Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) last night (Monday 24 September) unveiled the next stage of its award-winning use of social media, with the launch of Britain’s most advanced transport app at the start of Social Media Week 2012 (SMW).
iShoogle is a free, highly interactive app which provides the 13 million annual passengers on the world’s third-oldest subway system real-time transport updates, location information, special offers and much more. It is available now to download for iPhone and Android smartphones.
SPT Chair George Redmond said:
“SPT has led the way in harnessing the power of social media, and launching the iShoogle app is the next logical step for us.
We’re confident that iShoogle will enhance the overall experience of using the Subway as the most efficient way to travel around Glasgow.”
SPT Chair George Redmond
“Effective use of such emerging technology is key to offering customers the best possible service and, working closely with the team at Origins Partners, we’ve created a truly unique example of mobile media.
“We’re confident that iShoogle will enhance the overall experience of using the Subway as the most efficient way to travel around Glasgow.”
One of the app’s most innovative features is the ‘Shoogle Guide’, which allows users to check into any of the Subway’s 15 stations remotely and receive local information including comprehensive lists of restaurants, bars, amenities and tourist attractions – and how to get to them – with just a few taps of a screen.
The app has been developed by Origin Partners to complement SPT’s £288million Subway modernisation programme, ensuring the Subway offers a quick, easy and user-friendly travel experience.
The intuitive, stylish design of iShoogle reflects the tone and content of SPT’s award-winning @GlasgowSubway Twitter page, which won the ‘Best use of Social Media’ category at the 2012 Scottish Transport Awards.
The launch of iShoogle marked the official opening of Social Media Week 2012, a global conversation focusing on trends in social and mobile technologies. Cities around the world including Berlin, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Glasgow will host a range of events led by industry experts.
Origin Partners’ Technical Director, Jerry Staple, said:
“We’ve invested time to find out what commuters most want and need on a transport app. That insight has helped SPT deliver a service that outstrips most of the world’s biggest subways.
“The iShoogle app is much more than a mobile information kiosk. It’s about using smart user-focused information and entertainment to create customer communities and repeat visits.”
Tester Douglas Chambers praised the app’s “personality and quirkiness”.
He added:
“I can see it being a great ambassador for the Subway. It’s quirky, fun and really useful for anyone who takes the Subway.”