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ASD Mobile Turns 5: A Timeline of Our App’s History

 

Dec 12, 2016

Today marks the 5th anniversary of when ASD
released the first version of
ASD Mobile to the Apple App Store. It is hard to
believe that only five years ago, funeral directors were given the freedom for
the first time to take their mobile communications on the go. ASD Mobile
provides directors with a constant and reliable link back to the
office, allowing funeral professionals to manage their telephone communication
and conduct business from anywhere. Since it was
first introduced on December
12, 2011, ASD Mobile has been downloaded more than 6,000 times and has received
over 100 5-star reviews – far exceeding any other mobile app created for the
funeral profession.

Over the past five years, our app has been updated numerous
times to provide more features and tools to help improve the lives of funeral
professionals. To celebrate ASD Mobile’s birthday, we thought it would be fun
to take look back at our app’s history.
Here is a timeline for the evolution of ASD
Mobile:

Early 2011: The Early Stages

A select group of ASD clients volunteer to beta test our company’s new mobile app and provide feedback on their experience. The suggestions received from these directors helped ASD’s Technology Team to create a user-friendly and intuitive interface.

October 2011: First Look

ASD demos an early beta version of ASD Mobile at the 2011 NFDA Convention.

ASD Mobile’s first promo image featuring the waiter, ASD’s retired logo mascot.

December 12, 2011: The first version of ASD Mobile is introduced.

ASD clients begin downloading ASD Mobile from the Apple App Store and utilizing it to access their messages, update service information, change on-call information and more.

December 15, 2011: ASD Mobile receives the first of many 5-star reviews on iTunes.

ASD Mobile’s first reviews on iTunes

April 12, 2012: ASD introduces ASD Mobile 2 enhanced with Push Notification Technology.

The addition of Push Notifications allowed directors to control how, when and why they are contacted for messages. For the first time, clients could respond to their messages from ASD with just a quick tap on their phone, saving time and eliminating unnecessary phone calls. With ASD Mobile 2, directors could also manage their own individual contacting preferences, set up specific notification schedules and choose from a selection of sound alerts.

July 10, 2012: ASD Mobile Selected as Finalist for 2012 NFDA Innovation Award.

In July 2012, ASD received word from the NFDA that a distinguished panel of judges had selected ASD Mobile as one of five finalists for the Innovation Award. An online voting site is set up for funeral professionals to cast their vote for the winner of the award.

ASD is grateful to all of the directors who voted for us to win the NFDA Innovation Award

July 17, 2012: ASD Launches Beta Testing Program for ASD Mobile for Android.

Funeral directors who expressed an interest in an Android version of our app were given exclusive access to test out and provide feedback on ASD Mobile for Android. Our technical team discovered that creating an Android app was much more complicated due to the sheer number of different devices that exist on Android platform and problems caused by fragmentation. We relied upon our beta testing group to help us evaluate and troubleshoot the earliest versions of ASD Mobile for Android. Their assistance and patience made it possible for us to create the best version of our app for the Android platform.

October 8, 2012: ASD Mobile Receives the 2012 NFDA Innovation Award at the 2012 NFDA Convention in Charlotte, NC.

ASD was honored and humbled to be named the recipient of the 2012 NFDA Innovation Award. The award represents the pinnacle of achievement for a funeral service vendor. Everyone on the ASD team felt extremely grateful to the NFDA judging panel and to the funeral service community for recognizing the value our mobile app delivers to directors.

Winning the 2012 NFDA Innovation Award was one of the proudest moments in ASD’s company history.

Late October, 2012: ASD Mobile Receives a Surge in Downloads.

By the end of October 2012, the ASD Mobile app had been downloaded more than 3,000 times and had received more than 40 five-star reviews. This increase was brought on both by ASD winning the NFDA Innovation Award and the large number of funeral professionals who heavily relied upon our service during Hurricane Sandy.

November 12, 2012: ASD Mobile for Android Launches

After gathering feedback from more than 200 beta testers, ASD was able to enhance the app’s performance and ensure it was fully functional on all Android devices. ASD Mobile for Android delivered all of the features iPhone users appreciated about the app, giving Android users one-touch access to hear and read all aspects of their messages, utilize push notification technology, update service information, change on-call details, and provide feedback in seconds.

With the help of our clients, ASD was able to build an Android version of our app in less than a year.

2013: New Mobile Tools Added to App

Throughout 2013, ASD’s Technical team was busy at work creating new features and options within both versions of ASD Mobile. After launching the Android app, our tech team wanted to implement many of the great ideas suggested by our app beta testers. Throughout the year, many new solutions were added, including:

  • The ability to create a detailed on-call schedule through the app
  • Our re-dispatch feature, which allows clients to tap a button and quickly notify ASD to contact a different director with a message.
  • New share tools that enable clients to easily send both a call recording and written message to any contact on their phone.
  • Sound settings that give ASD Mobile users the flexibility to switch between their headset and speaker.
  • A new mapping tool that helps clients navigate to addresses obtained by ASD Call Specialists by tapping on the address within the app.

October 21, 2013: ASD Hosts Innovation Appreciation Celebration Cocktail Party

To thank all of the directors who helped us to win the 2012 NFDA Innovation Award, ASD held a client cocktail party during the 2013 NFDA Convention in Austin. It was a wonderful evening with our clients and a great way for us to show how much we truly appreciated everyone who voted for us and helped us spread the world about the benefits of our app to the funeral service community.

