There’s been a lot of talk in recent months about so-called “cloud computing,” in which all software and utilities are stored and accessed on the Internet rather than on a user’s hardware. Think of Salesforce.com, which sells software as a service (SaaS). mobileStorm is SaaS-y too!

Yahoo, Intel, and Hewlett-Packard have a joint project to create a network that lets researchers test their cloud computing experiments–the goal being that open collaboration among industry, academic, and government researchers will advance the state of the cloud. And geeks were atwitter over a leaked video of a virtual world called City Space that will run on OTOY, a 3D engine that runs games in the cloud–an example of how the cloud might combine the power of different hardware into an all-encompassing supercomputer of sorts. These bright stories, however, became cast under a cloud of a different sort this week, when open software activist Richard Stallman warned against the technology.

“It’s worse than stupidity; it’s a marketing hype campaign,” Mr. Stallman told The Guardian. Basically, he sees the cloud as another trap that forces users to buy into locked, proprietary systems–the same argument against Microsoft, the ultimate enemy of open source.

I’d been wanting to write about cloud computing, as it is related to how mobileStorm and other SaaS products work. But Mr. Stallman, whom I usually find to be logical and compelling, is a bit off here–and I want users of our marketing software to understand why.

We all know technology is ever-changing. Messaging, and especially mobile, technology overturns fast. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) respond to constant spam worries by regularly updating regulations for how marketers can send email through their services. Cellular service providers, now that worries about privacy are on the rise, have followed suit. In addition, the perpetual improvements rocking cellular technology right now–3G networks, smart phones with increasing multimedia and Web capabilities, etc.–will also affect how marketers should send messages via text, mobile email, mobile ads, and other ways to reach customers on their cell phones.

Because of these changes, software and/or best practices need to grow as well. That’s why Web-based solutions like ours are ideal: You don’t have to worry about updating your software because it will automatically be done at the source. And some solutions providers are also dedicated to educating their clients, keeping them abreast of happenings related to best practices and regulations.

Then there’s the cost savings to the neophyte. Marketers just getting into a new space, like digital messaging, might not want to spring for a whole package of software, so they can start out paying for a cheap monthly subscription.

Sure, Mr. Stallman points out that in the long run, a monthly subscription could cost more than a one-time payment for a package of software downloaded on computers. Indeed, that’s the argument I have long had with subscription-based music services–you pay out over a long time and don’t own a single song in the end.

But software always changes, and eventually people have to buy brand-new packages anyway. And in realms where the platform-user also needs extra help like education about best practices, the cost of a subscription is worth it.

Eydie Cubarrubia, Marketing Communications Manager, mobileStorm
“I’d rather you text me”

Interview marketing is more than a self-branding tool used by the likes of Barbara Walters. It is a powerful strategy that gives you free quality content and free quality links. If done right it, might place your site into top rankings without much effort. Interview marketing is clear-cut: You interview people, place these interviews on your site, and get link-backs from the interviewed individuals’ sites.

However, this strategy isn’t for everyone. It is only possible if interviews would be natural for your type of site—one good idea is to have some sort of  “resource” feature there. Interviews can be organically placed on blogs, article sites, reference lists, informational portals, etc. If your site is corporate or strictly commercial selling your services or products, this probably wouldn’t work for you. Still, almost all commercial sites have blogs or resourceful pages (best practices, white papers, etc.) where you can put the interview.

The interview marketing process is as follows:

- Decide who to interview. Search the Web for individuals with accomplishments in your field or related fields and study their personal and professional information.
- Send an email introducing yourself, your resource feature (mention all the best things about it), and ask to conduct the interview with this person. Explain the benefits they’ll get from the exposure, and add a “call-to-action” at the end of your letter;
- If the person agrees, prepare unique interview questions for him or for her. It is also a good idea to ask for a photo of the person to run with the written interview.
- When publishing the interview, don’t hesitate to include links to their sites if they ask.
- Let the person know when the interview is live, and give her/him a direct URL if he/she wants to let the world know.
- The linkback is not always guaranteed, so don’t push it. In most cases people would love to link to a page that is totally devoted to them.
- Thank them for the interview, and establish a connection through a social network like LinkedIn or Facebook.

Now, what have you got? (more…)

Tech watchers were bummed last week when Research In Motion announced that for the current quarter, its margins will narrow and earnings will be lower than analysts had expected. The concern is that RIM, to keep up with the Joneses–er, Jobses–will have to spend more on its BlackBerry to ensure the device stays as technologically hip as any iPhone.

But I think the BlackBerry is a history-making position: Nailbiting, yes, but exciting too. True, as I’ve written before, Android is just one major force in changing smartphones for the better–meaning that device technology will allow for greater, more multi-channel marketing efforts than ever. And the iPhone is what proved that advanced, multi-media capabilities and services can indeed exist on a handset.

But RIM, with its BlackBerry, is the king of smartphone branding. Though techies preferred the Treo in 2004 and 2005, brand awareness for the RIM device back then was much keener among mainstream consumers. Both well-heeled teenagers and on-the-go executives have sported them–thus marketers with divergent audiences would do well to hone campaigns to BlackBerry users. Indeed, marketers have long fussed about the best way to reach audiences via BlackBerry email. Heck, “BlackBerry Thumb” and “CrackBerry” are all but AMA-accepted illnesses in today’s society.

So RIM has the means to maintain its position as the smartphone of all smartphones. It’s doing so already. In May we noted that the BlackBerry adopted many of the popular iPhone features, from a much more lush UI to more media options. And when I was at a local AT&T shop two weeks ago upgrading from my crappy first-gen RAZR, four people within an hour asked the salesperson if the new BlackBerrys were in yet.

RIM won’t go away. And that’s good news for marketers. With its features and branding, it will lead marketing opportunities for a wide variety of smartphone-users for device-generations to come.

Eydie Cubarrubia, Marketing Communications Manager, mobileStorm

“I’d rather you text me”

As of today, there’s less than a week left in September–which has been declared “National Coupon Month” by the Promotion Marketing Association’s Coupon Council. Add to that the Wall Street rollercoaster ride, and there’s no better time than now to try using coupons to boost sales in a slowing.

The PMA’s Coupon Council offeres some interesting stats:
* 89 percent of the overall population reports that they use coupons when shopping.
* Coupon useres report an average of 7 percent savings on their grocery bill with coupons.
*Approximately $2.6 billion is saved annually by consumers using manufacturer’s coupons when shopping for packaged products.

The PMA mentions coupons “on the Internet” in the same breath as “in the newspaper” and “in the mailbox”–indicating that digital coupons are just as important as their paper brethren to consumers wanting to save. By this time next year, I’m betting the Coupon Council will start breaking out digital coupon platforms further.

Of course, we here at mobileStorm have done so already. Our Coupon Management lets users create mobile, email, or RSS coupons–allowing them reach customers the way the most want to be reached. Also, it helps users create coupons, redeem them if they have no POS of their own–and then analyze the success of the coupon campaign.

Those are benefits that even the PMA hadn’t thought of. Yet.

Eydie Cubarrubia, Marketing Communications Manager, mobileStorm

“I’d rather you text me”