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dreamguystech31 · 2 years
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jessiealston · 1 month
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Discovering the Top Fintech Company in the US
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What is FinTech? FinTech, short for Financial Technology, is the driving force behind the transformation of financial services through the integration of cutting-edge technology. From digital wallets to automated investment platforms, FinTech is redefining how people and businesses interact with their finances.
When exploring what is the biggest fintech company in the US?, Stripe clearly stands out. Founded in 2010, Stripe has emerged as a dominant player in the FinTech world, providing seamless payment processing solutions for businesses across the globe. Its influence and growth have made it a cornerstone of the US FinTech landscape. For a closer look at other major industry players, check out this Top Fintech Companies In USA post that dives deeper into the leading companies in the market.
Stripe: Leading the FinTech Revolution
In the US FinTech sector, Stripe has firmly established itself as the market leader in fintech. With a valuation exceeding $95 billion, Stripe offers a robust platform that simplifies online payment processing for businesses of all sizes. Its services are trusted by some of the world’s largest companies, including Amazon, Google, and Shopify, cementing its position as the top FinTech company in the United States.
In addition to Stripe, companies like PayPal, Square, and Robinhood also play significant roles in the industry. PayPal remains a leading force in online payments, Square has revolutionized mobile transactions and point-of-sale systems, and Robinhood has made investing accessible to the masses with its innovative trading platform.
Emerging FinTech Hubs Across the US
As FinTech continues to grow, several US cities are becoming hotspots for innovation. The top 3 emerging fintech hubs in the US include:
Washington, D.C.: With its proximity to regulators and policymakers, Washington, D.C. is becoming a key hub for FinTech companies specializing in compliance, cybersecurity, and financial services innovation.
Salt Lake City, Utah: Known for its burgeoning tech scene, Salt Lake City is attracting FinTech startups focused on everything from digital banking to financial analytics.
Raleigh, North Carolina: Raleigh is emerging as a FinTech hub thanks to its strong research community and growing number of financial technology companies.
These cities are contributing to the diversification and expansion of the FinTech industry in the US, driving innovation and growth. For more information on these hubs and the companies leading the way, take a look at this detailed Top Fintech Companies In USA article.
What Are FinTech Companies?
What are FinTech Companies? These companies leverage technology to provide innovative financial services that challenge traditional banking and financial institutions. Their offerings span a wide range of sectors, including payments, lending, wealth management, and insurance, making financial services more accessible, efficient, and user-friendly.
Who Develops FinTech Tools?
Who builds this kind of fintech tool? The creation of FinTech tools involves a collaborative effort between software developers, financial experts, and compliance specialists. This multidisciplinary approach ensures that FinTech solutions are not only technologically advanced but also secure and compliant with industry regulations.
As the FinTech industry continues to evolve, companies like Stripe are leading the charge, setting new standards for financial services in the US and beyond. The future of finance is bright, with innovation driving the industry forward at an unprecedented pace.
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freenewstoday · 3 years
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New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2021/04/23/fortnites-mastermind-goes-to-battle-with-apple/
Fortnite’s Mastermind Goes to Battle With Apple
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The billionaire behind one of the most successful videogames of all time came to view
Apple Inc.
AAPL 1.80%
as an existential threat to his dream of the future. So
Tim Sweeney
decided to fight. He gave his dispute with the world’s biggest company a code name: Project Liberty.
The clash was a bold gambit from a man who built an empire around “Fortnite,” the online multiplayer shooter game filled with cartoonish characters that became a phenomenon beloved by teenagers around the world. The ambition of Epic Games Inc.’s chief executive was that Fortnite’s legions of devoted young fans could turn it into a thriving social network, and help realize his vision of the “metaverse,” a shared virtual world where people might one day live, work and hang out.
Mr. Sweeney saw Apple as a central roadblock to that vision, according to people familiar with his thinking and documents unveiled in a recent court proceeding, because of the iPhone maker’s tight control over how people access “Fortnite” and any other mobile apps from Epic. Apple’s App Store takes a 30% cut of Epic’s revenue from those users.
Epic circumvented Apple’s fees and rules last August by introducing its own system for processing user purchases into mobile versions of “Fortnite.” It also prepared for a larger legal and public-relations campaign, complete with a video mocking a legendary Apple ad and the social-media hashtag #FreeFortnite.
“You’ll enjoy the upcoming fireworks show,” Mr. Sweeney said in an email to an ally at
Microsoft Corp.
on the eve of the plan’s launch. Apple made that email public in a court filing, along with other emails and witness testimony cited in this story.
Epic hoped to draw the company into a larger conflict, the court documents show. Once Apple and
Alphabet Inc.’s
Google booted “Fortnite” from their app stores, Epic responded by suing both companies.
The fate of Epic’s fight has widespread implications for the entire technology world. It could help determine everything from how much revenue app developers are able to keep to how exposed Apple could be to potential antitrust violations. Apple has rejected claims it has monopoly power, saying that Epic broke the terms of a contract and engaged in a smear campaign.
A resolution could be drawing near. Starting May 3, the dispute goes to trial before federal Judge
Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers
in Oakland, Calif. The judge must decide whether Apple is misusing its power to quash competition or if Epic is merely trying to break its contract with the iPhone maker to boost its bottom line.
Save the world
The man at the center of this clash is a 50-year-old programmer who prefers an office uniform of cargo pants and T-shirts. He eschewed the clubby confines of Silicon Valley to locate Epic’s headquarters just outside of Raleigh, N.C. Mr. Sweeney’s previous dealings with other technology companies showcase his instincts for big and prolonged fights, as well as an eye for strategy. The Maryland native is worth more than $9 billion, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index.
Tumblr media
The man who is taking on Apple prefers an office uniform of cargo pants and t-shirts. Here he is pictured in Epic’s offices in 2019.
Photo: Jeremy M. Lange for The Wall Sweet Journal
He launched Epic from his parents’ basement at age 20 in 1991 and evolved his company from solely building games for PCs to include those for videogame consoles and smartphones. In 2012, he sold a 40% stake of his company to
Tencent Holdings Ltd.
, in part to tap the Chinese tech giant’s expertise in mobile gaming and wringing money from users through small purchases known as microtransactions. (Mr. Sweeney remains Epic’s largest shareholder.) Epic also owns the video-chat app Houseparty and makes the Unreal Engine, a suite of software tools for developing games and producing special effects for television shows, movies and other types of digital content.
Epic’s biggest hit started with the 2017 launch of “Fortnite: Save the World,” then a $40 game for up to four players to fight zombies and build forts. A few months later, after disappointing results, Epic offered up a new, free-to-play mode called “Battle Royale,” in which 100 players duke it out until only one combatant or squad remains. It later sold virtual currency that players could use to acquire in-game perks such as an outfit to make their avatars appear as a Marvel Comics superhero.
To build the community, since only a small percentage of players make such purchases, Epic pushed console makers to allow users of one machine to play “Fortnite” with users of another machine, in what would be an industry first for all three major videogame systems. That meant a PlayStation player could join a match with a friend on Microsoft’s Xbox or
Nintendo Co.
’s Switch.
