The Future Is Now: Raheel Hasan of 1APP On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Tech Scene
Cloud-based interactive streaming is the next generation of mobile technology and the natural evolution of streaming. Two-way cloud streaming takes the friction out of app usage, allowing developers to put their product in front of potential users without the potential friction of discovery and install.
As a part of our series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Raheel Hasan.
Raheel Hasan is a serial entrepreneur who has been working with cloud-based technology since the 90s. He is the founder of 1App, a cloud-based streaming platform that provides instant access to mobile apps without having to download anything, this technology is revolutionizing retail apps — where before buyers were locked into having to download a store app, now they can simply stream, scan and buy.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Back in the 2000s, I worked with Synopsys that specialized in chip design and developing complex software around this. Before the word ‘cloud’ was hot, we were developing software that needed some of our top clients to deploy 100,000s of computers running our software to verify their chips as they become larger and more complex. We had to look for an additional source that could supplement the capacity of our clients on an as-needed basis. We approached a large company to help find this additional capacity on demand. This was my first exposure to public clouds and what is possible. We used our experience of building very high-performance software for large clouds to create a new company in the mobile space.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
It’s hard to pinpoint the most interesting story, but I can tell you the most interesting thing I learned. As many young employees did during that time, I attended a Franklin training course to set myself up at the beginning of my career. One of the off-hand recommendations that were made, was the idea that you need to let others outside your immediate team know what you do, making yourself known within an organization. EG, when I started out and learned this, I’d request lunches, meetings, coffees with senior management, other departments, meeting my bosses’ bosses. Becoming known within these organizations significantly accelerated my career and progress within organizations. Without people knowing what you do, how hard you’re working, and how well you’re doing, they may not recognize your potential and success. I found this effective as a young, curious mind!
Can you tell us about the Cutting edge technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?
Interactive low latency steaming which we believe is the future of streaming, in particular how we can use the power of the cloud to create two-way streaming platforms where users can interact with the streams themselves. One of the biggest examples of this is streaming mobile apps without installing them on your phone. For this example, let’s look specifically at how instant access to your mobile app through QR codes via interactive streaming can help to build an online and offline presence. Apps are hard to get installed, and it can cost between $2 — $50. A level of commitment is required where a has to first discover an app and then deem an app worthy of a space on their device and then go to the app stores to find and then install the app. If technology allows apps to be used at the time of discovery or need, without downloading, it opens up doors for the developer to instantly have a customer use their app without their full initial commitment.
Let’s look at some real examples. I loved going to bookstores, but instead of buying 10–15 full price books in the store, I would buy a couple but then would look online on Amazon, and see that they were half the price via that platform. That would lead me to buy the rest from them instead of the store. So the physical store brought me in but then sent the business over to Amazon. However, if that bookstore had the same books available at competitive prices via their app and I could buy them instantly using QR codes, they could close the deal with the customer there and then, rather than the customer being tempted by the product but looking elsewhere for buying it. A technology like this helps you attract traffic at a physical location to your online presence.
Another interesting example would be a retailer’s ability to merge their physical and online inventory and present more choices to a customer visiting a physical store. You walk into Walmart, find a sweater, they have 5 colors in-store, but you want a yellow one. Next to the display, you see a QR Code directing visitors to that item on the store’s app, where you can order a variety of colors. and order the sweater. You do this 5, 6 times on the streamed version of the app and then you may end up downloading the app. Allows people to see the value of the apps — thereby brining an offline user to your online presence.
What QR codes can do is convert visible presence into online where generally speaking there are more products available — for example, a Walmart might have 250,000 items in-store, then 5m million via their app, and a further 30m through partners available on the app. If a user in-store signs up for an online offering, we have a world of new products available to them. The key is organic discovery in the right places, connecting mobile users to a physical space to an online space and short-circuiting the entire experience. By short-circuiting here we can provide users with a taste of an app, and get them invested, cutting through the normal download funnel.How do you think this might change the world?
There are several different groups of people who’ll be affected by this.
For retailers, it gives a physical retailer a chance to connect directly, instantly with their users, and experience the online presence with the users. If customers are coming to your physical store, why wouldn’t you try and get them into your mobile app, and vice versa?
And on the other hand for users, it can enhance the retail offering , firstly by expanding the offering; what they can buy, new discounts, and where they can buy it. Also, this technology opens the door for consumers to experience and benefit from a wider variety of apps instantly when they need to without requiring a download or install.
Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
The main issue is that cloud-streaming requires a good connection, and is latency-sensitive. Using this technology without the supported technology means the experience can be compromised. With the rollout of 5G, this technology will even be available to use in third-world countries which may not have been possible with the current infrastructure.
What the technology does is breaks down the barrier between your mobile app and the consumer. However, once the door is open, the user needs to have a good first impression of the app. . The user has instant access to the app, so it’s down to the developer to make sure they have a positive experience and keep coming back.
Another key consideration is how businesses can use this tech in a smart way, using two-way streams to create higher-quality app users. Any buyer who has downloaded an app by first trialing it is already a higher quality user, making a qualified decision, they know what they’re getting and therefore much more likely to use the app in the way intended. Developers and marketers need to consider how they present themselves in this first instance, the ‘trailer.’
For example — If a movie has a trailer, you want to use that to attract people. It’s the same thing developers need to consider. Maybe a game developer could put QR codes in their TV / physical ads which leads the user onto a curated gaming experience that exposes them to the most interesting elements of the game through instant interactive streaming.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?
The accessibility of QR Code readers over the last 18 months. Now you can access QR codes through any basic camera app, before that you needed another app. The rollout opened the door — the presence of integration of QR code readers with a camera app.
What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?
Firstly, Users also need to have a positive experience using the technology for this to be adopted, what can they gain from this — a discount code, a great experience using the app, convenience? To drive adoption, the right partners need to embrace the technology in a good way, creating memories and new, positive experiences through this technology.
Also, the want for a curated experience between an online and physical world. There is a two-way street between physical and online, and vice versa. Coming from a physical world and moving this online, users and retailers must need/want an interest in mirroring between both worlds.
What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?
Up to this point, our partners have done the talking for us, as they have been showing how the technology can be used, and why it’s useful. A good case study to check out is the small-scale experiment we did with Starbucks, where we discovered 27% of visitors to Starbucks used the QR Code in-store to trial their app, an impressive statistic.
Some very well-known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Cloud-based interactive streaming is the next generation of mobile technology and the natural evolution of streaming. Two-way cloud streaming takes the friction out of app usage, allowing developers to put their product in front of potential users without the potential friction of discovery and install. There are millions of apps in the app stores and they need to be discovered and used on demand when a user needs them. Low latency interactive streaming opens the door for many new ways for discovery and instant use of apps thereby opening new avenues for a developer to present and a consumer to fully utilize the power of mobile apps.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
The Future Is Now: Raheel Hasan of 1APP On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
