Using web-based resources in mobile apps lets companies keep experiences up to date without needing to resubmit their apps every time. But slow-loading content can kill a user’s engagement, and cause them to overlook new content that could drive them to spend more time (or money) on the app itself.
That’s the problem that Urban Airship is promising to solve with a new product.
The mobile marketing company is rolling out a new cloud platform that gives mobile app developers a high-speed method of delivering splash pages with rich content to drive user engagement. The venture-backed company won’t say exactly how the underlying technology works, citing a desire to protect its intellectual property. But it does say that its platform delivers content to mobile apps between 38 and 58 percent faster than other approaches.
The new platform is a natural extension of Urban Airship’s longstanding experience developing and deploying push messaging technology for mobile apps. The company, one of Portland’s emerging tech startups, lists customers including Walgreens, CBS Interactive, Fox, Red Bull and other big-name companies.
“Our work with the world’s largest brands has shown how powerful frequently updated rich content can be in driving greater mobile app engagement, but traditionally it has meant putting up with longer load times and queue delays for technical resources to create, host and add new media assets to apps,” said CEO Scott Kveton in a news release. “Our new cloud platform and expert services offers a holistic solution that will usher in richer experiences for mobile users worldwide.”
Pressed for details on the technology, an Urban Airship spokesperson would say only this: “Our cloud platform combines proprietary mobile-optimized delivery techniques with Urban Airship image hosting and a global content delivery network. It’s not compression but we are not being more specific due to pending IP efforts.”
When it comes to pricing, the cost of implementing Urban Airship’s solution will depend on what the developer wants. “Pricing varies based on the level of integration and complexity of the experience that a brand intends to deliver,” the spokesperson said. “It’ll be a wide range – from light brand integration to complex system integrations, and prices will be scoped for each customer individually.”
Urban Airship raised $25 million in venture funding earlier this year from August Capital, Foundry Group, Intel Capital, True Ventures, Founder’s Co-op and Verizon.
