Mobiata plans to hire engineers to create apps for the iPhone and Android

Wednesday, June 23, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

Ben Kazez had the right skill set, the right idea, and the right product at the right time, and now has one of Ann Arbor's fastest growing start-ups - Mobiata - to show for it.

The former Apple software engineer was an early adapter of the iPhone and all of the applications that came with it. He thought Apple's App Store should have something that helps airline passengers to catch their flights, so he created FlightTrack. That turned out to be a runaway hit, highlighted by Apple as one of its must-haves in its print and TV advertising.

"I saw the need for this app and there was nothing like it at the App Store at the time," says Kazez, president and founder of Mobiata. "It was about six months after the App Store was launched."

That led to the creation of Mobiata about 18 months ago, with just Kazez writing apps. Today the firm has 12 employees plus an intern.

Flight Track now also works on both smart phone versions, along with Blackberry and the Palm Pre. Kazez is looking for software engineers who can write apps for the iPhone and Android. He hopes to add 5-10 more jobs within the next year.

"We've got lots and lots to do," Kazes says. "We just need people to help us do it."

Source: Ben Kazez, founder and president of Mobiata
Writer: Jon Zemke