DUBMENOW TAKES CONTACT MANAGEMENT ANOTHER STEP FORWARD

While the Apple iPhone is given credit for being the first device to provide true mobile Internet browsing, the mobile Internet wars are just beginning. Mobile broadband, including mobile broadcast, is on the horizon. In the meantime, there is a great deal of functionality being delivered today through applications on a variety of mobile devices.

A new service, called Dub from DubMeNow, begins as a business card replacement. After installing either the Blackberry or Android application (Windows Mobile and iPhone applications promised soon), users find a number of features designed to replace paper business cards. Users can text or email their contact information to another smart phone, which will load the contact data, including updates, directly into the recipient's mobile address book. Information can be synchronized with Outlook and other CRM applications. Changes made to one’s own record are automatically updated in the applications of one’s contacts. The Dub application is integrated with LinkedIn so that users can invite contacts to connect via LinkedIn. DubMeNow was introduced in public beta in November, 2008. It is competing in the Mobile Monday Peer Awards contest to present at the February GSMA congress in Barcelona.

DubMeNow was founded by CEO Manoj Ramnani, who previously founded technology solutions firm Astegic. The DubMeNow advisory board includes D.P. Venkatesh, founder and CEO of mPortal, Shane Oleson, President of Keymind, Jon Jackson, Mobile Posse CEO, and Kevin Ross, CEO and Founder of Metova. Partners included Google, salesforce.com, Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Intelligent Office, and The Networking Community (TNC). -Stuart Whitaker