets of building culture in Switzerland, from medieval houses to 19th century landscape gardens and contemporary architecture. In addition to being thematically linked, the buildings are displayed on a map and using GPS, the users can find out about the sights near their current location.

Cross-platform: the new, efficient approach to app development

The hybrid app developed by Basel-based Terria Mobile (supported by EYE Communications and Stillhart Konzept) distinguishes itself by having been developed as a web app with web technologies. Depending on the desired target platform, it can be transformed into a native app. HTML5 and CSS3 are used for visualizing data, while the program logic was implemented in JavaScript. To enable distribution through the most commonly used app stores and guarantee offline functionality, the app was packaged in a native container (see Fig. Cross-platform development).

Thanks to this new form of development, the implementation costs were massively reduced, since the same HTML5 and JavaScript implementations are used on Apple and Android smartphones. There is no need for an expensive multiple development for iOS (in Objective-C) and Android (in Java). The solution was connected to the Swiss Heritage Society’s CMS Back-end System to enable a simple update.

Robin Wirz, CEO of Terria Mobile: “The hybrid approach combines the advantages of the native app and the web app development. A full-value app can be launched and updated quickly on several mobile platforms. It is essential for companies that their apps are available on multiple platforms and are easy to administrate.”

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