Philadelphia Cab: The new streaming app that takes advantage of localization

Mobile applications have exploded onto the market in recent years, bringing subscribers access to everything from their favorite movies and TV shows to shopping deals and matchmaking services. And now, lining up next to big hitters like Hulu and Netflix, is Philadelphia based mobile application Philadelphia Cab.

The common theme of these applications is innovation. Unlike long standing entertainment platforms including movie theaters and brick and mortar rental companies, TV and movie streaming applications are highly convenient; with the click of a button, you can access your favorite media anytime, anywhere. They are also affordable; a single month subscription generally ranges from $5 to $7 per month for unlimited access. Personalization is also an enormous benefit for subscribers who enjoy receiving recommendations based on their viewing history.

In addition to the benefits already mentioned, streaming applications are constantly changing-improving-to meet customers’ discriminating taste. When Hulu and Netflix subscribers became dissatisfied with limited viewing options, the creators responded by creating a slew of original series. Netflix created the runaway hit, “Orange is the New Black,” and Hulu has recently created several new shows including “The Awesomes,” the website’s first original animated series. Philadelphia Cab has responded to a growing need, as well. The creators of Philadelphia Cab saw a desire for applications that cater to a specific region, and that will offer targeted information and services based on that region’s preferences. The application will help align paying customers with a supply of taxi drivers.

"Localization is a huge market, people want to use firms that are local and specialized to the region and this app is just for Philadelphia," said Dan Anderson of Seattle Software Developers, Inc. in Seattle.

The creators of Philadelphia Cab aren’t the first to see a void in the world of applications and online streaming services. It’s no secret that consumers have taken up issue with popular streaming websites in the past, with the chief complaint being the availability of popular movies and TV shows. Often, consumers are forced to subscribe to multiple websites in order to find the variety they want, a tedious process for the instant gratification nation that we live in today. Mike Hopkins, CEO of Hulu, has seen the effect of these complaints-arguably more than any other streaming service on the market today. But instead of deciding to sell the company, as rumors led us to believe, the three companies that own Hulu-21st Century Fox, the Walt Disney Company and NBCUniversal-have decided to invest more money in order to meet complaints and take its competition head-on. The decision to keep Hulu in the game has echoed what consumers have known for a long time: that mobile applications are only getting faster and more innovative, and won’t be disappearing anytime soon.

In fact, applications like Philadelphia Cab are on the rise. According to Forbes, application downloads increase by 30% each year. It’s great news for consumers, but it’s even better news for business owners who are utilizing the applications to grow their businesses.

An application can help a business grow in several ways, according to Entrepreneur. Customer engagement, one aspect to a successful business, increases tremendously after an application is created and used by a business’s target audience. Not only can a business engage customers through incentives, as seen in Kraft’s iFood Assistant, which offers interactive deals and coupons, customers can also interact with one another through shared settings on social media. Customer service and support is another way that applications can help a business grow. Business owners are able to field questions and concerns from subscribers in real time, and are therefore able to offer fast solutions. Finally, promotion is one aspect of applications that make a business stand out from its competitors. For some business owners, promotion might mean providing up to date coupons and deals to customers. For others, it might mean creating discussions based on various aspects of their business, to find out what customers will respond to before a product is even launched.

Philadelphia Cab was inspired largely by the success of other applications, and the positive effect that such applications have on customers. “Using the Philadelphiacab.com app will lead to support for the cab drivers in their local community. The app will also provide cab drivers the ability to continue and expand their business in these days of competitive changes to their industry and challenging economic times,” said a member of the technology team behind the new application.

With fierce competition for customers, the approximately 5,000 cab drivers in Philadelphia will hopefully be able to find customers at a higher rate and experience more satisfaction in their much needed service by increasing their earnings which is normally $350 to $400 per 70-hour work week. Philadelphia Cab looks forward to supporting the progress of technology in the Philadelphia cab industry.