Today, February 14, saw My-Villages, the web and mobile technology company supporting a marine industry collaborative, present its new premium service at the Miami International Boat Show. Available in its beta version, the product will significantly improve efficiency for boat yards as well as technicians, while simultaneously helping owners simplify how they operate and maintain their boats.
My-Villages’ premium service—available for smart phones and iPads—makes boat maintenance what it should be: simple. It provides boat owners and marine professionals with immediate access to a boat’s equipment inventory, service history, relevant manuals, usage trends, trip logs and other useful information. The service also supports automated service reminders, electronic service requests, real-time status reports on work in process, and the ability to upload images and video to support an electronic service request, work estimate, or shared expert advice.
The result is a system that helps take the sting out of the routine maintenance and repairs that burden boat owners, and gives yards and technicians new tools to build and operate their business. My-Villages’ premium service will also soon allow service yards to better manage multiple clients and boats through integration to third-party billing systems currently used in the industry.
“Our new premium service is like having a customized operating manual and your favorite service technician’s advice right in your pocket – ready in an instant when you need it,” said My-Villages founder and CEO Kevin Hutchinson. “Just as banks have automated online services, allowing customers to access everything associated with their accounts and transactions, our premium service allows boat owners and service providers to access all the boat information they need to get the job done.”
My-Villages announced the beta release of its free service, the boat village, at the 2012 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October. The company committed at that show to bring out its premium service in early 2013. The premium service builds upon the existing My-Villages digital platform, which allows individuals or businesses to create a profile with links to social media, blogs, websites or other online content and create specialized electronic communities to share expertise and advice.
More than two dozen brand-name marine companies now serve as My-Villages beta partners for the free service, helping to craft products that serve both owners and the industry. Partners include Hinckley Yachts, Kadey-Krogen Yachts, Dometic, Cummins, Westerbeke and others throughout the marine industry.
“As My-Villages’ first Innovation Partner, we have been impressed by our experiences to date with My-Villages,” said Hinckley CEO James McManus. “We expect to fully integrate the My-Villages technology into our eight east coast service operations. This online approach is now best in class. It will have a tremendous effect on how we communicate with, and service our customers.”
“Saunders Yachtworks has been a beta partner on My-Villages’ free service from the start, and our entire team is excited by what we have seen to date,” said John Fitzgerald, president. “We have thoroughly investigated their free program. We believe, combined now with the premium service, that the products My-Villages offers represent the clear future for the yacht service and maintenance industry. We believe My-Villages will help us communicate better with our customers, allow us to better monitor, track and schedule ongoing maintenance protocols, and ultimately deliver a greatly enhanced service experience for our customers.”
To sign up for a My-Villages premium service account, industry service professionals and boat owners begin by establishing a free My-Villages account, where a simple digital prompt facilitates the upgrade to the premium service. Pricing for owners is based on boat length, while service yards pay a monthly fee based upon the number of licensed technicians using the service.
