The advent of tablets, smartphones, and other mobile technologies has turned mobile apps into a multimillion dollar industry. To address the different ways users are accessing the site as well as to improve its bottom line, LinkedIn has launched three mobile apps—two new and one revamped—within the last year. The apps build on technology the company has already developed or purchased and aim to increase user engagement with the professional networking website.
The application that’s garnering the company the most attention these days is the LinkedIn Intro app. Launched earlier this year, this free mobile app pulls information from users’ LinkedIn profiles into email messages. The person’s name, photo, and job title will appear at the top of email if the individual has a LinkedIn account. Additionally, users are able to push a button and get even more information about the sender such as education, previous occupations, and mutual connections.
This app is based on technology the company purchased in February 2012 called Rapportive and aspires to make it easier to sort emails and write appropriate responses. It integrates directly into the iPhone’s email app and works with a variety of mail services including Gmail, Yahoo Mail, iCloud, and AOL Mail. It’s available in the Apple store, and an Android version will be offered soon.
Another of the three mobile apps launched by LinkedIn is called Pulse, a mobile news aggregation and reading app. When logged into their accounts, users will receive recommendations on stories to read based on the people in their networks. The idea is to allow users to receive communication and media relevant to their professional lives. This technology was purchased in April 2013 for $90 million and can be used as a standalone service.
The last of the mobile apps produced by LinkedIn is actually a refurbished version of a previous app the company created for the iPad. This version sports a new interface that focuses wholly on showcasing and connecting people. It puts the news feed front and center, and users can use swipe gestures to add new contacts to their networks, like or share content, and join groups. The navigation bar can be accessed with a simple tap on the LinkedIn icon, and long-form content can be read directly from the app.
Although LinkedIn hopes its mobile apps will increase its user base and generate revenue for the company, the launch of these productivity apps hasn’t been without controversy. The LinkedIn Intro app has come under fire by security experts for the way it processes email messages. The email is redirected to LinkedIn’s servers where pertinent details are added and then routed to the intended destination. Security experts state this protocol puts users at risk for what’s called man-in-the-middle attacks that are often used by hackers and the National Security Agency to snoop on the content of emails.
Whether this controversy hampers the success of LinkedIn’s mobile apps remains to be seen. If the company’s productivity apps are well received, however, it could give LinkedIn the boost it needs to remain competitive and relevant in the social networking sphere.
(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)
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