Bowling has always had a primitive quality: Bowler grabs heavy ball, slings it one-armed down the lane, hopes to smash as many pins as possible in a grand and furious explosion.
Yet, even bowling is not immune from the forces of modern technology, as a new product from a Dacula-based company demonstrates.
XBowling, a free app that can be used in technologically-enabled bowling centers worldwide, allows bowlers using smart phones or devices such as the iPhone, iPad and Androids to compete against each other - even when they are not in the same location.
It was launched earlier this year by Sports Challenge Network, which was founded in 2010 by a group of technology industry veterans, and is available in about 200 bowling centers in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia, including some in metro Atlanta.
The company sees huge potential: There are about 5,400 centers in the U.S. and more than 13,000 worldwide. About 71 million Americans bowl at least one time a year, according to industry estimates.
“The development of the XBowling app is a breakthrough innovation for bowling,” said Steve Johnson, executive director of the Bowling Proprietors Association of America in statement earlier this year. “Through this new technology, we are forever changing the bowling experience by shattering geographic boundaries and making it possible for bowlers to see how they stack up against anyone, anywhere.”
“They’re bringing the most innovative and exciting product to bowling that we’ve seen since bumper bowling and glow in the dark bowling nights,” said Frank DeSocio, president of Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing and sales arm of the bowling industry.
Sports Challenge Network founder and CEO Tim Minard, an entrepreneur and technology industry veteran, was looking into the confluence of recreational sports and technology while on the prowl for new business ideas when he hit upon bowling.
“I was amazed to see a sport that’s been around for so long but didn’t have any major technological innovations,” he said. The question was how to add value to the sport utilizing technology. Using social mobile technology and smart devices was the answer.
The company, run by technology, sports and marketing industry veterans, launched in Silicon Valley, but established its headquarters in Gwinnett County. It now has 25 employees, with 25 more jobs expected to be created over the next three years, the company said.
Sports Challenge Network is privately held, and the company did not provide financial details. XBowling makes money from bowler user fees, bowling center fees and from related mobile commerce opportunities such as promotions and marketing.
The company is looking into other recreational sports such as golf, tennis and fishing where physical activity can be combined with smart devices to increase participation and add value.
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