This year saw the launch of our Tech Talks podcast in association with Seatrade Cruise. We’re delighted to say that the fifth episode has recently landed. In it, Ian Richardson sits with Greg Ross-Munro from Sourcetoad to discuss how to unlock the potential of cruise mobile apps. Richardson is CEO of theICEway and also the Seatrade Cruise Tech Ambassador. Ross-Munro is the CEO of Sourcetoad, and here you can read some key snippets from their conversation. Alternatively, use the link below to listen to the podcast in full.
This latest insightful episode of Tech Talks explores the ways in which onboard apps and seamless communications are revolutionising cruise. These solutions are delivering numerous benefits to the industry, including enhanced security plus improvements in the embarkation process. Tech Talks #5 also looks towards the future as Greg shares his insights on innovations coming in ocean and river cruise apps – such as personalised push notifications and augmented reality.
Listen to ‘Tech Talks: Unlocking the Potential of Cruise Mobile Apps’.
Who are Sourcetoad?
Apart from being great friends of theICEway, Sourcetoad are an award-winning software and app development company. They are committed to creating technology solutions that solve complex business problems, with a culture based around “collaboration, humility, and joyfulness”. They have an HQ in Tampa, Florida, plus additional offices in Australia. For almost 15 years they have managed the design, production, deployment and maintenance of many custom software projects. Key industries for them include hospitality, education, financial services, healthcare and more recently, cruise.
Ian Richardson (IR): “… I was going to ask how you got into the cruise sector… was Silversea your first client?”
Greg Ross-Munro (GR-M): “[Yes,] they wanted to build a mobile app [in 2010]. The iPhone came out 2008. And by early 2010, you still could not actually write software for the iOS, there was no app store.”
GR-M: “It was… my first experience of building real software on board a cruise ship.”
IR: “the last time we caught up… was at Seatrade [Cruise Global] in March… I think you had your software in the Interactive Tech Zone… How was Seatrade for you?”
GR-M: “It was great… this year we [demonstrated] our mobile app-in-a-box product.”
IR: “This is Cruise Director?”
GR-M: “We have a piece of middleware which… basically sits in front of multiple PMS… It checks all the boxes, it’s got pre-cruise check in… boarding passes… once you get on board, it has dining reservations, spa treatments… your itinerary… ultimately the goal is… having communications be less stressful and easier.”
GR-M: “From an operational standpoint, what you can do is you can send push notifications on board to [a] device… Being able to communicate with passengers [is] the key… push notifications are incredibly successful… The kinds of things we can do with those notifications are game-changing.”
IR: “And what about… the future… what do you predict is going to happen in the next five years? In terms of passenger apps, let’s say.”
GR-M: “I can tell you what… I hope is going to happen… we [offer] security audits and penetration tests. Every time we’ve done a pen test on a mobile app… we have had a track record of 100% and with not that much difficulty. And that means that… mobile app security is not great across the industry. My hope is that over the next 5 years, that will change [with] better security measures… to be taken.”
Tech Talks episode 5 looks at how to unlock the potential of cruise mobile apps. With just one more episode to go before the first series ends, here are links for episodes 1-4.
Talking Bio-digestion with Iain Milnes of Power Knot
The Innovation Tech Zone with David Tibbles of theICEway
Inside the Life of a Cruise Vlogger with Emma Le Teace of @EmmaCruises
Harnessing Tech to Elevate Guest Experience with LG Electronics
If you still want more IT / cruise-related content then be sure to visit our blog.