Microsoft and Nintendo had shown a willingness for such cross-platform play.
Sony Group Corp.
balked.
In the fall of 2017, Epic updated its software that briefly allowed a Sony PlayStation “Fortnite” player to compete against someone on Microsoft’s Xbox. It pulled that function back, saying it was a mistake, after online chat boards lighted up with excitement. Seeing what was possible, gamers demanded more. Players cast Sony as the villain on social media with hashtags such as #blamesony and #notfortheplayers, a harbinger for the Apple dispute.
As Sony internally debated its position, executives were worried about exposure of its consumer-behavior data and competitors taking an unfair share of their business, according to people familiar with the talks. They felt Epic had backed them into a corner and worried that finicky gamers would turn on them, the people said.
Following months of negotiations, Sony relented. Asked about it afterward, Mr. Sweeney described it simply as “an effort in international diplomacy.” Since then, the Tokyo-based company has twice invested in Epic, having most recently contributed around $200 million in a funding round that valued Epic at $28.7 billion. A spokesman for Sony declined to comment.
Mr. Sweeney’s hardball tactics with Sony helped him usher in cross-play across videogame consoles, personal computers and Apple and Android devices.
All hands on deck
The relationship with Apple was cordial for its first decade. In March 2018, “Fortnite” was launched on Apple’s App Store. A year later, Mr. Sweeney was at the annual Game Developers Conference celebrating how cross-play had helped the game grow to almost 250 million players world-wide – a smashing success. Apple’s managers were happy to help promote the new hit, offering technical and marketing assistance to Epic.
Mike Schmid, head of Apple’s games business development for the App Store, helped oversee the “Fortnite” rollout and several updates. In a court statement, he described an “all-hands-on-deck treatment to address Epic’s non-stop asks, which frequently involved middle-of-the-night calls and texts demanding short-turnaround.”
To manage the work, he assigned someone in Australia so Apple could provide 24-hour coverage.
Tumblr media
Mr. Sweeney located Epic’s headquarters far from Silicon Valley, to a spot outside Raleigh, N.C. The offices are pictured here in 2019.
Photo: Jeremy M. Lange for The Wall Sweet Journal
The relationship described by Apple in court papers differs greatly from the experiences detailed by other developers on Apple’s iOS mobile operating system. Smaller software makers have complained about what they perceive as Apple’s seemingly arbitrary rules and mercurial ways.
With Epic, Apple appeared to go out of its way to help the gamemaker establish itself on the platform. Mr. Schmid said Epic employees had told him Apple represented just 7% of its revenue. He couldn’t be reached for comment through Apple.
“On a variety of occasions, Epic personnel have told me that if Apple did not comply with its demands, Epic would simply terminate its relationship with Apple and remove its games off the iOS platform,” Mr. Schmid said in court records. A core part of Apple’s antitrust defense is that Epic’s games are available on a variety of tech companies’ platforms, not just Apple’s.
By early 2020, “Fortnite” was showing signs of aging, although popularity for online games can sometimes ebb and flow due to new seasons or features. The privately held company doesn’t disclose financial records but app-analytics firm Sensor Tower Inc. estimates global consumer spending within “Fortnite” on Apple devices had fallen in the first quarter of last year to $70 million from a peak of almost $180 million in the third quarter of 2018. Epic Chief Financial Officer Joe Babcock, who departed the company in early 2020, said it expected the trend to continue, according to a deposition he gave cited by Apple. Mr. Babock couldn’t be reached for comment.
Epic disputes the notion that “Fortnite” was waning in popularity, as the company in May 2020 said it had reached 350 million registered accounts.
Tumblr media
Epic said in May 2020 it had reached 350 million registered ‘Fortnite’ accounts, up from 250 million a year earlier.
Photo: cristobal herrera-ulashkevich/EPA/Shutterstock
Epic hatched a plan, according to court records citing a board presentation, to revive interest in “Fortnite” beyond its seasonal updates and occasional music performances and movie screenings that people experience together in a virtual setting. Epic would turn to third-party developers to create new content for “Fortnite,” essentially turning it into an open platform unto itself.
But for this new plan to work, the company needed to find a way it could afford to compensate its would-be partners. Apple’s 30% share, the presentation concluded, was an “existential issue” for its plan and needed to be cut so Epic could share a majority of the profit with creators.
The battle begins
Last spring Epic began sharpening its plan to wrest itself from Apple’s fees and control. Its team investigated ways to surreptitiously add an alternative payment system to the versions of “Fortnite” on Apple and Google’s app stores, according to court records. By May Epic decided it would deploy the new system through a so-called hotfix, an important software update usually reserved for security bugs, records show, and do so just before the debut of the game’s new season.
Epic executives initially considered targeting Google alone, according to court records citing internal emails. But later they decided to include Apple, which in time would become the focus of the effort.
From an early stage, the plan depended on Epic’s payment system being rejected, read an email between Epic executives disclosed in court records. At that point: “The battle begins. It’s going to be fun!”
Epic co-founder
Mark Rein
predicted there was a greater than 50% chance Apple would immediately remove “Fortnite” from its platforms, according to an Epic employee deposition cited in court records. “They may also sue us to make an example.” Mr. Rein declined to comment.
While it worked on the technical attack, Epic also planned to cut prices on certain items in the console and PC versions of “Fortnite” by 20%— essentially creating a reason for players to eschew the mobile alternative offered by Apple.
But first, Epic would go to the front door and ask a favor of Apple and Google: The company wanted permission to run its own competing store and payment system.
In a late June email to Apple CEO
Tim Cook,
according to court records, Mr. Sweeney sought an exemption from App Store rules. Most important, he wanted to stop paying Apple’s 30% fee.
Apple rejected the request in a July 10 letter, laying out many of the same arguments it would make in defending itself against the eventual Epic lawsuit. Epic had other ways to sell its game, Apple’s lawyer added, as well as noting Epic collects royalties from games built on its software.
“Yet somehow, you believe Apple has no right to do the same, and want all the benefits Apple and the App Store provide without having to pay a penny,” the letter concluded. “Apple cannot bow to that unreasonable demand.”
Tumblr media
‘Fortnite’ became a phenomenon beloved by teenagers around the world. Here fans cheer during the 2019 ‘Fortnite’ World Cup inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City.
Photo: johannes eisele/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Mr. Sweeney on July 17 responded with another email to Mr. Cook and others calling the response a “self-righteous and self-serving screed.” He promised to “continue to pursue this, as we have done in the past to address other injustices in our industry.”
Behind the scenes, Epic’s Project Liberty team met regularly and devised a way to present their plan to a judge and the public. The team included as many as 200 Epic staffers, outside lawyers and public-relations advisers. It developed an argument that Apple violated antitrust laws with its requirements that all apps offered on its iPhones and iPads go through its App Store and that all purchases of digital content go through the tech giant’s in-app purchase system.
It wasn’t a unique gripe. Other app makers, including
Netflix Inc.
and Spotify Technology SA, have also butted heads with Apple on its slice of fees and control. Apple says the walled mobile-software garden it built in 2008 is now responsible for more than a half-trillion dollars in commerce.
