AAM Selects Guide By Cell As Latest Member Discount Partner

Feb 17, 2011 Judith Rubin Museums 0

Washington, DC, USA — The American Association of Museums (AAM) has chosen mobile technology service provider Guide by Cell as a Member Discount technology partner.

As the largest service organization in the museum field, AAM has long focused on making valuable products more accessible to its 21,000 institutional and individual members. This newest collaboration commits both AAM and Guide by Cell to ensuring that U.S. museums stay current with the rapidly changing field of mobile technology solutions.

“Museums have always been centers of innovation,” said AAM president Ford W. Bell. “Today, it is an imperative for museums to be at the forefront of new technology. It is also critical for museums to be ahead of the curve, particularly in terms of attracting younger audiences.”

Under the new agreement, AAM members who are new Guide by Cell clients are eligible for a 30% discount on the first year of service for mobile audio tours, text messaging and interactive systems and Smartphone applications.

A forthcoming study from AAM indicates the timely nature of this new partnership. Preliminary results from a nationwide survey of all types and sizes of museums describe a growing interest in mobile technologies across the museum field, coupled with concerns about a lack of resources at individual museums and a lack of knowledge about effective mobile technologies. The complete survey results will be released in March. The survey was sponsored in part by Guide by Cell and conducted for AAM by Fusion Research + Analytics, LLC.

Citing the need for making the right technology choices, Bell said, “Museums always need to be good stewards of their financial resources, but never more so than in today’s economy. Making the right choice can meet two primary museum objectives: enhancing the visitor experience and saving money.”

AAM provides a range of services in its Member Discount program (shipping and insurance among them), and recently technology partners have become a prime objective of the 105-year old organization.

“At Guide by Cell, we’re committed to helping the museum community use mobile technology as a tool to educate, connect and engage with visitors,” said Guide by Cell president Dave Asheim. “We’re delighted to partner with AAM, the museum industry’s most innovative thought leader. We hope that its members will take advantage of the special pricing we are offering to begin a mobile initiative.”

About AAM
The American Association of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing= knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. With more than 18,000 individual, 3,000 institutional and 300 corporate members, AAM is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievements of the human experience, past, present and future.

About Guide by Cell
Guide by Cell is the world’s largest provider of interactive mobile technology solutions for cultural institutions and nonprofit organizations. Since 2004, the company has expanded its services to include mobile audio tours, text messaging systems, Smartphone applications and mobile giving campaigns.

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