News Synergy Gets Mobile App Upgrades

Weather Central, a provider of broadcast and digital weather, news and traffic solutions; Adpay, a provider of online and print classified media solutions; and Inergize Digital, creator of integrated digital management solutions for local on-air, online and mobile devices, today announced that the News Synergy mobile app that distributes locally branded content to mobile devices, has been upgraded to include a new Google Android widget, push publishing service, analytics integration, weather enhancements, background audio and slide navigation.

 “We are committed to meeting the needs of our local media company clients, their advertisers and consumers with continuous product development that is both innovative and responsive,” said Jason Gould, SVP-GM of Inergize Digital. “These latest advancements make it faster and easier for consumers to access the content they use most, and make it easier for local media companies to deliver breaking content ahead of their competitors, increase revenue and measure their success.”

“Providing a dynamic, relevant weather experience is vital for media companies, especially during severe weather situations,” said Terry Casey, VP of digital at Weather Central.

News Synergy mobile app upgrades include:

Google Android Widget—Consumers can place news and/or weather widgets on the home screen of Google Android mobile devices, providing instant access to the latest news and/or weather information with one tap. The widget also extends local media companies’ brands and supplies a new sponsorship revenue opportunity.

Push Publishing—When breaking news and weather events occur local media companies can instantly update their News Synergy mobile apps, rather than waiting for the mobile app cache to update. The new push publishing service ensures that consumers receive the latest news and weather as it happens, while maintaining a fast mobile app open and content download experience.

Analytics Integration—Adobe mobile analytics powered by Omniture and comScore Digital Analytix can be integrated in the News Synergy Admin, providing a single location for mobile measurement.

Weather Enhancements—Consumers can access weather content faster in News Synergy mobile apps. The Weather Central Interactive Radar appears in one tap from the weather content category, consumers can choose multiple locations for weather alerts and select the weather content quick view.

Background Audio—Audio for music, podcasts and more can now run in the background of News Synergy mobile apps, making it easier to multitask on mobile devices.

Swipe Navigation—Swipe navigation enables local media companies to offer unlimited navigational elements for top stories, weather, sports, community news, traffic, entertainment, politics, deals and more. Consumers simply swipe to the left for quick access to additional content categories.