Epic’s team worried it wouldn’t be a sympathetic character in a public fight and that gamers would blame the company if Apple and Google ultimately decided to yank “Fortnite.” So it strategized on how to bring in additional companies, including smaller, sympathetic developers, to advocate for its cause, records say. It also studied past Apple responses to major public fights, focusing on its battle with the Federal Bureau of Investigation over demands to create a backdoor into the iPhone of a shooter in a 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif. The controversy subsided when the government found an alternative way into the device.
The Epic team concluded that Apple could be thin skinned when it came to its public image. “Nothing moves Apple to change other than notable consumer pressure,” an Epic memo noted.
Share your Thoughts
Do you think Apple is misusing its power to quash competition? Why or why not? Join the conversation below.
As August approached, Epic’s board of directors was briefed on the project’s final pieces in a presentation dubbed “battle plan.” By this point, the board was told, Epic had spent time helping form the Coalition for App Fairness, an advocacy group, to support its crusade and it tested the payment system that would eventually be uploaded to Apple’s and Google’s app stores.
Mr. Sweeney sent emails to Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo alerting them to the upcoming price changes in “Fortnite,” a prelude to the “fireworks show.”
On Aug. 13, he lighted the fuse. “Epic will no longer adhere to Apple’s payment processing restrictions,” Mr. Sweeney wrote at about 2 a.m. in an email to Apple. Hours later, Epic flipped the switch on the new payment system and a public-relations campaign to rally gamers to its fight.
Project Liberty was in play.
Apple and Google both booted the game by day’s end, springing the second part of Epic’s plan: a legal battle.
A trial date hasn’t been set in Epic’s lawsuit against Google, though the situation is distinct. Devices that run Google’s Android operating system can download software from other app marketplaces in addition to the Google Play store. Google has said that Epic violated its app store’s policies as well, which are designed to keep it safe for users.
In the months after its lawsuit, Epic pursued complaints with regulators around the world and supported lobbying efforts among statehouses and Congress for changes that would crimp Apple’s power. It also released an online video that echoed Apple’s famous 1984 ad, a nod to George Orwell’s dystopian novel, that framed the computer maker as the underdog against the then-mighty
IBM.
This time around, the image of a televised Big Brother was replaced by one of a talking Apple wearing glasses similar to those of Mr. Cook. The call to action at the end read: “Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming ‘1984.’ ”
Write to Tim Higgins at [email protected] and Sarah E. Needleman at [email protected]
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Source
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olko71 · 3 years
Text
New Post has been published on All about business online
New Post has been published on http://yaroreviews.info/2021/04/fortnites-mastermind-goes-to-battle-with-apple
Fortnite's Mastermind Goes to Battle With Apple
The billionaire behind one of the most successful videogames of all time came to view Apple Inc. AAPL 1.80% as an existential threat to his dream of the future. So Tim Sweeney decided to fight. He gave his dispute with the world’s biggest company a code name: Project Liberty.
The clash was a bold gambit from a man who built an empire around “Fortnite,” the online multiplayer shooter game filled with cartoonish characters that became a phenomenon beloved by teenagers around the world. The ambition of Epic Games Inc.’s chief executive was that Fortnite’s legions of devoted young fans could turn it into a thriving social network, and help realize his vision of the “metaverse,” a shared virtual world where people might one day live, work and hang out.
Mr. Sweeney saw Apple as a central roadblock to that vision, according to people familiar with his thinking and documents unveiled in a recent court proceeding, because of the iPhone maker’s tight control over how people access “Fortnite” and any other mobile apps from Epic. Apple’s App Store takes a 30% cut of Epic’s revenue from those users.
Epic circumvented Apple’s fees and rules last August by introducing its own system for processing user purchases into mobile versions of “Fortnite.” It also prepared for a larger legal and public-relations campaign, complete with a video mocking a legendary Apple ad and the social-media hashtag #FreeFortnite.
“You’ll enjoy the upcoming fireworks show,” Mr. Sweeney said in an email to an ally at Microsoft Corp. on the eve of the plan’s launch. Apple made that email public in a court filing, along with other emails and witness testimony cited in this story.
Epic hoped to draw the company into a larger conflict, the court documents show. Once Apple and Alphabet Inc.’s Google booted “Fortnite” from their app stores, Epic responded by suing both companies.
The fate of Epic’s fight has widespread implications for the entire technology world. It could help determine everything from how much revenue app developers are able to keep to how exposed Apple could be to potential antitrust violations. Apple has rejected claims it has monopoly power, saying that Epic broke the terms of a contract and engaged in a smear campaign.
A resolution could be drawing near. Starting May 3, the dispute goes to trial before federal Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, Calif. The judge must decide whether Apple is misusing its power to quash competition or if Epic is merely trying to break its contract with the iPhone maker to boost its bottom line.
Save the world
The man at the center of this clash is a 50-year-old programmer who prefers an office uniform of cargo pants and T-shirts. He eschewed the clubby confines of Silicon Valley to locate Epic’s headquarters just outside of Raleigh, N.C. Mr. Sweeney’s previous dealings with other technology companies showcase his instincts for big and prolonged fights, as well as an eye for strategy. The Maryland native is worth more than $9 billion, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index.
The man who is taking on Apple prefers an office uniform of cargo pants and t-shirts. Here he is pictured in Epic’s offices in 2019.
Photo: Jeremy M. Lange for The Wall Sweet Journal
He launched Epic from his parents’ basement at age 20 in 1991 and evolved his company from solely building games for PCs to include those for videogame consoles and smartphones. In 2012, he sold a 40% stake of his company to Tencent Holdings Ltd. , in part to tap the Chinese tech giant’s expertise in mobile gaming and wringing money from users through small purchases known as microtransactions. (Mr. Sweeney remains Epic’s largest shareholder.) Epic also owns the video-chat app Houseparty and makes the Unreal Engine, a suite of software tools for developing games and producing special effects for television shows, movies and other types of digital content.
Epic’s biggest hit started with the 2017 launch of “Fortnite: Save the World,” then a $40 game for up to four players to fight zombies and build forts. A few months later, after disappointing results, Epic offered up a new, free-to-play mode called “Battle Royale,” in which 100 players duke it out until only one combatant or squad remains. It later sold virtual currency that players could use to acquire in-game perks such as an outfit to make their avatars appear as a Marvel Comics superhero.
To build the community, since only a small percentage of players make such purchases, Epic pushed console makers to allow users of one machine to play “Fortnite” with users of another machine, in what would be an industry first for all three major videogame systems. That meant a PlayStation player could join a match with a friend on Microsoft’s Xbox or Nintendo Co. ’s Switch.
Microsoft and Nintendo had shown a willingness for such cross-platform play. Sony Group Corp. balked.
In the fall of 2017, Epic updated its software that briefly allowed a Sony PlayStation “Fortnite” player to compete against someone on Microsoft’s Xbox. It pulled that function back, saying it was a mistake, after online chat boards lighted up with excitement. Seeing what was possible, gamers demanded more. Players cast Sony as the villain on social media with hashtags such as #blamesony and #notfortheplayers, a harbinger for the Apple dispute.
