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By: Vince Kattoula
If you live in Southeastern Michigan, there’s a good chance you went to sleep without power on Wednesday night and woke up without power on Thursday morning. Throughout the day on Wednesday, a severe wind storm caused the second largest power outage in DTE Energy’s history. High winds ripped countless trees from the ground, many of which fell onto DTE’s poles and power lines triggering more than 850,000 homes throughout Michigan to lose power.
Most people were not at home during the height of the storm, prompting them to check DTE’s website. However, their only option was DTE’s mobile app since the website crashed due to the high amount of traffic. People who were home during the power outage, used the app to find out how long it would be before their power was restored. Using the app, customers can report an outage, check the status of an outage, and view an outage map all from their smartphone. The DTE Energy mobile app is available for free on iOS and Android.
This is yet another reminder why mobile apps hold the advantage over mobile websites. A well designed mobile site can take care of many problems, but it still can’t do things a mobile app can do. First, apps are less vulnerable to this type of situation. As long as the cell towers are working, apps can be accessed for news and other information. Mobile apps can also send push notifications, be accessed offline, and send geo-targeted messages. They also offer another way to get in front of your customers while securing a spot for your logo on their device’s screen. Being able to accommodate consumers when they need you the most is just as important for them as it is for you.
This got us thinking about the numerous uses for apps beyond the typical. Apps are great during emergency situations like the wind storm in Michigan on Wednesday. They’re also very effective when critical messaging needs to get out in a hurry. The best way to communicate with people is on their smartphone, and there’s no better way of doing that than with an app. So when it comes to your mobile strategy, don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Click here to set up a conversation about how we can help with your mobile strategy.
So be sure to keep your smartphone battery charged, and we hope everyone’s power comes back on very soon.
You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.
Originally published by Jacobs Media
