January 10, 2011

City of Arlington, Texas Launches Cutting-Edge iPhone App, Android App and Mobile Website

Residents and visitors can now discover the best of Arlington, Texas with the new City of Arlington mobile apps. The free iPhone and Android apps, along with the new mobile website, feature on-the-go access to entertainment, recreation, shopping, jobs, city services, news, maps and more.

“We wanted to use new and growing technology to give our residents greater access to their city, as well as provide the 6.5 million people who visit Arlington each year a useful and easily accessible guide to the city,” said Deputy City Manager Trey Yelverton.

The mobile apps launch right in time for this year’s Super Bowl XLV, which will be held in Arlington’s Cowboys Stadium on February 6, 2011. More than 100,000 football fans are expected to visit Arlington on Super Bowl Sunday.

“This technology represents a new way of delivering information to our citizens and visitors,” said Louis Carr, Chief Information Officer. “Unlike most other city apps that are merely a mobile version of their website, this smart phone application integrates GPS technology that can instantly route a user to any city facility, as well as many of Arlington’s shops, hotels, restaurants and other businesses.”

The mobile app, developed by MacroView Labs, contains more than 700 pages of content filled with useful information about city attractions, events, businesses and services. The iPhone application is available for download in the Apple iTunes Store at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id408897505?mt=8 and the Android application is available in the Android marketplace. The mobile web app is available at http://m.arlingtontx.gov.

Sample application features include:

ATTRACTIONS AND ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE- Get close to the action at Cowboys Stadium, Rangers Ballpark, and Six Flags Over Texas; or check out UT Arlington’s College Park Center and cheer on the Mavericks. Book tee times at our championship golf courses, browse shopping destinations for the perfect gift, or get directions to one of our beautiful parks.

ACCESS CITY SERVICES- Interact with the City itself. Report an issue like graffiti, apply for a permit, pay bills and tickets, or search for jobs.

CITY DIRECTORY- Contact the police or fire department, the nearest hospital, city representatives, or anyone else you need.

TRAVEL INFO- Book reservations at local hotels, check the weather, and get directions to where you want to go in Arlington.

REAL-TIME NEWS UPDATES- Stay informed with live news feeds, or plan your commute with up-to-the-minute traffic updates.

BE HEARD- Rate content within the app to let us know what you think.

INTERACTIVE MAPS- Find your exact location and get directions to parks, stadiums, hotels, and more. View satellite maps, road maps, or a combination of both. You can even save any location you choose so you can remember where you parked or where to meet friends later.

MY ARLINGTON- Bookmark any piece of content to view later in your custom favorites folder.

DETAILED FAQ- Answers to commonly asked questions about Arlington and the app.

OFFLINE MODE- Lost cell tower and WiFi access? No problem. The app automatically goes into offline mode so you can continue to view many of the features until your connectivity resumes.

TWITTER, FACEBOOK, MYSPACE, NIXLE & TELL-A-FRIEND INTEGRATION- Check out our live social media content right from the app, or send any page in the app to a friend.