Patrick Mork
Running a successful online mobile applications store requires a close relationship with mobile application developers, mobile phone users, handset manufacturers whose mobile phones use different operating systems and other players in the mobile ecosystem.
Apple launched its app store a year after the iPhone release, while major handset manufacturers—Nokia, RIM and Palm—followed later to meet the growing consumer demand for mobile games, utilities, business and other mobile applications.
But a small company called GetJar with offices in San Mateo, CA, London and Lithuania launched in 2005, two years ahead of Apple and is bursting at the seams.
GetJar Background GetJar is the world’s largest independent mobile app store with over a half billion mobile downloads to date. Started in 2004 by application developers, the company now offers more than 58,000 mobile applications running on 1,822 mobile handsets and has downloaded mobile apps 700 million times to consumers in 200 countries. In October, 2009 alone, the company had 55 million downloads and has a roster of over 305,000 application developers who bid for downloads on the GetJar site. In June of this year, GetJar was named winner of the 2009 Meffy Award for Best Direct to Consumer Service. GetJar is backed by marquee investors Accel Partners. GetJar also works with a select number of distribution partners including Sony Ericsson, Sprint, Opera, Vodafone, 3UK and Virgin Mobile.
Patrick Mork Patrick Mork joined GetJar in 2008 as VP of marketing and member of the executive team. His primary role at GetJar is to develop the company’s overall marketing, branding, content and communications strategy. Patrick has been in the mobile content space since 2004 first at mobile games publisher I-play then subsequently at glu mobile.
Prior to joining GetJar, Patrick was Marketing Director in Europe at glu where he built up the company’s marketing team and was a key part of the European management team that helped take the company public on NASDAQ in March 2007. With 15 years of marketing experience at leading companies such as PepsiCo and Diamondcluster, Patrick has worked in large multinationals and venture-backed start-ups in marketing, sales and general management. Patrick holds an MBA from INSEAD and a BS from Georgetown University.
The Podcast In this podcast interview with Brian Prows, Patrick candidly shares his knowledge and views on GetJar and its competitors, working with mobile applications developers, what makes a successful app, how viral marketing has attracted millions of mobile users to the GetJar website and the future of mobile application stores on the Internet. Topics include:
- GetJar’s free mobile application download service and its business model
- How viral marketing has generated millions of customers throughout the world
- What characteristics of mobile applications increase their popularity
- Why mobile application developers need to promote and market their applications to achieve success
- Consolidation of app stores in the future as consumers increasingly expect greater functionality and applications from handset manufacturers
- Comments on an article written by Mickey Khan of Mobile Marketer about mobile application distribution
- Why mobile must be measured in new ways (“cost of engagement”)
- The need for fewer, but better, mobile operating systems
If you’re interested in the world of mobile applications, development and distribution, you’ll enjoy the podcast.
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Email: Patrick@getjar.com
GetJar
“The Trouble with Mobile Apps: An Identity Crisis” (Mickey Khan, Mobile Marketer)
GetJar: The Unknown app store leader” (CNET)
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