Messaging platform Moped has been given a major overhaul, with version 2.0 aimed squarely at small businesses. The Berlin-based startup says its open web platform is ideal for teams with its integrated services such as Dropbox and the ability to work seamlessly on multiple devices across web and mobile.
The latest product also boasts a redesigned user interface enabling users to monitor their inbox while writing messages as well as new features such as a Media Gallery. It is hoped the new Moped will prove attractive to users with its view of the world through the lens of a web service rather than as just another closed messaging app.
The platform’s features also include an open platform approach, giving users the ability to send and receive messages via email, and enabling them to find contacts through Twitter, Facebook, Google and LinkedIn. Other integrated services, meanwhile, include web of things platform IFTTT – connecting to Evernote, stock market alerts, weather updates etc – Google Chrome and Foursquare.
Users can access Moped, which utilises a Twitter-style functionality, from the web, mobile devices or via email, with no need to manually update each one. Schuyler Deerman, the founder of Moped, said: “Accessing your messages on several devices, this ‘multi-screen experience,’ is an imperative for our users, as is integrating with other web services. Messaging needs to integrate with apps and services our users use, and we’re building Moped with this in mind.”
Keeping the target audience of small businesses and working teams in mind, Moped has been designed as a private and secure platform. Messages can be one-to-one or group and can involve people outside Moped by using their email addresses, thus keeping the amount of information needing to be swapped – such as phone numbers – to a minimum.
And the integrations with services that colleagues frequently use anyway, such as Dropbox, means that Moped can offer easy preview, access and sharing of rich messaging content on any device. The new Media Gallery will ensure that such content shared on Moped will be easier to capture and access than before.
Moped is also opening up its API for third party developers, the first being IFTTT, to show off the benefits of its open platform approach. Linden Tibbets, CEO of IFTTT, said: “Moped is a Swiss army knife. Not only is it elegant and fun to use, it’s incredibly functional. Especially when combined with IFTTT. Moped is great for teams too – you can share links with groups, view rich media, and send yourself alerts. It’s a must-have app.”
Moped closed a $1 million investment round last year involved leading European and American investors including Earlybird, Lerer Ventures, SV Angel and Betaworks. After announcing it, Schuyler said: “Moped gives you universal access to your messages, like email, but it’s much lighter weight.”