An App by Any Other Name: How VIPorbit Got Its Name
Ever wondered how certain apps and social media startups got their names? If so, you're not alone. In a recent Mashable article, "How Today's Hottest Startups Got Their Names," we learn the backstory of nine popular startups. Twitter, Spotify, Foursquare, and Zynga made the list. From drawing names out of hats to mixing up words to form new ones, the stories are as unique as they are surprising.
As for VIPorbit, selecting a name was very simple. Here's the story:
As the Co-Inventor of ACT!, a product that created the Contact Management category and is attributed to being the catalyst for the CRM industry, Mike Muhney was frustrated with the contact and calendar management functions on smartphones. Fueled by a love for technology and a passion for building valuable relationships, his creative juices started flowing. He wanted to create an app with the features that professionals use most on the device they have with them all the time. While the actual product design was taking place, he locked himself away in his home office and brainstormed meaningful app names...each one followed by a quick domain availability check.
The naming concept was simple...Mike believes every contact should be treated as a VIP. Collecting, managing, and utliziling information about each contact helps people develop highly effective business connections. He wanted to reflect that concept in the name. Several iterations later, he combined the VIP-concept with the app's core feature that allows users to organize their contacts by customizable groups. In the product, they're called Orbits, which by definition means spheres of resource and influence. A quick domain check of "VIPorbit" and it was settled.
But for VIPorbit users, the creativity and naming fun continues with the creation and naming of orbits within the app. Some users create orbits to organize contacts by upcoming events or travel, some create orbits based on the type of product or service each client is interested in, some have created orbits to organize contacts by the associations or organizations to which they belong. If you have a couple of minutes, you can watch this video of a VIPorbit user and check out the three most inventive orbit names we've heard of.
By the way, we'd love to hear what you've named YOUR orbits. Feel free to comment on this blog, post them on our Facebook wall, or even share them in your own User Review Video!
