Listen to this articleMetaMoJi is cross-platform software developer behind award winning apps: MetaMoJi Note, Share, handwriting recognition app – mazec, Viddory and smart writing app – 7notes with mazec. The company has recently announced the official launch of its classroom app – MetaMoJi Share for Classroom. Below is our interview with Ben Walshaw from MetaMoJi team:
Q: MetaMoJi’s founders are pioneers in the computer industry. For those who are not familiar with the company how would you describe MetaMoJi?
A: MetaMoJi was founded by Japanese computer pioneers, Kazunori and Hatsuko Ukigawa, inventors of Asian character input on computer keyboards. After more than 20 years running Japan’s largest software company, Justsystems Corporation, the couple stepped down from the board in order to put their innovative thinking toward mobile devices when the iPad hit the market in 2009. They founded MetaMoJi to introduce cross-platform mobile productivity solutions for tablets and smartphones.
Kazunori and Hatsuko Ukigawa invented many of the input methods used today in Asia to operate desktop and mobile devices, holding more than a dozen patents. Their company was the first in Asia to introduce a complete keyboard-based word processing system and office software suite, named Ichitaro, completely compatible with kanji. Because of their pioneering work, both Kazunori and Hatsuko Ukigama enjoy deep respect in the information systems industry across Asia and around the world.
MetaMoJi’s apps have won awards ever since their introduction. Their advanced handwriting recognition app, mazec, was the first in a long line of personal and business productivity apps, introduced in thirteen languages across the world. Their PDF annotation and note taking app MetaMoJi Note has won multiple awards, including TabTimes’s Tabby Award, the Appy award and the Silver Stevie in the International Business Awards. Since the app is compatible with nearly all mobile devices on Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android OS and Windows, it has become an invaluable productivity app for businesspeople in the field.
MetaMoJi Share is a real-time collaboration app, causing a sensation when introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2014, where it was awarded the Envisioneering Award for best new productivity app. This real-time meeting app allows for highly visual, interactive whiteboard sessions on tablets between groups of people across the office, across town or even around the world. Share is a perfect complement to voice meeting apps (such as skype), allowing for each participant to see real-time results of online collaboration. Voice recording functions and handwriting recognition make it easy to capture meeting minutes and drawing and mashup functions help to clarify meeting sessions. This product won the Gold Stevie in the International Business Awards 2014.
Q: You’ve recently announced your new Classroom app, what are main advantages of your new app?
A: MetaMoJi Share for Classroom gives teachers an interactive canvas to illustrate their lesson plans in real-time interaction with their students over their tablet computers. Teachers have multiple ways to direct student attention to lessons through different study modes. Lecture mode allows directed attention to the front of the room. Collaborative study mode is also an ideal environment for wraparound tutoring, giving teachers a virtual “look over the shoulder” of each student as they work through the lesson plan, allowing them to pipe in and give individualized instruction as needed. Collaborative study modes also provide an environment for group work and online participation through distance learning. As a classroom productivity environment, the app gives teachers the option to import curriculum standard file formats such as Office and PDF documents for markup, or a wide palette of tools to design their own lesson plans, with drawing tools, web page capture, voice memos, audio file import and photos.
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Q: Could you tell us something more about your PDF annotation and notetaker – MetaMoJi Note?
A: MetaMoJi Note is a productivity app for note taking and voice memos, graphic mashup of drawings, web pages and photos, and sharing via social media and shared drives. PDF annotation and shared drive functions within the cloud provide an excellent document markup and exchange function within a company or group environment. MetaMoJi Note for Business is a popular tool for use in the field for documenting and presenting material.
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Q: What advantage does MetaMoJi’s – Viddory have over its competitors?
A: Viddory is an iPhone mini video editor which helps users capture, annotate and personalize micro videos within the super simple interface of one efficient app. Viddory stands out by combining many video dress-up and annotation functions in one simple, intuitive app. Viddory is used on the iPhone to film, trim, annotate, embellish and share stories with the simple swipe of a finger. You can add special effects to your mini video and dress it up with filters, stickers, handwriting, drawings and music.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: MetaMoJi is constantly innovating new productivity solutions for different market needs. Expect more industry focused solutions to compliment the business and education suites of mobile productivity solutions.
MetaMoJi has an intentional focus on corporate “gemba” initiatives – where corporations are sending employees out of the office to interact more closely with customers out in the field. MetaMoJi’s mobile productivity solutions are aimed at helping workers of all types squeeze more productivity from their tablets and smartphones. Expect more apps designed for use “on the shop floor” or out in the field where mobile technologies are quickly changing business and manufacturing processes.
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