The mobileXware Story

In this article, I want to give you some insight into mobileXware and how both the company itself and its product, nexFIT, came to be so that you can get to know us a little better...

So how did mobileXware come to be (and develop nexFIT, a fitness app for BlackBerry, iPhone & iPod Touch)? It all started when I, Jason Ryer, entered the Peace Corps in Bolivia in 2003. Working and living in a pueblo of just over 1,000 inhabitants, I was wondering how I would keep up with my fitness routine. I had brought a few useful fitness tools with me, mainly exercise bands and a stability (aka swiss) ball. These worked fairly well - when I used them. However, it wasn't until I talked with a fellow Peace Corps volunteer that I discovered a routine that would have me hooked and really boost my interest in fitness.

Honestly, it isn't exactly a fitness "routine" and it may, in fact, seem to be the opposite. So what was it? My friend introduced me to "The Deck". It's a simple method to mix up a fitness routine by way of assigning exercises to playing cards. Ace is abs. Two is push ups. And so on. It sounds easy enough, right?

When I returned to my pueblo, I put The Deck to the test and used it with the various exercises I did... And I absolutely loved it! I didn't have to think about my fitness routine anymore. And it was a great way to mix things up so that I didn't get bored.

My twin brother, Jeff, came to visit me in Bolivia and we both did The Deck. He really liked the workout and the concept. After returning to the US, he discovered FitDeck, a deck of cards complete with exercise images and instruction. So he mailed it to me and I soon integrated FitDeck into my own workout and also introduced it to others.

While home (in Littleton, Colorado) for the holidays in 2005, I introduced FitDeck to Joel Lenorovitz, a long-time friend (and co-founder of mobileXware). He soon bought a deck for his own use during his frequent travels to Antarctica where he worked on a research ship.

While visiting home again for the holidays in 2006, Joel revealed to me some of the FitDeck images that he had put on his smartphone. I told Joel that we could build a business around the concept and I soon began doing some research.

I returned home in the summer of 2007 to work on the business full time. mobileXware was soon born and shortly after came nexFIT, our flagship product that puts fitness in the palm of your hand! (Fitness on your BlackBerry, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sanyo, Sony Ericsson and iPhone & iPod Touch)