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1 1 us- mu mm «Harmon - want-stray. Februal) 23,2011 - 1 ‘, U1â€"1_._' _fi.,,,_ 77‘ S S . _\ _.. _.‘»»» 7 V Aâ€"â€"â€"-â€"â€"â€"~â€"â€"~â€"~_â€"-’â€".â€"â€"â€"â€" :11 ‘ 11‘_11 1( ”"97\“7l l7“ ' â€"" " . Text revolution ‘ O O O C I O O I I » UW graduates hlt It big with a pair of mobile texting applications 11301 1 .1 71111 1 ) 1- 11 gm; BYGItec MACDONMD (Lerner) made a bartender app with recipes ' ' ‘ ' ‘ ' ‘ "J Chronide 5M5 for various different drinks.” ng said. The two knew each other from school . ransforming iPods into iPhones was and decided to put their resources together To X 1 NOW De rek TI ng A I just the first step for a group of Uni- to build an app. ' versity ofWaterloo graduates They built TextNow and released it over Now Enflick, co-founded by UW grads the Christmas break in 2009. TextNow quick- ‘ ' ' ' " ' ‘ ' ‘ ~11... .’ Derek "ling and ion hemer. is a major player ly gathered more than 100.000 users " ' R “‘ ‘ “a ' on the mobile phone app market, building Enflick was built around TextNow. After L... « 7;: programs that allow for'instant messaging that took off. Enflick picked up development \ . ‘ it 77’ on phones and other times of an app made another UW graduate. Gary .. 1 i“ 2722-} 4.7 7 7 The group first struck gold with TextNow. Fungâ€" PingChaL' LI. " ' " gig; an app that lets users text free of charge. PingChat! now has eight million users .i; . . , - 1‘ 33% ' instead of using the standard SMS service worldwide. _ - - ‘ " 7 offered by phone companies. TextNow uses * Enflick's development was aided by the ' ' ' ~4‘1s11-‘1-‘7’fi:€fi:7~ 7 1 72, - aphones data plan. Accelerator Centre, a high-tech business ‘ 1‘?E%23?,i«.,g,;;;'~ . . ' -, That means the cost of the text is negligiâ€" incubator funded by the federal and provin- ; 7 ‘ _. 7 " """ 12-21-795 ble compared to the 10 cent fee some com- cial governments along with the University 1 E's: . , 7 _7 7; , "‘r‘ i ‘ panics charge for text messaging. said Derek of Waterloo. ‘ 7. 1.; n .. ' Ting, CEO of Enflick Ting and his stafi‘ received guidance from 7777* it: ,1? 7 But TextNow also offers another crucial successful entrepreneurs. as well as free A *1 - ' . "» ’ service â€" it can turn an iPod Touch or iPad legal and public relations advice. ‘ into a texting machine. ' Enflick has 20 employees in its Accelera- “For TextNow. the main market is people tor Centre office and is quickly running out . . who can't afford to get an unlimited texting of workspace. 1 -.-. 7 ' ' " 1‘ z =‘“ they-L. 7' 7.7, 7 plan or a phone plan." Ting said. Ting is hoping the company will graduate ‘ 1'; . 1 h a 1 ,1 1 ‘ ’ 1' ‘r g? 7‘ “A lot of users on TextNow are iPod Touch from the Accelerator sometime this summer. 1 - ' " ‘ 2"”i’ ‘1’". 1 users.” ‘ But he's hoping to keep Ent'lick in Water- 1 t | 7 ' ’ ‘ An iPod Touch is similar to an iPhone. but 100. J I m at the game right now -. doesn’t have the calling capabilities. "We have'a great access to talent from the 1 iii- TextNow allows the device to text and send universities,” Ting said. “it gives us such a 1 - _*”4§g§ 7. 7‘ . . video. - huge competitive advantage against compa- 1 _ :_....= " 7“" ‘ ‘ Enflick is also krliown for its other app. 2;? in SilicorLValleyfbetfiusedthey [dive to 1 E {32:- 1 PingChat! it’s simi ar to TextNow in that tso much arder on ent own ere. I Awesome seats 8h? ‘7’: ' iPhone and iPad users can send messages to “We have a great connection with the 1 napâ€"g - phones. but both parties using it have to universities. it gives us ahuge edge.” 1 77 mum WM have the program to send and receive mes- Next up for Enflick is making some . m sages. upgrades to PingChat! and in particular 1 1" ' 7 '” ‘ 7‘1 ' ' ‘ ' 7 ‘ ‘ . " ‘ 7 ' TextNow and PingChat! have found a big TextNow. 1 7 7 . ' ' audience among teenagers in the United Ting was coy about what the changes 1 ’ ’ ' - - - . ' ~, ’- States. would be. but said it would make the app 1 ‘ a “ Their parents won't get them a phone or more “social.” 1 ,7 i.» , « »_ ' . . - a» " they won't get them the texting plan,” Ting “Right now you can SMS your friends, “ "“"""““ ‘ “ _7 7 " 7‘ '_" . said. whichisreallycool,butwewanttomakeita 1 ' jâ€" A, W “But they have this huge desire to text, so better experience for (users). so you can stay 1 H h .u‘ 7 1 .7... that's where our products come in.” more connected with friends rather just 1 a' a ‘ - lfi ‘ Enflick operates out of the Accelerator message your friends,” Ting said. 1 _ a“ “at Centre in the University of Waterloo TextNow is currently only available in __7_ 7_ 777_777_ 77“ _____77_777 _ -f.7.7.7 7777-7-7 ~ jW'; Research andTechnologyPark. the United States on the 108 operating sys- 1 It was founded in 2009. tem, which runs on iPhone. iPad and iPod 1 9 Q Ting and Lerner. both 23. were independ- Touch. ently making iPhone apps in their spare PingChat.‘ is also available on 106, as well 1 time while studying at the University of as Android and Blackberry operating sys- Waterloo terns. A “ram 0‘ EflflkVS PingChatl program, Whidl has more than eight million users. '| made a lemonade ”and game and Both wage flee 1 WWO 1 ‘ 1 Q _ j ‘ . O ‘ .. 1 1 Get Gum a megs for your 111 1 ' - Brainâ€"â€" 1 g 1 Retirement PM n mas-mura- = 1» 1 "IM- f .; â€"â€"IE§_ McEathnie Group Private Wealth Management 1 1‘ 1 s: . 1 . - - $5,250 1 3-» sew- has»... a»: an. 7 Handout" . r 1 : 1- * 1 3 ,;_‘4__*â€"_.â€"_â€"__â€"_._,, ,, , , ,7 i Â¥#,,,