Technology

I've been attending a lot of meetings with various London-based startups in the last few months to learn their stories on what it takes to launch a successful new product. I'm particularly interested in ones that have a heavy slant towar...
I've been attending a lot of meetings with various London-based startups in the last few months to learn their stories on what it takes to launch a successful new product. I'm particularly interested in ones that have a heavy slant towards mobile -- and iOS. This interest is magnified when I find a startup that is making a product that truly makes my life easier. One such startup is OnTrees and I think the process of bringing their idea to market is one other iOS developers can learn from. OnTrees wants to be the Mint.com of the UK. Financial data aggregation can be big business. Just ask Aaron Patzer who sold his Mint.com startup to Intuit in 2009 for $170 million. And while the Intuit deal did lend an air of legitimacy to financial aggregation services in the United States, in other parts of the world -- particularly the United Kingdom -- financial data aggregation services are still looked upon with apprehension. After all, who wants to give their sensitive financial account usernames and passwords to some faceless entity out on the interwebs? But that's just what UK startup OnTrees is trying to achieve -- and they're doing it on iOS-only for now. It wants to create a one-stop offering that allows users to get a complete financial overview of all their accounts. One login; all your data and spending tracked and graphed. And though generating awareness of what financial aggregation and building trust around it is one challenge, there are others: namely security, bank participation, and making a UX good enough so people will want to spend time with your service. And though OnTrees is still in beta, the company had made great progress in the six months since it had its soft launch in November 2012. Here's what OnTrees founder and Managing Director Charlie Mortimer told me about the experience so far. Fill a void. "More than 20 million people in the UK use online banking, of which around 50% have accounts with multiple providers," Mortimer tells me. "Our proprietary research has shown that people using online banking want to keep track of their finances, but the methods they use are typically time-consuming: 32% rely on keeping receipts and cross checking with statements, 20% use Microsoft Excel to keep budgets, 14% keep written notes and 4% use a software package e.g. the now defunct Microsoft Money." The above could be said to be boring product marketing statics, but they illustrate a point every developer should keep in mind: your product needs to fill a void or why will anyone use it? And it's that void -- potentially fillable by 20 million UK online bankers -- that makes OnTrees so attractive. After all, financial aggregation giant Mint isn't in the UK. And while there have been other UK financial aggregation services, none have seemed to have caught on even though Mortimer recognizes the need for aggregation to allow people to see their complete financial picture. But what about just using your bank's web services? "It's great that some banks (most notably Lloyds) are launching their own 'money managers' that try to help people see what they are spending," Mortimer says. "However, OnTrees' offering is unique because it is 'provider agnostic' and enables users to see their spending across their Lloyds account as well as their Halifax, Barclaycard, and Amex accounts." And matter of fact, OnTrees works with over 200 financial institutions in the UK, some of which don't even have dedicated apps -- another void increasingly tech savvy, smartphone using consumers are itching to have filled. "For people with these accounts," Mortimer tells me, "OnTrees provides a way of seeing transactions and spending on the move." Build partnerships. But surely if OnTrees works with over 200 financial institutions (and counting) it must be a development nightmare -- especially when OnTrees web services and iOS app are only coded by six developers, which seems like something of a skeleton crew for a company t
13 minutes ago
Only in the 1980s could a kid like myself sit in the middle of the living room floor taking just as much time looking at the selection of alarm clocks offered in the 1984 Sears Wishbook catalog as I did … Continue reading →
Only in the 1980s could a kid like myself sit in the middle of the living room floor taking just as much time looking at the selection of alarm clocks offered in the 1984 Sears Wishbook catalog as I did … Continue reading →
13 minutes ago
There’s no doubting that Apple’s iOS devices and Macs are popular, especially when you see the lines stretching outside of the company’s retail stores during each product release. However, it’s sometimes hard to see what the company has ...