As Sony internally debated its position, executives were worried about exposure of its consumer-behavior data and competitors taking an unfair share of their business, according to people familiar with the talks. They felt Epic had backed them into a corner and worried that finicky gamers would turn on them, the people said.
Following months of negotiations, Sony relented. Asked about it afterward, Mr. Sweeney described it simply as “an effort in international diplomacy.” Since then, the Tokyo-based company has twice invested in Epic, having most recently contributed around $200 million in a funding round that valued Epic at $28.7 billion. A spokesman for Sony declined to comment.
Mr. Sweeney’s hardball tactics with Sony helped him usher in cross-play across videogame consoles, personal computers and Apple and Android devices.
All hands on deck
The relationship with Apple was cordial for its first decade. In March 2018, “Fortnite” was launched on Apple’s App Store. A year later, Mr. Sweeney was at the annual Game Developers Conference celebrating how cross-play had helped the game grow to almost 250 million players world-wide – a smashing success. Apple’s managers were happy to help promote the new hit, offering technical and marketing assistance to Epic.
Mike Schmid, head of Apple’s games business development for the App Store, helped oversee the “Fortnite” rollout and several updates. In a court statement, he described an “all-hands-on-deck treatment to address Epic’s non-stop asks, which frequently involved middle-of-the-night calls and texts demanding short-turnaround.”
To manage the work, he assigned someone in Australia so Apple could provide 24-hour coverage.
Mr. Sweeney located Epic’s headquarters far from Silicon Valley, to a spot outside Raleigh, N.C. The offices are pictured here in 2019.
Photo: Jeremy M. Lange for The Wall Sweet Journal
The relationship described by Apple in court papers differs greatly from the experiences detailed by other developers on Apple’s iOS mobile operating system. Smaller software makers have complained about what they perceive as Apple’s seemingly arbitrary rules and mercurial ways.
With Epic, Apple appeared to go out of its way to help the gamemaker establish itself on the platform. Mr. Schmid said Epic employees had told him Apple represented just 7% of its revenue. He couldn’t be reached for comment through Apple.
“On a variety of occasions, Epic personnel have told me that if Apple did not comply with its demands, Epic would simply terminate its relationship with Apple and remove its games off the iOS platform,” Mr. Schmid said in court records. A core part of Apple’s antitrust defense is that Epic’s games are available on a variety of tech companies’ platforms, not just Apple’s.
By early 2020, “Fortnite” was showing signs of aging, although popularity for online games can sometimes ebb and flow due to new seasons or features. The privately held company doesn’t disclose financial records but app-analytics firm Sensor Tower Inc. estimates global consumer spending within “Fortnite” on Apple devices had fallen in the first quarter of last year to $70 million from a peak of almost $180 million in the third quarter of 2018. Epic Chief Financial Officer Joe Babcock, who departed the company in early 2020, said it expected the trend to continue, according to a deposition he gave cited by Apple. Mr. Babock couldn’t be reached for comment.
Epic disputes the notion that “Fortnite” was waning in popularity, as the company in May 2020 said it had reached 350 million registered accounts.
Epic said in May 2020 it had reached 350 million registered ‘Fortnite’ accounts, up from 250 million a year earlier.
Photo: cristobal herrera-ulashkevich/EPA/Shutterstock
Epic hatched a plan, according to court records citing a board presentation, to revive interest in “Fortnite” beyond its seasonal updates and occasional music performances and movie screenings that people experience together in a virtual setting. Epic would turn to third-party developers to create new content for “Fortnite,” essentially turning it into an open platform unto itself.
But for this new plan to work, the company needed to find a way it could afford to compensate its would-be partners. Apple’s 30% share, the presentation concluded, was an “existential issue” for its plan and needed to be cut so Epic could share a majority of the profit with creators.
The battle begins
Last spring Epic began sharpening its plan to wrest itself from Apple’s fees and control. Its team investigated ways to surreptitiously add an alternative payment system to the versions of “Fortnite” on Apple and Google’s app stores, according to court records. By May Epic decided it would deploy the new system through a so-called hotfix, an important software update usually reserved for security bugs, records show, and do so just before the debut of the game’s new season.
Epic executives initially considered targeting Google alone, according to court records citing internal emails. But later they decided to include Apple, which in time would become the focus of the effort.
From an early stage, the plan depended on Epic’s payment system being rejected, read an email between Epic executives disclosed in court records. At that point: “The battle begins. It’s going to be fun!”
Epic co-founder Mark Rein predicted there was a greater than 50% chance Apple would immediately remove “Fortnite” from its platforms, according to an Epic employee deposition cited in court records. “They may also sue us to make an example.” Mr. Rein declined to comment.
While it worked on the technical attack, Epic also planned to cut prices on certain items in the console and PC versions of “Fortnite” by 20%— essentially creating a reason for players to eschew the mobile alternative offered by Apple.
But first, Epic would go to the front door and ask a favor of Apple and Google: The company wanted permission to run its own competing store and payment system.
In a late June email to Apple CEO Tim Cook, according to court records, Mr. Sweeney sought an exemption from App Store rules. Most important, he wanted to stop paying Apple’s 30% fee.
Apple rejected the request in a July 10 letter, laying out many of the same arguments it would make in defending itself against the eventual Epic lawsuit. Epic had other ways to sell its game, Apple’s lawyer added, as well as noting Epic collects royalties from games built on its software.
“Yet somehow, you believe Apple has no right to do the same, and want all the benefits Apple and the App Store provide without having to pay a penny,” the letter concluded. “Apple cannot bow to that unreasonable demand.”
‘Fortnite’ became a phenomenon beloved by teenagers around the world. Here fans cheer during the 2019 ‘Fortnite’ World Cup inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City.
Photo: johannes eisele/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Mr. Sweeney on July 17 responded with another email to Mr. Cook and others calling the response a “self-righteous and self-serving screed.” He promised to “continue to pursue this, as we have done in the past to address other injustices in our industry.”
Behind the scenes, Epic’s Project Liberty team met regularly and devised a way to present their plan to a judge and the public. The team included as many as 200 Epic staffers, outside lawyers and public-relations advisers. It developed an argument that Apple violated antitrust laws with its requirements that all apps offered on its iPhones and iPads go through its App Store and that all purchases of digital content go through the tech giant’s in-app purchase system.
It wasn’t a unique gripe. Other app makers, including Netflix Inc. and Spotify Technology SA, have also butted heads with Apple on its slice of fees and control. Apple says the walled mobile-software garden it built in 2008 is now responsible for more than a half-trillion dollars in commerce.
Epic’s team worried it wouldn’t be a sympathetic character in a public fight and that gamers would blame the company if Apple and Google ultimately decided to yank “Fortnite.” So it strategized on how to bring in additional companies, including smaller, sympathetic developers, to advocate for its cause, records say. It also studied past Apple responses to major public fights, focusing on its battle with the Federal Bureau of Investigation over demands to create a backdoor into the iPhone of a shooter in a 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif. The controversy subsided when the government found an alternative way into the device.
The Epic team concluded that Apple could be thin skinned when it came to its public image. “Nothing moves Apple to change other than notable consumer pressure,” an Epic memo noted.
