Rapid Mobile Media Ltd was founded in 2004 by Richard M. Marshall to create secure mobile applications that work across different phones. While the idea was ahead of its time as mobile apps were not widely used yet, the company developed technologies to automatically build apps for different handsets. It successfully launched a mobile betting app in 2005. However, advertising products launched later were too advanced for the early mobile market. The company was eventually acquired in 2010 to form a core mobile team within the acquiring company. Marshall learned that technology adoption takes longer than expected and experience and advice are important for startups.

1. The lifecycle of Rapid Mobile Media LtdRichard M Marshall

2. about.me/rmmarshallComputer Science BSc1979-1983Computer Science PhD1983-1986Software Engineer1986-1994Entrepreneur 1994 onwards

3. Nokia 7110 WAP Phone – Released late 1999

4. Wow, people will want to use their phones to place bets and bookies will love the idea of their punters being able to do that all the time, anywhere!November 2003

5. was born to create Mobile applications that are secure,transactional and work on any phone.And that’s what we did!February 2004

6. Right idea, wrong timeNobody knew what a mobile app was - yet!

7. Loads of phones could support apps, but all different

8. Almost all Java ME implementations were buggy

9. Network operators didn’t configure the phones for data

10. Data was very expensive without a package

11. Bookmakers are, surprisingly, completely risk averse

12. Most of them use just one backend system (OpenBet)

13. And someone else had just started a mobile client…The 11th of Guy Kawasaki’s 10 rules for startups.

14. Mobile Technology: Active ProvisioningAutomatic device recognition

15. Device defect and quirk database