In early 2009, serial entrepreneur Alan Knitowski founded Phunware Inc, a mobile-focused development company that would provide enterprises with a software platform.
The technology would help engage, manage and monetise customer experience journeys over mobile. According to the business, mobile accounts for “nearly 70% of all digital advertising” and last year, it overtook TV as “the leading advertising medium”.
“What we are building is fairly ambitious; we are trying to connect brands to consumers without untrustworthy intermediaries,” Knitowski says.
Phunware has expanded its services to work with brands across several sectors. A few of the big names the company works with include Intel, Fox Sports, NASCAR, ESPN, WWE, and Norwegian Cruise Lines.
The brands receive direct, real-time access to data on their target consumers. This collected data then enables the businesses to connect with their consumers by sending the right message, at the right time, in the correct location.
To complement Phunware, Knitowski and his team also launched PhunCoin, an innovative cryptocurrency that rewards consumers for providing data.
“Moving forward, you are going to be paid to share your data, instead of being exploited,” Knitowski explains.
As part of its growth, the business recently celebrated the launch of Audience Engagement. This managed service capability enables brands to build custom audiences and deliver targeted media to optimise engagement.
Additionally, Phunware has added two paediatric healthcare customers in Alabama and Florida for their digital front door deployments on mobile.
“Our MaaS healthcare solutions are currently deployed with leading healthcare organisations across nearly 70 million square feet of hospitals, clinics and medical facilities here in the United States,” Knitowski states.
“We are extremely excited to add an additional 5 million square feet of paediatric-specific healthcare coverage on mobile, including one of only 35 Level-1 paediatric trauma centres in the country.”
Before the two businesses, Knitowski was Director of Marketing for the Voice Technology Group at Cisco Systems.
His responsibilities included business, market and community development, as well as business planning and strategy for Cisco’s global packet communications initiatives.
In November 2000, he joined Cisco as part of the Vovida Networks acquisition, where he served as Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer and led the company from idea conception through its acquisition by Cisco.
In early 2019, Knitowski had the opportunity to share his vision at the 10th Global Family Office Investment Summit hosted by Sir Anthony Ritossa in Dubai, where leading families from around the world represented over US$4 trillion in investor wealth.
Phunware’s mission is to ultimately change how consumers interact with brands.
“We don’t believe there is a future where the consumer is not in charge, where they are not respected and protected,” Knitowski reinforces.
