Boaters Nationwide Join to Communicate, Collaborate and Simplify Boat Ownership
Hobe Sound, Fla. – May 13, 2014 – The Boat Village, the marine industry’s leading online service coordination and boat management tool, is now more than 1,000 boaters strong—even before its official launch to boat owners in Southeast Florida, New England and other parts of the country.
The Boat Village offers a free online community where owners can coordinate service online with technicians; search for information, share tips and tricks; and find service recommendations from manufacturers or just about anyone in the industry. Boaters can also use The Boat Village Premium Service, an online service coordination and boat management tool that allows them to receive maintenance reminders, schedule service, access operating tips and store records right from their pocket.
“These early adopters are people who really understand that technology can improve our time on the water,” said Kevin Hutchinson, founder and CEO of My-Villages, which created The Boat Village. “Modern boats are complicated and simplifying boat ownership is important.”
Creating a profile on The Boat Village is available free of charge, and provides access to nearly 30,000 pieces of advice including manufacturer maintenance recommendations, documentation, operating videos and dozens of communities where owners can communicate about the type of boat they own, a piece of equipment or just similar interests.
Major marine businesses like The Hinckley Co., Regal, Ferretti Group, Galati Yacht Sales, Bradford Marine, Westerbeke, MTU and MarineMax Vacations all utilize The Boat Village or offer it to their customers.
The Boat Village Premium Service is the perfect compliment. It keeps an inventory of the boat owner’s onboard equipment, personalized with digital manuals and a custom maintenance plan based on recommendations from manufacturers and their personal service technicians. Owners receive electronic reminders when equipment needs service and can send electronic service requests directly to their technicians—including the use of photos and video. The result is stronger two-way communication between owners and professionals—all in the same application.
Transactions are preserved electronically and the boat’s service history, usage trends, trip logs and other useful information are readily available from any smartphone, tablet or computer. When it comes time to trade up, these digital records can increase a boat’s value.
The Boat Village has recently launched campaigns to sign up boaters and marine businesses nationwide, and regional collaboratives beginning in Southeast Florida, where companies like Whiticar, MPI, Bradford Marine and Galati Yacht Sales and others are already onboard.
“Industries like banking, retail and healthcare have all embraced technology to transact business with customers online,” Hutchinson said. “Why should boating be any different? That’s exactly what The Boat Village does, and it is great to see such growth so early in The Boat Village’s life. We just launched the public beta a little over 6 months ago.”
To learn more about The Boat Village and The Boat Village Premium and Professional Service, visit www.my-villages.com.
About My-Villages
My-Villages is a technology company dedicated to helping people better maintain and operate the things they own. The company improves communication and coordination between product owners, manufacturers and industry service professionals, using mobile technology to simplify life for consumers and help businesses engage customers more effectively. Learn more at www.my-villages.com.
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