I hope you are doing well these days. It’s been awhile since I last posted here on my Blog. I real hope to change that starting today. MORE

We’ve heard again and again (for example, on this blog! that phone calls are the best way to influence legislators. But when you call Congress, what exactly is happening at the other end of the line? An article in Wired walks through the process from the Congressional office’s perspective. MORE

Are you headed to the NTEN Nonprofit Technology Conference next week ? Well, so are we! Mobile Strategists Jeri, Meredith, and Taylor will be in town from March 23-25. And on Wednesday, we’re hosting a happy hour for Mobile Commons clients and NTC friends. MORE

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The assistive navigation app Cydalion has its first major update since being released last November, addressing common requests from users. MORE

SparkLearn, the new microlearning platform from Float, integrates with your favorite content creation and measurement tools for a clutter-free app your users will appreciate. The post SparkLearn™: A Microlearning Platform That Empowers Administrators and End Users appeared first on Float. Conferences Industry News Mobile Apps FocusOn microlearning sparklearn MORE

Through partnership with Twilio, Mobile Commons messaging customers can now deliver automated campaigns via Facebook Messenger and SMS AUSTIN, Texas , March 29, 2017 /CNW/ — Upland Software, Inc. MORE

Drop it like it’s bot: Brands have cooled on chatbots Facebook, like many brands, is focusing away from chatbots. Key quote: “Users expect personalized, human-like assistance from bots — and that’s where they fail, at least for now.”SMS SMS is still the best way to reach everybody! MORE

Problem: How do you provide a vulnerable population with access to a life-saving drug? PrEP, a prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of HIV transmission, has the potential to save lives. But many of the people most at risk face barriers when attempting to access the medication. MORE

SMS marketing is a simple way for any business to engage with its consumers. You can send out offers and opportunities, and easily communicate with your target audience. Indeed, studies have shown that half of consumers actually get mad if your business won’t let them text with you. MORE

Problem: How do you reach an underserved community with vital health information? Underserved community members and community members of color often face system-based barriers to accessing healthcare and health-related information. MORE

Welcome to episode 2 of my new Daily Mobile Learning show on YouTube. This is a project that I had on my mind for the last 4 years and finally decided to put action behind my idea and see what happens. MORE

Challenge: How do you connect attendees of a local event with an international organization? Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty. MORE

UNESCO estimates that there are over 130 million students around the world who don’t have basic maths or literacy skills. MORE

“Hey – It’s Cas! Need your opinion on something. In 2014, CVS stopped selling tobacco in its stores. Do you think that was the right move?” It was a simple text message, but it launched nationwide action. MORE

AR is more than just entertainment. Here’s how brands and companies are leveraging AR in: retail, training, operational and tactical, and navigation. The post 4 Examples Of Augmented Reality in the Enterprise appeared first on Float. MORE

J&J taps Hannibal Buress to convince millennials to ‘give a spit’ about bone marrow donation Johnson & Johnson is sponsoring “Give a Spit About Cancer,” an ongoing campaign to register potential bone marrow donors. MORE

Learning professionals can gather lots of crucial information at FocusOn related to augmented reality, microlearning, and more to take back to your office. The post 6 Ways You Can Be A Spy at #FocusOnLearn appeared first on Float. Conferences DemoFest FocusOn FocusOn Learning microlearning MORE

“Hey – It’s Cas! Need your opinion on something. In 2014, CVS stopped selling tobacco in its stores. Do you think that was the right move?” It was a simple text message, but it launched nationwide action. MORE

We’re living in a politically charged time. Hundreds of thousands of people are taking action around the country, and millions more are looking for how they can make their voices count. Are you looking for a way to get involved? MORE

Packaged, commercial, off-the-shelf software can be great. However, a number of pain points help custom software look more attractive to the prospective buyer. The post 5 Business Cases Where Custom Software Is The Better Choice appeared first on Float. Mobile Development Mobile Strategy productivity MORE

Conferences are ideal locations for gathering business intelligence about a specific industry. There are presentations revealing the latest thinking in the field, and exhibitors want to show off their sparkling new ideas. Even at a distance, looking at the online program of a major conference can point to where an industry is heading. With that … The post 8 Surprising Topics at #MWC17 appeared first on Float. MORE

Challenge: How do you connect attendees of a local event with an international organization? Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty. MORE

For twelve years I was a practitioner and researcher in the fields of ICT for development, education, government and digital media, always developing tech solutions for social good. Then, in 2014 I left the non-profit world of international organisations and moved to a corporate when I joined Pearson South Africa’s Innovation Lab. I made the move purposefully: to learn and to develop a business perspective on education technology, to see it from the “other side.” MORE

When Capital One wanted to create a new chatbot, they chose an unusual way to do it. Rather than launch over an app like Facebook Messenger or Skype, Capital One launched their new bot using SMS. MORE

Over the past few months, the New Yorker writes , so many people have called the government that “voice mail filled up and landlines began blurting out busy signals.” January 31, February 1, and February 2 nd were three of the busiest days in the history of the Capitol switchboard. MORE

Check out these 2 prize winning apps aiming to teach refugee kids stuck in a camp with no access to learning. MORE

Float has three speakers presenting a number of sessions about augmented reality, mobile learning, and more at the annual FocusOn conference in San Diego. The post Float’s Highlighted Sessions At #FocusOnLearn appeared first on Float. Conferences FocusOn MORE

Google Leads Businesses Beyond Standard SMS The search giant recently announced the availability of its new platform for businesses. With this new offering, nearly any business will have the capability to move beyond the traditional SMS texting promotional efforts. MORE

Betaworks-backed Shine raises $2.5 million to boost morale via text messaging Our customer Shine initially started with just SMS, but it has now expanded to include Facebook Messenger and Kik. MORE

J&J taps Hannibal Buress to convince millennials to ‘give a spit’ about bone marrow donation Johnson & Johnson is sponsoring “Give a Spit About Cancer,” an ongoing campaign to register potential bone marrow donors. MORE

A U.S. senator reveals calls to the U.S. Capitol switchboard have SHATTERED the previous record Never in the history of the country have more people contacted their elected representatives than they have recently. MORE

Text messaging is most effective digital communications tool, according to a new study. But only a fraction of American nonprofits are actually using it. MORE

Upland Software Expands Mobile Messaging Capabilities with Facebook Messenger Our press release that we joined Twilio’s Partner Program, and that our Platinum Success Plan Customers will be able to experience an early release of the Facebook Messenger functionality later this year. MORE

RCS, Google’s answer to iMessage, expands to 27 more carriers and OEMs Google is making a play to help carriers raise their own native messaging game, and stay in the messaging game itself in the future, by expanding RCS – its “Rich Communication Services.” MORE

If you’ve been following the news from the Mobile World Congress (and who hasn’t), you may notice the big buzz has all been around an old phone. The iconic Nokia 3310 was a global hit when it launched in the pre-smartphone days of September 2000,” writes CNN. MORE