Internet Brands Acquires Mobile App Creator Forum Runner

LOS ANGELES, CA, Mar 07, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Internet Brands
today announced the acquisition of Forum Runner ( www.forumrunner.net ), a
mobile application that allows forum users to interact with online communities
from mobile devices. Forum Runner will operate as part of Internet Brands'
vBulletin software division.

"Mobile is no longer the future; it's the present," said John McGanty,
general manager of vBulletin. "It's imperative for online forums to offer a good
mobile user experience as they experience explosive growth in usage from mobile
devices. Forum Runner gives forum sites an easy way of providing native iOS and
Android mobile apps to their users."


http://www.marketwatch.com/story/internet-brands-acquires-mobile-app-creator-forum-runner-2012-03-07

 

Interesting.

Surprising, too.

 

Hopefully it'll help make the vbulletin app more appealing.
also I wonder how long xenforo will be supported by forumrunner

 

Very interesting. So does this mean that it's going to be just for vBulletin users soon? I don't see IB letting it still function on various other osftwares when they are trying to sell their own, eg: vBulletin. Just doesn't make sense to me.

 

My guess is not very long roflol.

 

Nope. Like I said, forumrunner will basically be just a vBulletin mobile app.....I don't see IB letting their competitors still be supported by the system.

 

Yes, it's to acquire the people that make Forum Runner. vB wants to make the mobile app better and more streamlined.

The worst part about the announcement is that vB is just adding the pre-existing ForumRunner product part of the ACP option:

I dunno about you but I think customers are going to be angry about that last part because it'd be like "WTF? I just spent 100 dollars on vB's Mobile Suite, now they come out with this abomination?"

Great, give choice. At least plan ahead before you pull this off... I would have acquired ForumRunner FIRST, and introduce it. THEN make the Mobile Suite. That would be a great way to please customers.