December 13th, 2013
Our mission with CallSnap is to revolutionize the way you respond to a phone call. After the initial launch in May 2013, the response was nothing short of positive. While several enhancements have been added since CallSnap was launched, there are some really exciting additions coming to the CallSnap arsenal in CallSnap 2.0. The best part about that…it is live now!TIP’s new Director of Digital Strategy, Jason Ferrari recently sat down with TIP’s Chief Creative Officer, Josh Eidenberg to discuss the newest enhancements to CallSnap.
Jason: Good morning, Josh. Before we get into the enhancements of CallSnap 2.0, let’s get to know you a little better.
Josh: Sounds good.
Jason: What made you want to jump full force into the Mobile App arena?
Josh: I love being embedded into technology. From a young age, I always wanted to have the latest and greatest in new tech toys. I used to take things apart and put them together to see how they worked. My parents would tell me not to because I would break them, but I did it anyway. Now I get to do it for a living. With all the great hardware and software that has been built, I have always been an avid user of open source and third party software that brings the experience to the next level. From downloading plug-ins, to writing scripts to trying to figure out how one piece of software or App would pair nicely in another environment, I love it all. Keeping your eye on developers to see what tech can do, and how it can make people’s lives better, what could be more fun than that?
Jason: What was the most compelling reason you wanted to help take TIP and more recently CallSnap to the next level?
Josh: Two years ago, being introduced to TIP’s technologies blew my mind. It struck my brain in a huge way, and opened up new ideas to how the world should communicate more effectively with their mobile devices. With the millions of Apps developed to enhance the smart phone experience, no one that I saw was really trying to make the phone call better.
And I wanted to be a part of that movement. John Braun, the CEO of TIP Solutions, showed me two buttons that not only made my jaw drop, but it hit me so hard to realize that these two buttons did not exist. There was no effective way to acknowledge someone’s call and be able to inform them or call them back in a personalized way? Unreal. This painted an even bigger picture of the future of communication. And for TIP.
Jason: Do you have any other App ideas that are in the works?
Josh: Being involved with such a cool company, and doing something that I view as making a really positive impact on the world, this is just the beginning. Smart phones have connected us in ways that we never thought possible. With all the proper resources and creative thinkers, it is limitless what can be done. Once we can get what we are working on into the forefront, we will continue to make CallSnap better, and introduce many other things to the market. I would love to create a way to integrate all of these things into one platform that brings people, businesses and events together. There are many exciting things for TIP on the horizon. We are just getting started.
Jason: Fair enough. Okay, let’s dig into CallSnap 2.0.
Jason: What are the new features in CallSnap 2.0?
Josh: In CallSnap 2.0, we hit the drawing boards, worked with our Art Director, Jeff Cole, and redesigned the user interface to simplify the user experience. We then decided that taking a photo to show someone why you could not answer their call did not cover all of the ways to maximize uses of the App. We wanted to introduce our own set of gallery images for when that user is in a situation when they can’t answer the call or take a photo. Instead, they have the new option to instantly and discretely send off an image that represents what they are doing. Working, eating, studying, etc. This is a more visual and informative alternative to reply with text. Version 1 of CallSnap was all about showing. Well, sometimes telling can provide more in a certain situation. CallSnap 2.0 introduced a second icon that represents a way to instantly record your voice to explain to the person why you cannot answer their call. This is a voice file that is sent to them via text message. Show or Tell. That is the mantra. These features let the person receiving the call properly communicate to the caller what they are doing, and when they will call them back. And like I said before, this is only the beginning.
Jason: Why are these features important?
Josh: – After launching CallSnap in May, we learned that bringing an App to market is a trial and error process. The value of making the wrong turn and learning what you can do differently is huge. We learned quickly, and are all over making this the best App it can be. And the best one of it’s kind. Period.
Jason: Obviously, this App is great for the personal user. Do you see CallSnap as being useful in the business space?
Josh: I see CallSnap being used by anyone that wants a reason to not hit the decline button. You are always on the go, and the phone is always ringing. And clients and colleagues will be better served by knowing why you cannot take their call. Voicemail is a thing of the past. The call recipient should be communicating to the caller. Not the other way around. Declining a call with a text usually does not result in a returned phone call. And recent statistics are proving that case. CallSnap removes that issue from the equation.
Jason: What other enhancements are on the horizon for CallSnap in 2014?
Josh: By providing instant communication to a caller of why you could not answer their call is step one. Step two is calling them back. In early 2014, users will be notified via Promise Reminders to call that person back when they use CallSnap. In addition, we have been exploring a video option to responding to a call. This is called CallClip. I have a list of over a dozen new updates for the future of CallSnap. We are always thinking about what is next, and aligning with the trends of social communication for both the current and future users of CallSnap. They are always going to see something fresh.
Jason: Do you plan on showcasing CallSnap at any other technology conferences in the near future?
Josh: Today, we will be attending the Telecom Council End of the Year Cocktail Party with over 200+ executives. We will have a showcase demo booth to demonstrate what TIP has been doing over the last 4 years. We also plan to take a trip out to Barcelona, Spain in February for the Mobile World Congress Convention, which is the biggest mobile event of the year. In March, we will be exhibiting at SXSW in Austin, Texas, and plan to release a new app based around the phone call. Lots of exciting stuff on deck!
Jason: Do you see CallSnap being successful globally?
Josh: A month ago, we exhibited at the China High Tech Fair in Shenzhen, China; which by the way, is the hotbed for smartphone development. As mentioned in one of our recent blogs, one of our main goals at the show was to do market research as to how CallSnap would work on the other side of the world. There are a few technical challenges that we, along with carriers in China, are planning to tackle. Over the next few months, we plan to roll out CallSnap in China, and have established partnerships that may want to embed CallSnap at the manufacturer level. In other words, it comes preinstalled on your phone. We just received a phone call from a potential partner that has phones he would like to have CallSnap on in Latin America. So we will be exploring that part of the world as well.
Jason: Other than CallSnap, what other apps are you using the most right now?
Josh: Instagram, SnapSeed to edit photos, Phillips Hue, a wireless lighting system, FlipBoard to get my news, Amazon for online shopping, Clear for keeping track of all my ideas, Uber to take me places, Hype Machine for music sourced from blogs and a bunch more that are situation dependent. Clearly, I love apps.
Jason: Okay, Josh. Thanks so much for taking the time to sit down with me. It sounds like CallSnap 2.0 is just the TIP of the iceberg for 2014 and beyond.
CallSnap 2.0 is live and available on Google play. Install now!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tipsolutions.callsnapfree&hl=enJason Ferrari — TIP Director of Digital Strategy