There’s no doubting that Apple’s iOS devices and Macs are popular, especially when you see the lines stretching outside of the company’s retail stores during each product release. However, it’s sometimes hard to see what the company has revolutionized that isn’t a shiny touchscreen device. That is the Apple Retail Store, which is used to educate customers about Apple products, provide technical assistance, and, in many cases, serve as an unlocked Wi-Fi network for passers-by. Apple’s retail stores have helped to revolutionize retail as we know it, crafting customer service and store design into an art. Let’s look at what Apple has included in their store that has revolutionized retail experiences, both in America and internationally. Genius Bar With the Genius Bar, Apple eliminated the process of shipping defective products, for the most part. By providing customers with the opportunity to get help with their products in-store, Apple is not only saving itself money but is attaching a human experience with their products, something that is lost in today’s corporate society. Apple’s Genius Bar can fix a range of issues, from broken iOS and Mac products, to older generations of the iPod to even some third party products that Apple…Continue reading Four key ways the Apple Store has revolutionized retailRelated posts:Apple pulls iPhone support from Canada Apple StoresApple discontinues the 23 inch Cinema DisplayA re-design for Apple Retail Stores?
23 minutes ago
BBC Sport looks at what makes this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix so special...
BBC Sport looks at what makes this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix so special...
39 minutes ago
Felipe Massa is set to drop five places on the grid in Monaco after Ferrari elected to change the gearbox on his car following his accident in final practice on Saturday morning. Massa lost control on the approach to Ste Devote, cras...
Felipe Massa is set to drop five places on the grid in Monaco after Ferrari elected to change the gearbox on his car following his accident in final practice on Saturday morning. Massa lost control on the approach to Ste Devote, crashing into the left-hand guard rail
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Previous talk of a 2014 launch seems even more unlikely.
Previous talk of a 2014 launch seems even more unlikely.
44 minutes ago
Customers' data counters reset for holiday weekend Good news for EE customers in the UK this weekend -- the operator has announced that by way of apology for network issues earlier this week, all customers will have their data counte...
Customers' data counters reset for holiday weekend Good news for EE customers in the UK this weekend -- the operator has announced that by way of apology for network issues earlier this week, all customers will have their data counters reset to zero. That means however much of your monthly data allowance you'd used, it'll reset to zero this weekend, allowing you to use an extra portion of data before your monthly billing date. We've confirmed that our own account's meter was reset to zero as of this morning, and it looks like the changes apply to data-only contracts as well as regular phone customers. In fact, the reset seems to apply to all EE customers, regardless of whether you were affected by the recent outage. To make up for the problem with our network earlier in the week, we're resetting your #4GEE data counters to zero. Happy Bank Holiday! — EE (@EE) May 24, 2013
about 1 hour ago
MG B Cabriolet Midnight Blue Leather Overdrive Wire WheelsAlmost as new this MGB Cabriolet midnight Blue with leather interior in Beige, chrome wire wheels and overdrive. Car is restored in 2013. Car has Holland title and Holland mot/tuv...
MG B Cabriolet Midnight Blue Leather Overdrive Wire WheelsAlmost as new this MGB Cabriolet midnight Blue with leather interior in Beige, chrome wire wheels and overdrive. Car is restored in 2013. Car has Holland title and Holland mot/tuv. Easy to register in every EU country. You do not need to pay any importtaxes. We can help with transport.For more than 60 pictures and availability, look at our website www.erclassics.comAlways 120 classic cars on stock in our showroom in Holland! E & R Classic Cars, Vaartweg 131 B, 5106 NC Dongen (near Tilburg)Telephone: + 31 162 22 07 30Near the Belgium border, between Eindhoven and Breda.Showroom open Tuesday till Friday 09.00-17.00, Saturday 10.00-16.00 and the first Sunday of the month 12.00-16.00. Other days or times appointment possible. All cars we advertise are in our showroom in Holland.
about 1 hour ago
Report: Xbox One has remote play between consoles so a friend can help -
Report: Xbox One has remote play between consoles so a friend can help -
about 1 hour ago
MON - Una carrera contra el tiempo
MON - Una carrera contra el tiempo
about 1 hour ago