Chicago Tech Firm Expedites 'Hope for Haiti Now' App for Palm

CHICAGO, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- In the hours leading up to a history-making media collaboration to raise relief funds for the earthquake-ridden nation of Haiti, one Chicago-based custom software company was tapped to help create an application allowing Palm mobile phone users to donate money while watching Friday's live Hope For Haiti Now telethon.

The star-studded telethon aired simultaneously Friday on more than 25 broadcast networks, about 10 days after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck.

Chicago technology company Obtiva Corp. (www.obtiva.com), specializing in custom software, developed a streaming media player for Palm Inc. allowing the mobile products company's users to watch the live event and donate money for relief from their phones.  Obtiva built the app for free working in partnership with Mediafly, also a Chicago software firm specializing in streaming media for computers and mobile phones.

The product was turned out in an unprecedented amount of time.

The app, called "Hope for Haiti Now LIVE," runs on the Palm Pre and the Palm Pixi and is available from the Palm App Catalog.

Obtiva president and founder Kevin Taylor said it is extraordinary to turn out a new mobile application under such time constraints.

"It is unheard of," he said. "It usually takes weeks to develop a new mobile application. It was a challenge because the software running on these devices is still new and changing frequently. We had to work closely with Palm's engineers in the 36 hours it took."

Todd Webb, Obtiva director of client services, said the project needed a team of developers who could produce the application quickly.

"I told [the developers] about the project and both were eager to get started.  Likewise, the Obtiva leadership team was excited about the opportunity to help," said Webb.

The two-man development team turned around the application by 1:30 a.m. Friday and after a few cycles of testing and refining with Palm the final version was submitted for production and released by mid-day.

Taylor noted applications like the "Hope For Haiti Now LIVE" make a significant difference in raising money and since the Barack Obama presidential campaign social media has empowered everyday citizens.

"When a situation like the Haiti earthquake happens, social media and mobile devices are a major avenue for people to take action and participate," he said. "It allows many more people to easily contribute money by clicking a button on their phone and removes barriers like making phone calls and logging onto a website."

About Obtiva

From their offices in Chicago, Obtiva Corp. provides expert software development services for organizations that need to create custom web and mobile applications.

Technology entrepreneurs engage Obtiva's Software Studio for full turnkey product development from initial product planning to final delivery of the entrepreneur's vision. They provide specialized skill sets, including Ruby on Rails, Ajax, Palm webOS, iPhone, Java, UI/UX, and agile practices.

Obtiva's experienced team shares its knowledge of XP, agile, and innovative new technologies by leading public and private training throughout North America. Obtiva's industry experience includes CRM, education, e-commerce, email marketing, entertainment, finance, government, ISP/Broadband, retail, and wholesale.

SOURCE Obtiva Corp.