Share your Thoughts
Do you think Apple is misusing its power to quash competition? Why or why not? Join the conversation below.
As August approached, Epic’s board of directors was briefed on the project’s final pieces in a presentation dubbed “battle plan.” By this point, the board was told, Epic had spent time helping form the Coalition for App Fairness, an advocacy group, to support its crusade and it tested the payment system that would eventually be uploaded to Apple’s and Google’s app stores.
Mr. Sweeney sent emails to Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo alerting them to the upcoming price changes in “Fortnite,” a prelude to the “fireworks show.”
On Aug. 13, he lighted the fuse. “Epic will no longer adhere to Apple’s payment processing restrictions,” Mr. Sweeney wrote at about 2 a.m. in an email to Apple. Hours later, Epic flipped the switch on the new payment system and a public-relations campaign to rally gamers to its fight.
Project Liberty was in play.
Apple and Google both booted the game by day’s end, springing the second part of Epic’s plan: a legal battle.
A trial date hasn’t been set in Epic’s lawsuit against Google, though the situation is distinct. Devices that run Google’s Android operating system can download software from other app marketplaces in addition to the Google Play store. Google has said that Epic violated its app store’s policies as well, which are designed to keep it safe for users.
In the months after its lawsuit, Epic pursued complaints with regulators around the world and supported lobbying efforts among statehouses and Congress for changes that would crimp Apple’s power. It also released an online video that echoed Apple’s famous 1984 ad, a nod to George Orwell’s dystopian novel, that framed the computer maker as the underdog against the then-mighty IBM.
This time around, the image of a televised Big Brother was replaced by one of a talking Apple wearing glasses similar to those of Mr. Cook. The call to action at the end read: “Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming ‘1984.’ ”
Write to Tim Higgins at [email protected] and Sarah E. Needleman at [email protected]
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
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simonewats · 4 years
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dreamguystech31 · 2 years
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gandgtechme-blog · 5 years
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What To Choose For Custom IOS Mobile App Development – Objective-C Or Swift?
Introduction
With a host of requirements for software solutions in a technology driven world, it is essential to understand the capabilities of the different programming languages to determine which solution is appropriate. Organizations and developers have to constantly evaluate solutions for Android based applications and those that are iOS driven. In the case of the latter, the tussle is between determining custom iOS app development using Swift or iOS mobile app development with objective-C. The iOS platform is one of the most popular and sought after platforms in spite of its expensive edge. This makes it all the more imperative to deliver quality products. Understandably, this also meant developing rich and superior-tech stacks that keep up the brand value globally. Swift was introduced as the new flavor. Both Obj-C and Swift have been used to develop Apple products, and each language also comes with its own API or app programming interface.
In order to decide which of the programming languages is suited for customized iOS mobile app development, let us explore what both have to offer.
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Choosing between Objective-C or Swift
A. Time tested Objective C has been around for a long time. It was developed in the 80’s and had an impact on C programming languages including object oriented syntax like Smalltalk. Since it has been around in the market for a long time, it indicates that it has been tested in the market and used by developers rating high on the reliability factor. Numerous projects have been authored using obj-C. While Swift, a relatively new programming language is not based on C language, it is however powerful and intuitive.
B. Presentation of Code Objective-C is presented in two parts, header files and implementation files respectively and has a complicated syntax. The code presentation in Swift is much simpler and unified.
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C. Platform Compatibility Swift is an open source, cross-platform programming language and is not limited to Apple iOS. An advantage it offers also is the ability to interact with obj-c and code bases. On the other hand, Objective-C, a mature coding language is a standard for macOS and Apple based platforms, and is limited in that respect.
D. Development Time Objective-C was developed to improve development time and reduce the requirements of system resources. Swift, on the other hand, leveraged the best features of Obj C while doing away with complex elements.
E. Features Swift comes with modern features that make code reusable, syntax that is simple and easier to code and depends on the compilator to make the code work. This makes this programming language high in quality, stability and better development time.
F. Learning the Language An open source platform, Swift is easier to learn and enjoys strong community support. So should developers require assistance with coding and development, they are equipped to help each other through discussions and forums. On the other hand, Objective C is a comparatively complicated language and the skill set is difficult to harness in the market.
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It is clear that both Objective C and Swift come with inherent advantages and disadvantages. All mobile app development companies, including the ones in Raleigh/Cary, North Carolina (NC), can help you determine which of these programming languages is more suited for the goal at hand.
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maintecsolutions · 3 years
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digitalmark18-blog · 6 years
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Beeline shifts from franchise model to subscription software service
New Post has been published on https://britishdigitalmarketingnews.com/beeline-shifts-from-franchise-model-to-subscription-software-service/
Beeline shifts from franchise model to subscription software service
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SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (BRAIN) — In a play to make it more affordable for bike shops to expand into mobile service and repair and to help them fulfill online purchases, Accell North America is making the software previously used by its Beeline franchisees available to any brick-and-mortar dealer.
The software, called Powered by Beeline, allows retailers to manage their service departments entirely online. Consumers will be able to book service appointments on retailers’ websites or on their phones, and for shops the software will allow them to eliminate the traditional paper ticket and to engage more with consumers through an automatic feedback loop. Appointments scheduled on a website or phone will automatically be scheduled into a shop’s service calendar.
ANA acquired Beeline back in March, after investing in the mobile tech and service company for a few years.
Beeline officials said that about three-quarters of its franchisees are brick-and-mortar shops so few are affected by this shift. “All of our franchisees have the option of staying the course with the existing model,” said Pete Small, chief operating officer of Beeline, told BRAIN in an interview. “We’re committed and equipped to honor the franchise agreements they have.”
With Powered by Beeline, retailers gain the capabilities of a Beeline franchise mobile van, but without the costly investment of adding a fully outfitted vehicle. Many retailers already use a shop vehicle for pick up and delivery or to do service and repair.
“This is a new model we’re rolling out instead of a franchise, which is a complicated process,” Larry Pizzi, president and head of sales at ANA, told BRAIN. “The franchise is like a phone book of a contract, close to a 200-page agreement and highly regulated. It’s a challenging and long sales process. This lowers the bar from an initial investment perspective, and offers this platform we’ve developed as software as a service. In essence we’re giving people access to this platform that brings their business into the 21st century and gives them an opportunity to service the customer who’s making a purchase online.”
ANA will offer three tiers and pricing. Retailers who sign up for the software also become a fulfillment partner for ANA and other brands. Pure Cycles and Saris, for example, have signed on as fulfillment partners, so orders placed through their online channels could be delivered by retailers signed up for this software. Saris is launching in-home setup of its Cyclops trainers and plans to extend this to Saris racks. And ANA anticipates more brands will come onboard for fulfillment service.  
“For the customer, they get the convenience of scheduling online and know when and where that appointment is going to be,” said Peter Buhl, co-founder and CEO of Beeline. “For the shop, they have a backend tool that manages this whole inventory of appointments and see which mechanic is assigned to what appointment so they can fully book and utilize all their assets.
