Panmedia mobile app tracks weather systems
Published:Friday | September 23, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Billy Craig Insurance Brokers this week rolled out a Panmedia-designed free mobile application for BlackBerries designed to track severe weather conditions in the Atlantic and Caribbean basin.
The Billy Craig Severe Weather Mobile App graphically displays all weather systems of interest in the Atlantic and Caribbean basin, with each named storm displayed with a short description of current motion and status.
The app updates weather information as new data becomes available, and also displays current conditions and forecasts for major towns in Jamaica, according to a release from Panmedia. It said the system is compatible with all BlackBerry devices now on the market, and uses a small install footprint and minimal network resources.
CEO William Craig is quoted as saying that the app is part of Billy Craig's commitment to giving premium property protection for its clients and is downloadable from the company's website: http//www.billycraig.com.
"We believe in weather safety and good preparation when it comes to protecting you and your property," said Craig. "So a weather alert app was an obvious customer service choice. In choosing the right risk-management solution for our clients, we focused on what is relevant to the Caribbean."
The company notes that mobile is the fastest growing marketing channel for creating customer loyalty, increasing product awareness and boosting sales. Panmedia, a leading digital agency that specialises in web and games development as well as online marketing, is now designing mobile applications across all platforms. Panmedia's core competencies include JAVA and WebWorks development for Blackberry applications, paying special attention to user interfaces and navigation experiences.
The system was developed as a response to Craig's request of Panmedia two months ago to help him bring value-added services to the company's clients. He suggested a weather alert during hurricane season as a strong entry into the mobile apps market.
Panmedia's mobile team worked with Craig to finalise specifications and to brand the app for the insurance brokers. "Smartphones are proving to be helpful tools in emergency preparedness, and can be used to provide near real time severe weather alerts and forecasts," says Panmedia's Lead Developer Vivian Gordon. "Those who download it will find this app very useful."
Mobile apps are likely to multiply in Jamaica because of the high penetration of mobile devices at 107 per cent, with 2.97 million subscribers, many of them owners of smartphones, the release said. "This is a low cost, ubiquitous channel," says Panmedia's chief executive officer, Knolly Moses. "It's the best way to reach people."
Current government efforts to develop a regulatory and technical framework to support mobile commerce, interbank transactions, mobile phone-payment systems and international remittances are expected to spur growth in the mobile app market.