A few weeks ago I wrote about a really unique feature we were adding to Red e App – the ability to send private and secure photos. What better way to announce that the new feature is finally Red e than by a photo.
What would be the need to send a private photo that the entire Internet couldn’t see? 
Well, we know that apps like Instagram and Flickr have their place but what about a health care environment that wants to communicate in real time about critical patient care. The pager just doesn’t cut it. What if a nurse needs an immediate second opinion about a patient? How does he explain to the situation to the doctor? Well, as the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words and time is always of the essence. Providing a mobile communication platform that supports BOTH short form communication and photo sending capabilities is truly an innovation ripe for the health care industry.
But, what about other industries?
What about the restaurant manager who just received a shipment of perishable products but the boxes and cans were dented?
How does she communicate back to her supplier and to corporate headquarters that she is rejecting the delivery? Well, a long email explanation is one way; however, wouldn’t it be faster, more efficient, and explainable to take a photo and send it over a secure mobile communication network? Yes, you can send a SMS/MMS text with your smart device but does your enterprise want private, confidential photos living on the unsecured servers of your mobile device manufacturer or cellular carrier?
Or, how about the restaurant that didn’t score high enough on a health inspection?
The manager should be able to take a picture of the faulty wall outlet, stained ceiling tiles, or unsanitary situation and send up the management chain quickly. That is impossible for the manager that doesn’t have the proper digital contact information. Speed is of the essence to get a poor restaurant health inspection changed. Have you ever walked away from a restaurant that had a big ‘B’ in the front window? Yeah, me too.
What’s most interesting is that the above scenarios aren’t just something we thought up sitting in a room to create additional app features. OUR CLIENTS/CUSTOMERS asked us for them. We, of course, thought the feature update was a brilliant idea on their part so we built it. What to see more: Go to your mobile device’s app store and see for yourself. We are Red e!
Patrick Goodman
Red e App Product and Engagement Director