“The other thing for the shop is it’s a tool to acquire new customers online through this online scheduling tool when they want service, but also to the network of fulfillment partners which includes all of the Accell brands (Diamondback, Haibike, Raleigh, Izip, Redline), and Amazon, and a couple of new brands. Basically having all those customers come to them as a net new customer,” he added.  
Buhl noted that as Beeline approached dealers about expanding with a Beeline mobile franchise, they learned that their franchise model needed to change.
“As we talked to a lot of dealers, the thing we learned is that all their markets are a little bit different,” Buhl said. “The way they run their businesses is a little bit different. They’re all entrepreneurs in a sense, so going to them and saying here’s the Beeline model, here’s exactly how you do it, here’s the playbook, they’re like, ‘Yeah, but I don’t want that part.’ And the franchise just doesn’t work that way. The franchise is a playbook and you follow the rules of the playbook. This allows them to get the aspects of our system and tools and model expertise and utilize all those in a way that fits in their market.”
Powered by Beeline is entirely cloud based and the service can easily be added to any retailer’s website with a line of code.
Three software tiers are priced starting at $79 a month for the click-to-brick package (buy online pick up in store), the second tier adds in-store service to first tier plan (schedule service online for tune-up in store) for $299 a month for up to five store locations; the third tier adds the ability to include one mobile shop for $379 (every additional vehicle is $95 a month).
Beeline will demo the software at Interbike next week in Reno. The software officially launches in January.
Source: https://www.bicycleretailer.com/retail-news/2018/09/12/beeline-software-now-available-brick-and-mortar-retailers
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Important SEO Rules Every Marketer Should Know
SEO is important for a variety of reasons, but it's especially important for marketers that are looking to capitalize on the many benefits that it provides. SEO is vital for mastering the Google search engine process. There are important SEO rules that every marketer should abide by, in order to gain success in any way that they can.
Keep reading below to get a better understanding of the rules that SEO companies in Miami are living by, and why digital marketing companies are betting big in Miami on SEO services . Online marketing is on the rise and it's every marketer's duty to adapt to these imminent changes and various trends that keep popping up. Digital marketing has carved out a new path for many business owners and consumers alike. It's a significant departure from the conventional means of marketing from years prior.
Don't go crazy with Keyword Usage
For instance, let's say you are working with an SEO company in Miami that specializes in this field. One of the first things they will advise you to do as their client is to not go overboard with the number of keywords that you're using.
Keywords serve as a guideline for search engines to determine what your page is about. Back in the old days, marketers would keep reusing the same keywords so that Google can recognize their relevance in the marketing world. It'd the term is known as "keyword stuffing". It actually hurts businesses because you aren't making a concerted effort to drive traffic to your website.
If the SEO Company you are using in Miami is encouraging keyword stuffing, then this is not someone that you want to be working with. Google has a very strategic method of keeping track of websites that are relevant. They have what are called "ranking signals", and they are a strong indicator of how your website is performing. If Google sees that people are spending a lot of time on your site, then they will automatically assume that you have superb content that is enticing to your viewers.
If your content doesn't make any sense because you decided to include an overabundance of keywords, then viewers will leave your site very quickly. When Google notices that this is happening, it will assume that your content isn't worth ranking. If your content isn't worth ranking, then don't assume that the growth will naturally incur all on its own. You, as the developer need to prompt this growth organically and systematically. Failure to do so will result in a stunt in progression, potentially hurting your earnings, credibility, and above all, your longevity in this business that you have vested yourself in.
Interested in learning about how to go about this the right way? You can coordinate with a digital marketing agency that provides services in your area. Say, for instance, they provide SEO services in Miami, they will steer you in the right direction in terms of what's appropriate and what will be effective in helping your business succeed.
Develop Unique Content In order to develop an effective SEO strategy, you cannot achieve this without having high-quality content. Well-written content is as equally as important as having an effective SEO strategy. Without having unique content, your viewers won't feel compelled to gravitate towards the variety of products and services that you offer.
You need to provide something for your readers that they aren't able to get anywhere else. What's being embedded within your content that cannot be found anywhere else? All of these are important factors to consider when utilizing SEO services in Miami.
Use Effective Links External links are very effective for your marketing strategies as well. The external links need to be relevant to the content that you're putting out. If your link is faulty, it will drive business away and lower your rankings on Google. Be conscientious about this and choose links that are only going to help you in the long term. You want to build a quality relationship with Google so that your rankings can remain consistent.
Perform Regular Updates on your Websites
It goes without saying, an outdated site helps no one. Not your viewers, and especially not you as the business owner. If your site hasn't been updated in more than 5 years, it's safe to say it won't perform well, at all. If your website isn't performing efficiently due to a lack of updating in recent years, it's ultimately going to hurt your business. Routinely analyze your content to determine what's efficient and what isn't.
Abide By Google's Optimization Guidelines
Google is always updating its system, so do everything in your power to ensure that you're actively adhering to the protocols that they have put into place. Many of these changes can be minor, but nevertheless, they are still important. If Google sees that you are always complying with their rules and regulations as they pertain to updates and what have you, you'll have a much easier time in gaining traction on the web.
Track the Speed of your Website
As previously mentioned, regularly updating your website is significantly important, but so is keeping track of the speed of your site. Speed is important because it can act as a precedent for your reputation as a company and for the functionality of your website overall. Users these days aren't willing to spend an absurd amount of time waiting for a page to load. This ties into the whole user-friendly experience, whether the mobile or web version of your site is being used it's immaterial. You want your content to be easily accessible for anyone across all platforms.
Implement Web Analytics to Track Progress
It's important to have software that can keep track of your progress. Google Analytics is a prime example of a program that is readily available to assist in monitoring the analytics of your site. It will help you work out all of the kinks so that your viewers don't run into any issues when they are visiting your site.
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peacekaleandyoga1 · 4 years
Link
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Multimode computing leader Lenovo
(SEHK:0992) (Pink Sheets:LNVGY) today announced a new partnership with
Ashton Kutcher at the livestream
launch event of the new Yoga
Tablet, held at the Youtube
Space LA. In his new role as a Lenovo product engineer, Kutcher will
work with the company’s engineering teams around the world to develop
and market the Yoga line of tablets by providing input and
decision-making into design, specifications, software and usage
scenarios.
“This partnership with Lenovo brings together my love of technology and
design that makes your life better. I can’t wait to dig in and help
Lenovo develop future mobile computing products, starting with the Yoga
Tablet,” said Ashton Kutcher. “Lenovo is all about innovation and strong
leadership. Entrepreneurship is part of their DNA, and I couldn’t ask
for a better fit.”
Kutcher currently stars in the CBS comedy, Two and a Half Men,
which airs worldwide. He has also gained significant recognition for his
technology investments over the past several years and is a co-founder
of A-Grade Investments, which has provided venture capital and
collaboration for multiple tech companies including Airbnb, Fab,
Foursquare, Spotify, Path and Uber.
