PHOENIX – Swimming World contacted ACTIVE Network to answer some questions for the swimming community about the launch of its new subscription based Meet Mobile App. When first reported, a large number of swimming enthusiasts voiced concern over paying for meet results.
Sam Renouf, General Manager, Sports & Consumer for ACTIVE Network, agreed to provide us with more information about the new release and the overall goals of ACTIVE Network, owners of Hy-Tek Software. Before we get into the Q&A, Here is a little background about ACTIVE NETWORK as it relates to Meet Mobile:
Recently, ACTIVE heard the feedback from its users that there was a need for a premium, real-time results app that would give swimming fans immediate and live access to real-time results around the world. The launch of Meet Mobile 2.0 is the next phase of ACTIVE’s investment in the Swimming market, and ACTIVE is continuing to invest in additional features and functionality to the Meet Mobile technology in support of our goal to encourage swimming and grow participation across the Swim market globally.
With the new upgrade, Meet Mobile will feature a complete visual redesign. Also included will be new improvements to searching meets by swimmer name or by GPS location, following swimmers across a season (in addition to the current functionality of finding a swimmer on a per event basis), and sharing the meet experience on various social media applications.We have made the decision, as many other results apps have done, to move to a subscription-based model (of $1.99/month or $5.99/year) so that we can continually upgrade the application and continue to invest in the specific needs requested by our users and swim meet managers globally. Using the subscription fee from Meet Mobile 2.0, ACTIVE is able to invest in the ongoing development and continual improvement of this app, adding features and functionality to our technology. The fee partially covers ACTIVE’s technology investment and also covers fees for hosting the app in the Apple and Google stores for the iPhone and Android, respectively… Sam Renouf, General Manager, Sports & Consumer for ACTIVE Network
SW: What is the long-term vision of ACTIVE as it relates to reporting meet results?
ACTIVE: ACTIVE supports millions of sporting participants every day and recognizes the need for easy-to-use mobile solutions. We continue to invest in our mobile solutions including providing easy-to-use ‘mobile express’ registration for event participants and mobile-based applications for organizers to manage activities ‘on the go’. With regards to Swimming, ACTIVE is committed to the swimming market and will continue to invest in Meet Manager, Swim Manager and Meet Mobile as our core offerings for Meet Hosts/Organizers, Teams, Clubs, Swimmers and Fans. Specifically for results, Meet Organizers have a variety of options in best publishing the Results generated at their meet, and they now have additional alternatives with Meet Manager 2.0, which will continue to be developed over the coming months.
For the general swim fan/audience, we continue to improve our solutions to deliver the best, most up-to-date information. This most recent, and comprehensive, upgrade to Meet Mobile, which will launch as Meet Mobile 2.0, is the first step in meeting that need.
SW: Will the general public still have access to FREE live results and will ACTIVE still promote the live results features?
ACTIVE: Meet Hosts are able to use ACTIVE Meet Manager and Swim Manager products to produce and promote live results on a variety of channels – most commonly feeding directly to their own websites. ACTIVE recognizes that some participants and swimming fans want a premium service with interactive capabilities and, therefore, ACTIVE has invested in Meet Mobile 2.0 to serve this need.
SW: Will media members have free access to Meet Mobile 2.0 in order to report on events?
ACTIVE: ACTIVE has relationships with a number of official media sources and provides access to reporting to support media needs on approval from the relevant meet host or club. If the media choose to use Meet Mobile to track and report results, they will need to subscribe to the app. Meet Mobile results will only be accessible via a subscription purchased through the Apple store or Google store. We are not able to give out free subscriptions as Apple/Google control this.
SW: Will ACTIVE still support the third-party export feature already built directly in Meet Manager?
ACTIVE: ACTIVE has relationships with hundreds of third parties who leverage our content to promote Activity and Participation; we are committed to continuing to support these via a number of different features for API functionality.
SW: Will ACTIVE offer customer service and technical assistance for its Meet Mobile 2.0 product now that it will be a paid service?
ACTIVE: Meet Hosts publishing meet results to Meet Mobile 2.0 will continue to receive customer service and technical application assistance, as they do today. Consumers (users of Meet Mobile 2.0) will continue to have access to in-app consumer support features.
SW: Will ACTIVE offer customer refunds for any disappointed customer?
ACTIVE: Meet Mobile is on the Apple and Google stores and refunds need to be requested through their processes, not directly to Active.
SW: Is the subscription model for Meet Manager endorsed by USA Swimming, USA Masters Swimming, and other governing bodies such as NISCA and CSCAA?
ACTIVE: Meet Mobile is an independent product that offers a fast, reliable and easy-to-use alternative to heat sheets, websites and other results apps. ACTIVE has been a long-standing official partner of USA Swimming and U.S. Masters Swimming.
USA Swimming has also weighed in on the move to a subscription model:
“The swimming community is a passionate one with a strong interest in up-to-the-minute results. Meet Mobile has done a terrific job serving that need. To keep atop the fast-moving technology curve and deliver a valued product, Active has decided on this route for the necessary resources to enhance the user experience and ultimately benefit the sport of swimming as a whole. ‘’ Jim Fox, Marketing Director, USA Swimming
More about Active Network:
ACTIVE is committed to providing leading technology solutions to the Sports and Activity sector and Swimming is a major priority for us. We launched ACTIVEworks Swim Manager earlier this year as the first end-to-end, cloud-based solution for clubs, coaches and team administrators to automate their operations management. We believe that technology should enable participation and help streamline the work for organizers and administrators in managing their events and activities.
As the Preferred Technology Partner of USA Swimming for live results and swim meet management software and the Official Technology Partner of U.S. Masters Swimming, ACTIVE has built online and mobile swim solutions to support the technology for swim team management. ACTIVE’s swim solutions include Swim Manager, Meet Manager and Meet Mobile. Swim Manager is a complete, cloud-based software solution that helps build a better swim program, cut down on administrative work and simplify team management. Meet Manager is the most widely-used swim management software in the world and uses technology to manage all aspects of swim meets. Meet Mobile provides mobile heat and event access including results for swimmers and coaches, and it gives fans watching the information they need to cheer on their swimmers and follow the meet events, whether they are at the pool or following from another location. Meet Mobile is used at swim meets each weekend by more than a million swimmers, fans and coaches worldwide. Meet Mobile was also used to track swim information and results at the US Olympic Swimming Trials in 2012… Sam Renouf, General Manager, Sports & Consumer for ACTIVE Network
I do not mind a $5.99 yearly fee but it needs to have a model for a family. The majority of families have more than one swimmer and swimmers with parents like to have the app. They need a family plan for like $19.99 a year for a family of five and X amount per..
It seems like Active is leveraging the work and efforts of Meet hosts into income for Active, Apple and Android but not for Meet hosts. As a meet host, we will not activate Meet Mobile 2.0 for our meets
This is a key issue for me. If Active wants to monetize Meet Mobile via subscription model I’m fine with that, and the proposed annual fee is modest.
However, my support comes with the provision that meet hosts that use Meet Manager cannot disable the functionality. Obviously where no internet connection is available at the host facility this is moot. But I’ll be frustrated if more meet hosts start disabling Meet Mobile, and I can certainly see their rationale.
Perhaps if the revenue sharing for heat sheets via Meet Mobile wasn’t so tilted in Active’s favor (say more like 80-20 in favor of meet hosts) that it would be more palatable and meet hosts would e more inclined to embrace.
Clearly this much touted paid version has some bugs and has been delayed?!? The message on Meet Mobile has now changed from launching January 7th to launching soon.. That does not fill me with hope given how long it’s been promoted for!!