Bob Kernen Joins jacAPPS As VP/COO

7-15-13

It's a new position at jacAPPS created just for Kernen who was VP/Product Development and Data for Sharecare. Kernan has also worked at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, A&E, Women.com, Microsoft?s Web TV Networks, and he co-founded GrokMusic. jacAPPS President Paul Jacobs said, ?As our company nears its fifth anniversary, we needed a visionary with the right blend of media and Web experience -- and Bob?s the guy.?

Kernen said, "I am excited to be joining jacAPPS and coming back to Motown at a time of such intense creativity and innovation. The jacAPPS team clearly saw over the horizon with the mobile app boom, and has built an amazing business in a short time. I am eager to work with this great team, and help them take it to the next level."

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jacAPPS Turns 4

11-20-2012

It was four years ago that Tom Bender at Greater Media gave consultants Fred and Paul Jacobs a commitment to purchase a handful of station apps. This week their company, jacAPPS, will celebrate its 4th birthday. Those early products only contained two functions, the ability to stream five channels and an alarm clock. Since then jacAPPS has created 750 apps for every format in markets large and small.

Company President Fred Jacobs said, ?Because we?re so involved with radio at every level, we?ve been able to continue to push our apps to provide innovative functions that benefit broadcasters. Mobile apps for radio today look nothing like the earlier models. They not only contain great content, like news stories, blogs, podcasts, and events, they are now the digital hub of a user?s life, enabling easy sharing of a station?s content on Facebook, Twitter, email, and more.?

Paul Jacobs added, "We expect that four years from today, our apps won?t look anything like they do now, which is a good thing. Our latest apps for news stations incorporate mobile Web pages for content like live traffic and weather reports. Listeners of music stations post pictures and catch up on gossip. There are new revenue platforms that are exciting. And our sports apps provide a mobile platform for blogs, social sharing, videos, and showcasing unique local personalities.?

Congratulate Fred HERE and Paul HERE

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Kate Levy Gets Promoted at jacAPPS

3-9-2012

jacAPPS has promoted Kate Levy to lead its development efforts. jacAPPS VP/GM Paul Jacobs said, ?the decision to promote Kate was one of the easiest I?ve ever had to make. She?s not only got terrific development skills, but she truly understands the strategy behind what an app should provide to the end user. This combination makes Kate uniquely qualified to take over the development department at jacAPPS.?

Levy is a 2003 graduate of the University of Michigan. She joined jacAPPS in early 2011. She says, ?I?m excited to be able to assist our wide range of customers, from those interested in their first app to those with a full-scale app integration plan.?

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JacAPPS Hits Milestone.

Nearly three years to the day that media consulting firm Jacobs Media announced the formation of jacAPPS, the company has reached a significant milestone in mobile application development, its 500th application release. JacAPPS Vice President and General Manager Paul Jacobs tells Radio Ink, "when we started the iTunes Store was 3 months old.  I don't think anyone had an idea - except maybe Steve Jobs - that apps would take off like this."

Jacobs says getting into the App business was a risky move that has reallp paid off. "Less than a year after we started jacAPPS we met with an investor friend of ours -  a really smart, successful businessman.  He told us he thought apps were a fad.  Even a smart guy like him got it wrong.  But I have to tell you, we launched the business in the fall of 2008 as the economy was cratering.  And we sold our first twenty apps in the first 60 days.  So there were some signs that we were onto something.  We dove in headfirst and haven't stopped since."
JacAPPS started selling Apps to radio and continue to sell a good percentage of our apps to radio stations but have also expanded accoring to Jacobs. "With the support of radio, we've been able to invest in people and processes so we can build even more sophisticated apps for radio and non-radio clients.  Moving ahead, we are merging all of the skills of our company - app development, research, strategy, and social media and are creating a full-service mobile business to help our clients with all of their needs."
And, to generate revenue for radio, Jacobs says, among other relationships, his partnership with Verve Wirelss is key. "We've integrated display ads through our partnership with Verve Wireless.  We selected them because they enable stations to benefit from ads that Verve sells, but local stations can also sell ads locally and traffic them to the app through Verve's network.  Stations are starting to integrate audio pre-rolls from TargetSpot also.  Looking ahead, we are working on a major feature that provides stations with a scalable opportunity to have an app that works like a combination of Groupon Now and AroundMe.  We think this is going to really unlock revenue for stations because it's so scalable, and enables stations to compete directly for mobile dollars."
What is Jacobs' prediction for where JacAPSS will be in another 3 years. "I hope we are the largest full-service strategic consulting, research company, and mobile app development company in America.  That would make me very happy."

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