Last week I was intrigued to learn that tech company Webalo has launched a new service enabling executives to receive searchable box office data on their smutphone or mobile raspberry device of choice. Apparently Lionsgate has already signed up to the service in the US.
The Mobile Dashboard Platform, as it’s known, allows companies to extract useful data from internal business reports, and distribute the information directly to anyone with a suitable receiver. The platform formats it for easy reading and the data can be updated as and when necessary (see the company’s screenshots, below).
On news of the Lionsgate deal, Webalo president and CEO Peter Price proudly proclaimed, "Up-to-the minute box office and other vital performance data right to your pocket represent the next 'must-have' for the entire entertainment industry. We are delighted that Lionsgate has utilized our unique platform to take such a pioneering step."
I’m all in favour of technological innovation, but when a company sells its wares by announcing that ‘Entertainment's all about the numbers’ (see Webalo web site for this pearl of wisdom) I get a bit despondent. A little perspective is needed: data are a means to an end, and not an end in themselves. When you have all that information at your fingertips, 24/7, extra care is needed to ensure creative decisions don’t become enslaved to the numbers.
Still, I wouldn't mind one.
Comments