Red Foundry lowers the time and money required to create an app, removing the last objections why your company can’t move forward with its own apps. Fiddling around with their software, I was able to create a functioning mockup in less than two hours.
This new software is all but free. You can test it out for free, and monthly prices for functioning apps range from $39 to $199. The Red Foundry interface is elegant, intuitive and easy to use. This new tool grows out of apps the firm has produced for Kodak, Ogilvy & Mather and even Pearl Jam.
At present, Red Foundry supports both iPhone and iPad apps. Android support should be coming in a matter of weeks.
This is the first in a series of quick profiles on potentially disruptive apps. This one qualifies because it removes the “ignorance factor” that often confronts technologically unsophisticated managers. Instead of being stuck by confusion over what it would take to build an app in terms of money ($25,000? $50,000?) and time (two to six months?), managers can literally invest a few hours and see for themselves what it will take. The answers for most will likely be far less than anticipated.
I’m not suggesting that every app can or will be developed without the participation of programmers or designers. But WordPress has demonstrated that a well-designed interface and a generous helping of plug-ins can make it possible for anyone to build a visually appealing, well-organized blog. Red Foundry may well do the same for apps.
At the very least, by making it possible for anyone to build and test an app, Red Foundry is helping to accelerate the transformation of good ideas into real opportunities. You’d be well-advised to roll up your sleeves and give them a try… before your competitors do the same.