“Ashton Kutcher’s authentic, creative appetite for technology and keen
consumer insight combined with our innovation engine make this a very
natural and powerful partnership,” said David Roman, chief marketing
officer, Lenovo. “This partnership goes beyond traditional bounds by
deeply integrating him into our organization as a product engineer as we
look at developing the next wave of products. As we continue to push
into new PC Plus product areas and lead in multimode computing, Ashton
will help us break new ground by challenging assumptions, bringing new
perspective and contributing his technical expertise to Yoga Tablet and
other devices.”
The new multimode Yoga Tablet gives people a better way to get the most
out of their tablet experience with up to 18 hours of battery life1
and with its three unique modes: hold, tilt and stand.
Recognizing that one size doesn’t fit all, Lenovo created the three
modes to solve the common challenges that tablet users face. The Yoga
Tablet’s cylindrical handle breaks the mold on “sea of sameness” tablet
design, allowing users to more easily hold the tablet to read and
browse the Internet, deploy the stand to sit it upright on a
surface to watch movies and tilt the tablet down on a surface for
a better viewing angle for touchscreen typing and reading.
Financial terms of the multi-year partnership are not being disclosed.
For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo
RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter
and Facebook.
Also follow news about the Yoga Tablet at #betterway. The press kit is
available at: http://news.lenovo.com/betterway.
About Lenovo
Lenovo (SEHK:0992) (Pink Sheets:LNVGY) is a US$34 billion personal
technology company – the largest PC maker worldwide and an emerging PC
Plus leader – serving customers in more than 160 countries. Dedicated to
exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile internet devices, Lenovo’s
business is built on product innovation, a highly-efficient global
supply chain and strong strategic execution. Formed by Lenovo Group’s
acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the Company
develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and
easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include
legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as
well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile internet devices,
including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo, a global Fortune 500
company, has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai
and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information
see www.lenovo.com.
About Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher is an actor, entrepreneur, tech investor, producer and
philanthropist. Kutcher can currently be seen weekly on the CBS comedy, Two
and a Half Men. In 2011, Kutcher co-created a venture fund, A-Grade
Investments, with Ron Burkle and Guy Oseary. To date, A-Grade has
invested in multiple tech companies including Airbnb, Flipboard,
Foursquare, Path, Quora, Shazam, SoundCloud, Spotify, The Fancy, and Uber.
As a philanthropist, Kutcher co-created Thorn: Digital Defenders of
Children (www.wearethorn.org).
Thorn invests in, builds and deploys the latest technology as part of
the ongoing fight to end child sexual exploitation. In 2010, Kutcher was
named one of Time Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People. In
that same year, his company, Katalyst, was named one of the year’s Top
50 Most Inspiring Innovators by Ad Age and one of Fast
Company Magazine’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies. In 2011, Vanity
Fair named Kutcher to their 2011 New Establishment List, which
identifies the top 50 of an innovative new breed of buccaneering
visionaries, engineering prodigies and entrepreneurs.
1Actual battery life may vary based on many factors including
screen brightness, active applications, features, power management
settings, battery age and conditioning, and other customer preferences.
Testing consisted of full battery discharge while performing each of the
following tasks: two hours of video playback plus two hours of mp3 audio
playback in Stand-by Mode plus two hours of Internet browsing using
Wi-Fi in Tilt Mode plus twelve hours of reading in Hold Mode.
from https://ift.tt/3f5MwP8
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georgetownacsjobs · 5 years
Text
CTO/VP of Engineering, at ArborBridge Group
Description
ArborBridge Group, owner of ArborBridge and CollegePlannerPro, is hiring a CTO/VP of Engineering, depending on experience. The CTO/VP will report to ArborBridge Group CEO Kate Ballard-Rosa and CollegePlannerPro COO Valerie Kaskovich and should have a passion for coding, managing a small team, and bringing industry best practices to the group.
CollegePlannerPro is the market leading practice management SaaS for independent college consultants, and ArborBridge provides premium, customized online tutoring, supported by proprietary back-end software.
50% of the company is based in Los Angeles, and 50% of the company is remote. Remote applicants welcome as the development team is spread between LA, Raleigh, and Krakow!
The CTO/VP will be responsible for group-level software development and management of three developers. The main priorities for the CTO/VP will be:
managing and developing the existing development team
re-architecting and re-building CollegePlannerPro to bring it to a modern tech stack
group-level architecture and DevOps
recruiting cost-effective new engineers (e.g. from outside major US tech markets)
More Details:
Summary
The Chief Technology Officer (CTO)/VP of Engineering will be in charge of all company technology and technological resources. The CTO/VP will establish company technology vision, strategies, and plans for growth. They will supervise the system and quality assurance processes. The CTO/VP will focus on maintaining and improving all technological issues in the company.
CTO/VP of Engineering Duties and Responsibilities
Setting company technical vision and leading the company’s technological development
Developing strategic plans and setting timelines for evaluation, development, and deployment of all technical, web, and mobile services
Identifying opportunities for web and mobile services
Collaborating with department heads, marketing, production, and operations as an advisor of all technologies involved with the company
Ensuring technology standards and best practices are met
Monitoring web analytics and making recommendations that align with business goals
Supervising quality assurance processes
Establishing software development process and set objectives for the process
Mentoring team members
Identifying company web user needs
Monitoring performance profiling tools and procedures
Maintaining network security
Reviewing timeframes and budgets
Developing and implementing disaster and emergency recovery plans
Supervising workflow of Technology department
Defining company standards for systems, equipment, and software
Sharing technological visions, opportunities, and risks company-wide
Studying current and new industry trends, technologies, and software development
Studying information processing systems to evaluate the effectiveness and make recommendations for improvement
Ensuring the company’s technological processes and service comply with all requirements, laws, and regulations
CTO/VP of Engineering Requirements and Qualifications
Able to multitask, prioritize, and manage time efficiently
Able to build strong interpersonal relationships with peers, brand leaders, and other senior management throughout the company
Able to be a “big picture” thinker
Excellent leadership, team building, and management skills
Encouraging to team and staff; able to mentor and lead
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Able to align multiple strategies and ideas
Confident in producing and presenting work
In-depth understanding of the software industry
Eight to ten years’ experience in a software development role, information technology role, or related field; three years in management or leadership role
Experience with technology relative to our technology: React, Python, PHP, PostgreSQL, AngularJS, GitHub, Grunt/Gulp, NodeJS, Firebase, Docker, Travis CI
Experience with AWS - ElasticBeanstalk, Lambda, S3, RDS, WAF & Shield, CloudWatch, VPC
Excellent analytical and time-management skills
Compensation
Salary + Benefits + Potential Bonus + Stock Options
TO APPLY:  Please submit your resume along with a brief note explaining your interest and providing links to any relevant projects you have spearheaded, via the web portal here. If selected, the next interview will be a brief (15 minute) video interview at your convenience.
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bittenpath-blog · 6 years
Text
48cm:Bike Shop Owners Embrace Online Trends with New Powered by Beeline Software
SAN FRANCISCO (February 7, 2019) - Beeline Bikes has launched Powered by Beeline (PbB), a Software as a Service platform for independent bicycle dealers (IBDs) and mobile mechanics. With over 200 retail locations and mobile shops already participating, the platform is available to dealers across the USA.
