HumanIPO reported in December GeoSpark was expected to be launched on January 5, but launched on Friday after Stephen Mabie, chief executive officer (CEO) of Location Based Media, successfully overcame the challenges of setting GeoSpark up.
Speaking to HumanIPO, Mabie said: “The January launch couldn’t take place because of a lot of factors that came in at the time.”
These factors included the newly developed Facebook Chat function, which had issues with the application programming interface.
Another challenge was that the company Location Based Media partnered with to create GeoSpark “pulled out at the last minute”.
Despite all the challenges faced, GeoSpark is now fully operational.
The mobile application utilises location-based services (LBS) and sources information from a database maintained by Deal Hopper to bring users up to date information about products, services and specials in their area. It also allows users to compare deals.
“Today it (GeoSpark) is available in BlackBerry’s app World. It works on all the legendary [BlackBerry] models and in about six weeks... it will be available [for] Android as well as BlackBerry 10,” said Mabie.
The new Facebook feature was built into the application to allow users to chat instantly with each other. “The whole point is to have people interacting with each other through the app.”
Mabie said GeoSpark is very active on popular social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter because it is important to maintain a presence for the sake of the user should any problem with the application arise, the user can alert Mabie and his team for a swift response.
GeoSpark is monetised in the form of “GeoMarketing”, through advertising, which functions similarly to the application’s primary function.
“We sell banner advertising to anyone that needs traffic to their website... It is also on a location based system, it’s target advertising,” said Mabie.
Should an advertiser want to reach an audience in Cape Town, GeoMarketing will make the information available to BlackBerrys within a 300km radius of Cape Town.
Mabie is no longer working on GeoSpark by himself as he has recently added Lacey Felix as his all round personal assistant and Bronwyn Pedro, who assists Mabie part time.
