# New Cost Saving Free App Idea – Any Feedback Appreciated!



## StartUp2011 (22 Jul 2011)

Hi,

  I’m a new start-up company in the process of finalising development on a cost saving Free mobile application for the iPhone followed by the Android market. There will be no costs to the users. 

  The purpose of this exercise is to generate feedback from a wide spectrum of potential users which would hopefully allow for changes to be implemented before final development is complete and App is submitted to Apple for review. 

  Overview:
  (suggested blurb)
  Network-ID is a FREE mobile phone application designed to save you money. It reduces your mobile phone bill by showing you which network your friends and contacts are registered with. With this information you can then take advantage of the Free Calls & Texts to same network numbers.
  Network-ID helps to solve the problem of not knowing which network your friends and contacts are with.   It therefore can help you to ‘Talk More For Less’.

  ------

  Basically the idea for the App came about when I went looking for a new phone. I had previously been on a company phone and as such never had to pay or think about the costs of bills or duration of calls etc.

  The one common denominator within all bill pay contracts provided by each network providers was the option to include ‘Free Calls & Tests’ as part of your plan. The problem was that since the market was deregulated there was no way of knowing which of your friends/ colleagues/ family etc were registered with which network. 

  Network-ID is attempting to provide a solution to this by allowing the user to identify which network their contacts are on allowing each to capitalise on their ‘Free Calls & Texts.’

  ------ 

  Our software empowers users with information allowing each to make free calls through their existing network provider. Unlike other VOIP providers Network-ID does not require an internet connection.

  Users download the App and choose their network provider. As more of their contacts register their details will get uploaded into the App providing the user with a list of contacts categorised by their chosen network. 

  The user can open the App and identify which contacts are registered with which network. The user can manually add contacts to the App thus building a list of 

  ----- 

  Target audiences:
  - Social groups (friends/ clubs/ colleges/ schools): friends will have the opportunity to find out which of their friends are registered with which network – if they find that most of their friends are registered with another network it could prompt that they change
  - SME/s Start-Ups – new businesses looking for a new provider could first check with network most of their contacts are registered proving costs savings on future bills 
  - Company phones – many company’s now include a work-only calls policy or limited personal calls usage – employees using the App would have the ability to identify friends/ family on their network meaning calls made to each would not incur any additional charges/ penalties from their employer.

  ----- 

  Questions:
  What do people think of the idea?
  Would you download it?
  Any suggestions ideas on how it could be improved (I realise the difficultly in giving opinions without first seeing or interacting with the App but any ideas/ suggestions/ criticisms welcome (try not to be too harsh!!!)

  -----

  You can PM for an offline discussion.

  Thanks in advance!

  New start-up company…


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## Paddy199 (22 Jul 2011)

I seriously like this idea. From my perspective, I'd love to know how much my current spend would have being if I was with the other networks. I'm not that interested in drilling down the contacts list, I just want the cheapest for my current usage. If your app displayed the results side by side, I would download it.


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## StartUp2011 (22 Jul 2011)

Thanks to you both for the replies and feedback.

The App was developed to assist users capitalise on a feature which most bill users already have i.e. 'Free Calls & Texts' - at present there is no system to identify who is on your network other than the 'beep' which sounds after you dial a number for someone not on your same network.

Looking2011, I will PM you as it would be great to get your feedback on the current beta version!


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## pansyflower (22 Jul 2011)

A great idea, I too would use it.


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## Complainer (22 Jul 2011)

I couldn't see myself using this. If I need to ring somebody, I'll ring them, regardless of what network they are on. I don't choose people to ring based on the cost. I don't ring people just to chat (as I am male).


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## aristotle (22 Jul 2011)

I'm struggling to see the value in this.

The benefit seems to be in knowing with what network your contacts are with. Given that a lot of bill pay plans have term contracts (12-18 months) then knowing this info is ok but you cannot action it.

How do landline numbers come into this? Are they irrelvant to what your app is proposing to help with?

The app will be on the iphone\android and there are already free apps that allow to make use of your "web texts" allowance e.g. 250 texts per month on 02 for free. So does that reduce the value of the info your app will provide? Unless you go over 250 texts per month then it probably does.

Any extra info on how you might save money is a good idea. Another possibility is to find an app that does something similar or complementary and try to partner with them to make the overall new app a better proposition.


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## Brendan Burgess (22 Jul 2011)

Like Complainer, I wouldn't ring people just because they are on o2 and the calls are free. 

If I knew that the calls were costing me money, I might chat less.

If I knew that they were free, I might chat more. 

Is there an app which shows you the cost of your call as it's progressing? Now I would appreciate that. 

Brendan


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## NorfBank (22 Jul 2011)

StartUp2011 said:


> Users download the App and choose their network provider. As more of their contacts register their details will get uploaded into the App providing the user with a list of contacts categorised by their chosen network.