A few of the photos taken during the Innovation Appreciation Celebration. Click here to see the full album.

March 13, 2014: ASD Mobile Demo Video Released

ASD created our first Video Demo highlighting all of the benefits of using the ASD Mobile app.

Summer 2014: Early Stages of ASD 3

With the introduction of the iPhone 6, ASD began beta testing an updated version of ASD Mobile for iPhone to introduce a redesigned look and several new game-changing features.

October 15, 2014: ASD Mobile 3 Released During NFDA Convention

During the 2014 NFDA Convention in Nashville, ASD Mobile 3 was released to the iTunes store. The updated version introduced a fresh new look and slide out menu that allowed directors to maneuver through the app quickly. The update also introduced many new tools, including a home page summarizing account activity, a new First Call form section, the ability to easily block any number via SolicitorShield™,  and much more.

The ASD Mobile 3 update integrated many solutions specifically requested by ASD Clients

MobileFH®

With the release of ASD Mobile 3 came one of ASD’s most advanced and revolutionary features. MobileFH® gives funeral directors the ability to call any number from their cell phone and display the funeral home’s office phone number as their outgoing Caller ID. This ensures that funeral directors can keep their personal cell numbers private, families always have the correct number to call back, and directors do not have to worry about answering business calls when they are off duty. Calls placed using MobileFH® are also recorded, giving funeral home owners a chance to use these call recordings as training tools for their staff.

During the 2014 NFDA Convention, Matt Fiorilla of Ballard-Durand Funeral Home became the first ASD client to use MobileFH®.

December 2, 2014: ASD Mobile 3 Demo Video Released

ASD created an updated ASD Mobile tutorial video to demonstrate all of the new features and options available through the new, enhanced version of the app.

August 9, 2015: MobileFH® Selected as Finalist for 2015 NFDA Innovation Award.

ASD was notified by NFDA in August of 2015 that our company’s MobileFH® app feature had been selected as a finalist for the Innovation Award. To be recognized as a finalist for the second time was truly an honor and a wonderful surprise.

August 16, 2015: MobileFH® Demo Video Released

To help funeral directors understand the benefits and convenience of using MobileFH® to keep their cell phone number private, ASD created a tutorial video explaining how this unique solution works.

October 19, 2015: MobileFH® Selected As Winner of the 2015 NFDA Innovation

On Monday, October 19, ASD – Answering Service for Directors was named the winner of the National Funeral Directors Association’s 2015 Innovation Award, making ASD the only company to receive this prestigious award twice. ASD Family-Member Owner, Kevin Czachor, was on stage to accept the award from NFDA Past President, Robert Moore, at the Opening General Session of the NFDA’s International Convention & Expo:

“We are honored and humbled by this recognition from the NFDA and by the many funeral professionals who took the time to vote for our MobileFH® feature,” said ASD Family-Member Owner, Kevin Czachor, after accepting the award. “It truly is an incredible honor and we would like to dedicate it to all of the hardworking funeral directors who spend so much time on-call. Knowing that we have built a solution that makes life easier for our clients is the greatest award we could receive.”

ASD is honored to be the only funeral service company to receive the NFDA Innovation Award twice.

January 18, 2016: ASD Mobile updated with New Deep Archive and Message Search Tool

ASD’s Technical Team enhanced the Archive section of ASD Mobile for iPhone to include a search tool to help directors find old messages, call recordings and dispatch logs. Clients can also narrow their search to specific types of calls, such as preneed or price shopper calls, to easily keep track of their most important messages and follow up when necessary. The updated Deep Archive now stores messages for a much greater length of time, allowing directors to access messages up to 5 years old. These new features will also be added to ASD Mobile for Android in the coming months.

Click here to learn more about ASD’s Deep Archive and Message Search Tool

October 24, 2016: Innovation Appreciation Celebration Part 2

ASD hosted our second Innovation Appreciation Celebration to once again thank our clients for helping us take home the NFDA Innovation Award. With the 2016 NFDA Convention right in our back yard in Philadelphia, we were able to treat our clients to a fun and relaxing night above the city on the 52nd floor of the Pyramid Club. More than 400 funeral directors were treated to unparalleled views of the city at sunset, flavorful cocktails (including our signature “ASD Blue Mortini”) and delicious food. So much of ASD’s interaction with directors is over the phone, so events like this are very special to us because they give us a chance to really get to know our clients and their families.

A few of the photos taken during the Innovation Appreciation Celebration. Click here to see the full album.

Coming Soon: ASD Mobile for Android Update

The next stage in our evolution of the ASD Mobile app is the release of our newly enhanced Android app. Our Technical Team has been busy working on this for several months and will be releasing a beta test version very soon. The new version will incorporate both the design and new features of ASD Mobile 3. Keep an eye out for more announcements on the horizon relating to our Android app.


Here at ASD, we are proud to offer technology to funeral professionals that delivers freedom and convenience to their lives. Be on the lookout for more mobile solutions from ASD in the future as we continue working on ways to enhance your experience using our service.

 

About The Author

Jess Farren (Fowler)

Jess Farren (Fowler) is a Public Relations Specialist and Staff Writer who has been a part of the ASD team since 2003. Jess manages ASD’s company blog and has been published in several funeral trade magazines. She has written articles on a variety of subjects including communication, business planning, technology, marketing and funeral trends. You can contact Jess directly at Jess@myASD.com

 

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