Custom Mobile Applications for iPhone, iPad and Android Devices Expands Customer Reach and Improves User Experience for OPIS Subscribers
Project At a Glance
RDA developed native custom mobile applications that enable OPIS subscribers to access a data “ticker” feed and news stories via iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android mobile devices. The solution increased OPIS’ mobile user base by 75% and provides subscribers with a more user friendly interface that integrates into each of the mobile environments.
About Our Client
The Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) business unit of United Communications Group (UCG) is the world’s most comprehensive source for petroleum pricing and news information. OPIS distributes the most accurate, reliable and referenced petroleum prices via e-mail, Web, fax, newsletter, and 3rd party vendors to the top 200 oil companies, thousands of distributors, traders, government and commercial buyers of petroleum products.
Background
OPIS subscribers have access to a web-based “ticker” of petroleum commodities that displays information in real time, similar to financial and stock market ticker displays. In addition to pricing data, OPIS provides news stories regarding these commodities from their press room.
Subscribers are able to access the OPIS feed via a mobile ticker application for the Windows and Blackberry cell phones. OPIS launched this initiative to develop similar but more enhanced applications with an improved user interface for the iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android mobile devices.
Solution Detail
RDA worked with OPIS to develop native custom mobile applications that enable subscribers to access OPIS data and news stories via iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android mobile devices.
RDA collaborated with OPIS stakeholders to develop a custom user interface design for the applications to improve the overall user experience. Project deliverables included source code and project files for the mobile ticker applications as well as a design document capturing the key components and design decisions.
Benefits
The new applications open up 75% of the mobile market to OPIS’ customers by increasing the user base to include Android and iOS users.
The application from OPIS’ perspective provides improved customer service: access to OPIS data by subscribers on their iOS and Android devices. Subscribers benefit in a different way. The app shows them the current trend in gas prices; if prices are trending up, they need to get their trucks out on the road quickly, as every penny that prices go up costs them a lot more! If prices are trending down, they can hold off on sending their fleet out and gas up for a lower cost later, which saves them a lot of money.
Technically Speaking
The RDA development team used Objective C for iOS and Java for Android.
The mobile ticker applications include three view sections: West Coast, East Coast and News. The following information for each product is displayed: Product Name, Price, Change, and Differential. Each section has a corresponding data feed (XML) provided by an existing OPIS web service. The availability and display of each section depends on a user authorization code. The data feed (ticker prices) is refreshed every five minutes.
Following are several screen shots of the application:
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