So the usefulnesss of this app is dependent on the majority of my contacts also downloading it?

If the network of my contacts is that important to me, would it not be better to send a group webtext just asking them what network they are on, you would probably get a better and definitely quicker response. 

The advantage of knowing your contact has changed network is negligible as you would have signed up to a new bill pay contract, in fact it could be frustrating as you see lots of contacts leave your network to go elsewhere.

I'm with complainer, it wouldn't be for me but then again I don't think I would be part of your target market.


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## StartUp2011 (22 Jul 2011)

Complainer said:


> I couldn't see myself using this. If I need to ring somebody, I'll ring them, regardless of what network they are on. I don't choose people to ring based on the cost. I don't ring people just to chat (as I am male).



That's fair enough complainer but many people are cost conscious and are in situations where they need to keep bills as low as possible. Many phone users end calls early so they don't rack up hefty phone bills.

The App is designed to allow people talk more for less and there have been many males who have been known to ring someone just for a chat 

Phone users will still call people regardless of what network there on.. That's never going to change. This App empowers users with relevant information which can be used to make more free phone calls without being online.


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## StartUp2011 (22 Jul 2011)

All feedback is welcome and appreciated!

The target demographic is the 18-35 year old sector as they are more cost conscious and generally spending longer on a call and therefore can make the most savings from downloading the App.


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## Complainer (22 Jul 2011)

StartUp2011 said:


> That's fair enough complainer but many people are cost conscious and are in situations where they need to keep bills as low as possible. Many phone users end calls early so they don't rack up hefty phone bills.


Just for the record, I'm very cost conscious, and I keep my bills as low as possible. I am the only person in Ireland who still doesn't have an iPhone.


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## StartUp2011 (22 Jul 2011)

Complainer said:


> I am the only person in Ireland who still doesn't have an iPhone.



Your not alone as most of the largest network providers are focusing much of the marketing spend on attracting new customers with Android devices...


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## Pope John 11 (22 Jul 2011)

Complainer said:


> Just for the record, I'm very cost conscious, and I keep my bills as low as possible. I am the only person in Ireland who still doesn't have an iPhone.



Bloody hell, someone stole my iPhone.....but left me with a new Nokia instead. I guess I will just have to stick with it for now.


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## p15574 (22 Jul 2011)

On first reading, it sounded like a great idea, until I saw how it figures out what network everyone's on - they all need to use the app. Can't see many people doing that, and you'd look like a cheapskate if you suggested they download it. I thought you had figured out some way of automatically identifying the network, like the way your online call record can list the network they're on. 

Speaking of which, perhaps this is a better approach - the app logs onto your account and analyses your call history to determine their network? That way, no-one else need to download the app - although if you're planning on advertising revenue from the app, it'd obviously impact the no. of downloads.


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## contemporary (23 Jul 2011)

I think the posters above have covered most of the pros & cons of the application itself.

I'd be interested in how this application will make money for you? Is it purely in app advertising?

Is it usable outside Ireland? i.e. can someone on Vodafone UK use it

Related to above do networks outside ireland offer free calls to people on the same network?


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## Complainer (23 Jul 2011)

How would the app database keep up to date when people change networks?


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## StartUp2011 (2 Aug 2011)

Thanks to everyone for the feedback! 

Users will be able to manually change their network through the App. Once change is registered the server updates details of change - new network becomes visible on all other users that have this number registered.  

It has proved a very worthwhile and informative exercise. 

If anyone would be interested in testing a beta version of the App let me know as a version will become available for review over the coming days...


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## Complainer (2 Aug 2011)

Complainer said:


> How would the app database keep up to date when people change networks?





StartUp2011 said:


> Users will be able to manually change their network through the App. Once change is registered the server updates details of change - new network becomes visible on all other users that have this number registered.



I'm not knocking the idea, but it seems to me that there is a big hole in the model here. You make available a facility for users to change their network. But that doesn't mean that users will remember to use this facility and change their network. It is not something that people will do frequently. I'm just not sure how, if someone changes their network 6-9 months after downloading the app, they will be expected to remember to go back into this particular app and change their setting.

So if person A forgets to update their network, and you tell person B that they can call person A for x cents, when the actual cost for B to call A is 3x cents, then person B is not going to be very happy with you.


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## StartUp2011 (2 Aug 2011)

Fair point complainer and to combat this we have included steps that would periodically request updates from users to confirm the details saved on the server.

There will inevitably be mistakes inputted during the registration process and in the future if and when a user changes network but we have included steps to try and combat this as much as possible...


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## Jimbobp (3 Aug 2011)

I suppose the million dollar question is - how will you make money from the app? I developed an app for the insurance industry, with the intention of selling it to some insurers but so far it has proved frustrating to talk to the right people.


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## StartUp2011 (3 Aug 2011)

The intention is to test the market to see the level of interest in the hope of developing other fee paying Apps in the future.


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