For internal communicators in businesses creating these private channels via an iPhone app, it’s the potential for specific dedicated communications to a select few and, perhaps, better access to the C-suite.

 

Cantos Communications, a leading provider of online video services to business, is already ahead of the game. Recognising that the iPhone offers a direct and effective way to distribute videos to all stakeholders, Cantos has created a template for an iPhone video app that can be openly distributed or more exclusively available to a limited group of people. When new videos are released, they immediately become available on the app, so the end-user doesn’t even have to go to a website.

 

“We recently engaged in an in-depth qualitative study of our audience,” says Joakim Jonsson, manager of Cantos’ iPhone project. “Initial findings suggest many of our users have very little downtime to digest video messages in front of the computer. The Cantos iPhone app will allow our audience to download videos to be stored locally on the phone and these can later be consumed on the go.”

 

Mobile distribution overcomes traditional issues of distributing videos to challenging geographical locations with known poor bandwidth, such as Africa or South America. And with more than 80% of Fortune 100 companies now using the iPhone (Apple, 2010), Cantos are clearly on to something.

 

“The facility to communicate to a selective group of employees across the globe has sparked much initial interest among our clients,” says Joakim. “But it’s also the ability to control distribution, down to individual handset-level, that makes this an exciting new channel for communicating sensitive messages. This means instant global distribution without jeopardising company networks. The app could even be pre-installed on the mobile device as a corporate gift or for staff.”

 

Another company quick to perceive the value of apps for private networks is Palringo, a provider of consumer-focused investment management solutions. Tim Rea, CEO of Palringo, says: “At the moment, distribution of iPhone apps is somewhat restrictive if you want to do something other than publish your app for the world to use. This new approach could combine Apple’s slick app store distribution with an ability to roll out highly-tailored apps for a specific user group and will certainly be useful for businesses such as ours as we roll out multiple-platform enterprise IM solutions.”

 

Dan McLoughlin from the Employee Engagement practice at communications consultancy Fishburn Hedges, welcomes the news that businesses can create iPhone apps for private networks. “This can only be a good thing for internal communicators,” he says. “They’ll be able to keep a dispersed workforce informed of company information, while they could prove crucial in communicating latest news to company officials dealing with an emergency situation.”

 

McLoughlin stresses, however, that before companies start setting up countless apps, they should think about what purpose they will serve and how they will complement their existing channel set. “It can help fulfil information requirements,” he says, “but it won’t necessarily improve engagement. To really help employers build strong and productive relationships with their people, companies need to build them around a sustained commitment to two-way dialogue.”

 

But he also sees real opportunity for companies with apps to address the issue of supply and demand of communications. “Apps put the control of information in the hands of the audience, letting them decide how, when and where they choose to use it,” he says. “Using apps data, IC practitioners will be able to tailor their communications to ensure they are as effective as they can be.”