“With a nationwide network of participating retailers, we are excited to grow our ecommerce partnerships,” said Peter Buhl, co-founder and CEO at Beeline. “This is a win for our industry. As online sellers promote the benefit of professional bike assembly, PbB drives customers to participating dealers. Those new customers will build long-term relationships with retailers that they would not otherwise visit.”
PbB enables dealers to acquire customers in several ways, including from online bike purchases. Online shoppers can choose to pick up their bike at a retailer’s brick-andmortar location or have the bike delivered via the retailer’s mobile shop, where available. Shops earn revenue for providing last mile assembly. PbB also offers an online service scheduling tool that lets customers book bicycle service appointments 24/7 and see realtime availability.
Overall, PbB is a cost-effective way for dealers to engage with customers who are increasingly more comfortable spending their time and discretionary income online. IBDs can also increase their online brand presence using the PbB software. Shop-specific branding and content is incorporated into dealer’s PbB listing page and feeds into every customer-facing touchpoint generated by the software platform.
This includes automated emails (appointment reminders, follow-up messages, etc.) that are tailored to the IBD’s brand. Additional features include a management dashboard with key metrics and schedule optimization tools to improve the efficiency of service departments. “Powered by Beeline launched on-time and on-budget, as we promised at Interbike 2018,” said Larry Pizzi, Chief Revenue Officer at Accell North America, Beeline’s parent company.
“This is the next step forward in our omni-channel approach aimed at giving IBDs a competitive advantage. Cutting-edge software powers IBD service departments and expands the shop’s brand reach to begin addressing a whole new customer base that is not walking into their store. By simply uploading their logo and configuring their shop schedule, IBDs can respond to the online trends in a profitable way.”
Powered by Beeline offers three levels of subscription packages. Dealers, brands and eretailers interested in learning more about Powered by Beeline should visit beelinebikes.com/poweredby or email [email protected].
About Beeline Bikes: Founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2013, Beeline Bikes has delivered and serviced thousands of bikes at customers’ homes and offices. Reinventing how people interact with bike shops, Beeline has developed a technology platform for independent bicycle dealers to acquire new customers, streamline customer interaction and enhance operating efficiency. In 2018 Beeline was acquired by Accell North America (ANA) and operates as a division of ANA.
About Accell North America: Based in Kent, Washington, ANA is the North American arm of the Accell Group – the leading bicycle company in Europe, and the global leader in e-bikes. Accell Group is one of the largest and most stable bicycle companies in the world, and is the parent company of Diamondback, Raleigh, Ghost and Redline Bicycles, as well as e-bike brands Haibike and IZIP. # # # Media contact: Peter Small, [email protected]
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vrheadsets · 6 years
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The VR Job Hub: Positions Working With AR, VR And Even Linux Available
Looking for a new job but not sure where to get started? Well there is no need to worry as VRFocus is here to help. With positions open for software engineers, community managers, artists and even producers, there is plenty to look at this week in another entry of The VR Job Hub.
Every weekend VRFocus gathers together a number open position from across the virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) industry, in locations around the globe, to help make finding the ideal job easier. Below are a selection of roles that are currently accepting applications across a number of disciplines, all within departments and companies that focus on VR, AR and MR.
Location
Company
Role
Link
Raleigh, NC, US Downpour Interactive Software Enginner
Click Here to Apply
Raleigh, NC, US
Downpour Interactive
Community Manager
Click Here to Apply
Stockholm, Sweden
Fast Travel Games
3D Artist
Click Here to Apply
Los Angeles, CA, US
RYOT
iOS Developer (Augmented Reality)
Click Here to Apply
Los Angeles, CA, US
RYOT Android Developer (Augmented Reality)
Click Here to Apply
Los Angeles, CA, US
RYOT Senior Unity Developer (Augmented Reality)
Click Here to Apply
Seattle, WA, US Oculus VR Software Engineer, Mobile Core Engineering
Click Here to Apply
Redmond, WA, US Oculus VR AR/VR Software Engineer
Click Here to Apply
Seattle, WA, US Oculus VR Character Artist
Click Here to Apply
Menlo Park, CA, US Oculus VR 3D Generalist/Tech Artist
Click Here to Apply
London, UK Happy Fish Junior Producer
Click Here to Apply
Bremen, DE Sportradar AG Linux System Administrator (Virtual Reality)
Click Here to Apply
Taipei, TW HP Virtual Reality (VR) Electrical Hardware Engineer
Click Here to Apply
Don’t forget, if there was nothing in this week’s feature that was a good fit for you, you can always look at the previous edition of The VR Job Hub.
As always, if you are an employer looking for someone to fill an immersive technology related role – regardless of the industry – don’t forget you can send us the lowdown on the position and we’ll be sure to feature it in that following week’s feature. Details should be sent to myself at [email protected] and also [email protected].
Check back with VRFocus next Sunday at the usual time of 3PM (GMT) for another selection of jobs from around the industry.
from VRFocus https://ift.tt/2IbF5Jn
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dreamguystech31 · 2 years
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HO[S]TELOFFER.ONLINE to Demonstrate Its Innovative Hotel Sales Proposal Software at ITB Berlin 2018 | Focus
After a successful presence at the Travel Technology Europe Show 2018 in London, where HO[S]TELOFFER.ONLINE launched its innovative hotel sales proposal software, the company will be meeting its potential customers at ITB Berlin from 7 to 11 March 2018.
ITB Berlin, the World’s Largest Travel Trade Show®, where HO[S]TELOFFER.ONLINE has a stand for the first time, is expected to attract numerous celebrities and industry experts. The official inauguration ceremony will also include a speech by Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel.
This year at ITB Berlin the stand of HO[S]TELOFFER.ONLINE is located in Hall 7.1c 121, the shared area under Hospitality Industry Club and eTravel Lab Lounge. Visitors at the HO[S]TELOFFER.ONLINE stand can witness demos of the H8 hotel sales proposal software, which exits its Beta stage in April 2018. The developers have just added new system features, including two-way integration with Mews Property Management System and Cloudbeds.
“HO[S]TELOFFER.ONLINE is currently conducting trials in cooperation with several hotels and hostel groups across Europe and Asia, and has so far received very positive feedback,” said Founder and CEO Tomasz Janczak, who will join the team at ITB Berlin to introduce the product.
H8 hotel sales proposal software streamlines the sales process in the hospitality industry, from the generation of an offer (for groups, meetings’ planners, corporations, and individuals), through the conversion of the said offer into a reservation ending with an automatic collection of guests’ names to speed up the check-in. Instead of waiting for the offer a couple of hours, the potential guest receives it within a few minutes, either on the desktop or on mobile devices. With integrated AI, the software extracts all the necessary inquiry data from regular emails, then designs the proposal faster through the option of pre-loaded rates, pre-defined templates, and two-way connectivity with the PMS.
About HO[S]TELOFFER.ONLINE HO[S]TELOFFER.ONLINE offers sales process software for hotels and hostels. The company is based in Berlin, Germany and it’s 100% owned by its Founder, Tomasz Janczak.  HO[S]TELOFFER.ONLINE software product is a cloud-based Saas solution, easy to implement, and affordable even for mid-market players.
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