TouchNote
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox company
| name = TouchNote
| key_people = {{unbulleted list|Raam Thakrar (Founder)}}
| type = Mobile application
| logo = Touchnote_logo_2017.png
| foundation = 2008
| homepage = {{URL|touchnote.com}}
| location_city = London
| location_country = United Kingdom
}}
TouchNote is a mobile app for smartphones, tablets and website for sending printed, personalized postcards, greeting cards, other photo products as well as gifts.
TouchNote was notably{{cn|date=December 2021}} one of the first subscription card sending services. It operates in the $15B worldwide cards and photo merchandise market, and ranked as one of Europe's fastest growing tech companies, in Inc. 5000, Deloitte Fast50 (2015),Sunday Times TechTrack (2017) and Financial Times 1000 (2018).{{cn|date=December 2021}}
The company is privately funded and based in London and New York. The Android and iOS apps and website are regularly updated with new features.
TouchNote was first launched in 2008 and is based in London.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pcscufflinksgifts.com/ |title=The Personalised Gift Shop - Free Delivery UK – PCS Cufflinks & Gifts |access-date=19 February 2022 |archive-date=19 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219151749/https://www.pcscufflinksgifts.com/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2008/11/03/touchnote/|title=Touchnote Wants to Bring Back the Postcard|date=3 November 2008|publisher=Mashable.com|accessdate=28 January 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dailycandy.com/london/article/39962/Its+Personal|title=It's Personal | Everywhere|date=7 November 2008|publisher=DailyCandy.com|accessdate=28 January 2016}}
Company profile
The company was founded by Raam Thakrar and Paul Burdin in 2008, and was launched to the public in November 2008.{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2008/11/03/touchnote/ |title=Touchnote Wants to Bring Back the Postcard |publisher=Mashable.com |date=3 November 2008 |accessdate=28 January 2016}}
The TouchNote apps and website convert users' photos into postcards, greeting cards, and other photo products which are printed and posted by TouchNote on behalf of the user.
TouchNote cards
The TouchNote app and website allows users to send personalised postcards, greeting cards, framed photos, photo canvases and boxes of prints using their own photos. Orders are sent anywhere in the world with a functioning postal system, but are printed and posted from print centres based in the UK, USA, Germany and Australia.{{cn|date=December 2021}}
In March 2009, TouchNote released an API which allowed other sites to integrate into their print on demand system. This included photos from Facebook and from Picasa.{{cite web|last=Butcher |first=Mike |url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/03/24/touchnote-launches-api-integrates-with-facebook-photos/ |title=Europe – The latest innovative tech coming out of Europe | TechCrunch |website=Uk.techcrunch.com |date=24 March 2009 |accessdate=28 January 2016}} This API has since been discontinued.
Mobile applications
In May 2009, the company released an application on the Nokia OVI store{{cite web|last=Butcher |first=Mike |url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/05/26/touchnote-for-mobile-is-the-only-ovi-store-app-shipping-physical-product/ |title=Europe – The latest innovative tech coming out of Europe | TechCrunch |website=Uk.techcrunch.com |date=26 May 2009 |accessdate=28 January 2016}} which allowed users to use photos on their phone to make cards.
It was the first application on the OVI store which produced a physical product. The app was voted the must-have entertainment app of 2010 by Ovi users.[http://blog.ovi.com/dailyapp/global/2011/01/meet-the-winners-of-ovi-daily-apps-must-have-app-of-the-year-awards/ Meet the Winners of Ovi Daily App’s "Must-Have App of the Year Awards"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110110191522/http://blog.ovi.com/dailyapp/global/2011/01/meet-the-winners-of-ovi-daily-apps-must-have-app-of-the-year-awards/|date=10 January 2011}}
The company first released an iPhone application in September 2009 with similar functionality.{{cite web|last=Butcher |first=Mike |url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/09/17/touchnote-addresses-its-weakness-with-a-smart-iphone-app/#more-10491 |title=Europe – The latest innovative tech coming out of Europe | TechCrunch |website=Uk.techcrunch.com |date=17 September 2009 |accessdate=28 January 2016}}
In June 2010 an Android application was released with similar functionality.
In October 2010 a Windows Phone 7 app was launched. This included additional features such as photo crop and zoom and ability for users to sign their cards.{{cite web|url=http://microsoft-news.tmcnet.com/microsoft/articles/108375-touchnote-hello-from-hawaii.htm |title=Microsoft News – Touchnote: Hello from Hawaii |website=Microsoft-news.tmcnet.com |date=13 October 2010 |accessdate=28 January 2016}} The Windows Phone 7 app is no longer supported by TouchNote.
Awards
TouchNote has received awards, including the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.fasttrack.co.uk/company_profile/touchnote/ |title=Touchnote Announced as One of the UK's Top 10 Fastest Growing Technology Companies at the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 Awards |website=bestmobileappawards.com |date=7 December 2015 |accessdate=10 December 2018}}
Data breach
On 4 November 2015, TouchNote suffered a data breach in which some customer names, email addresses, order histories and home addresses were stolen.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34744132 |title=Touchnote postcard app suffers data breach |date=6 November 2015 |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=28 January 2016}} In their official statement on 5 November, the company also confirmed that some dates of birth had been accessed, along with some card recipient's names and postal addresses.{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/09/touchnote_cops_to_data_breach_tells_customers_no_action_required/ |title=Touchnote breach: Wrote a postcard with us? Thieves have your pal's name, address |website=The Register |accessdate=28 January 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://updates.touchnote.com/ |accessdate=14 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203141458/https://updates.touchnote.com/ |archivedate=3 February 2016|title=Important Update to Touchnote Customers – 5th November 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://sms-vmsg.org |accessdate=4 March 2021|title= SMS EasyReade and Printer}}