New TGI Friday's app extends mobile reach
BY ROBERT EVATT World Staff Writer
Friday, April 27, 2012
5/04/12 at 9:05 PM
Correction: This story originally contained an incorrect description of the functionality of the app. The story has been corrected.
Illume Mobile and its parent company, Tulsa-based MacroSolve Inc., aren't strangers to developing mobile apps for restaurants.
But the TGI Friday's app, released this week, is the first one to truly get nationwide reach, said Steve Signoff, CEO of Illume Mobile.
Not only that, but also thanks to a partnership with Austin, Texas-based mobile developer Tabbedout, the app is the first one by Illume that allows customers to pay for orders within the app.
"We'll be leading the charge to bring apps with this capability to the business," Signoff said.
The app runs on the iOS operating system, with an Android release coming soon.
Like many other mobile apps for restaurants, the product for TGI Friday's allows customers to search for locations, browse the menu and learn about new offers and specials.
But Signoff said the ability to pay via the app helps separate it from other restaurant apps.
These kinds of apps are increasingly necessary for successful restaurant chains, he said.
"Restaurants are always aware of the need to drive awareness and attraction to the restaurant," he said. "Mobile apps are part of the customer experience in the restaurant. It goes beyond the traditional advertising."
Click Here Inc., the digital arm of The Richards Group, pitched an Illume-made app to TGI Friday's last summer, Signoff said. The Richards Group and MacroSolve had announced a technology partnership last year.
The TGI Friday's app may be followed by at least one more nationwide product in the near future, Signoff said.
MacroSolve, which has been in growth mode during the past year, now has 42 employees, 35 of them in Tulsa.
The company also continues to aggressively pursue legal action against companies it says are violating its patent for apps that transmit data back and forth with a central server.
"The process has been successful in driving licenses with companies we've posted suits against," Signoff said.
Among the latest companies MacroSolve has sued are AOL Inc. and Bank of America Corp.
Original Print Headline: New TGI Friday's app extends reach
Robert Evatt 918-581-8447
robert.evatt@tulsaworld.com
