Humana Develops Social Media Tool Combining Twitter Search with
Mapping Function
Allows Users to See, Join Conversations As and Where They Happen
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Humana (NYSE: HUM), a Fortune 100 health-benefits company, has developed
a social media tool that allows users to track Twitter conversations as
and where they happen ? and it is one of the first tools to incorporate
Twitter?s newly released ?geo-tagging? feature.
The tool, called the Tweet Positioning System, or TPS, is known in
social media circles as a ?mashup.? It merges functions of Twitter
Search with Google Maps to provide a real-time geographic view of
micro-blogging conversations. TPS is being offered for free to
interested parties at www.mytpsreport.com.
Users can enter any search term into the TPS search box. The tool then
links to Twitter, which recently released a software update allowing
users to opt to share their current location. Drawing data from this
?geo-tagging? feature, a map automatically appears showing ?hot spots?
where Twitter conversations are being held on that topic at that moment,
whether it?s around the United States or around the world. Users can
then click on the hotspots to view or even join conversations (if they
are Twitter members).
Humana built the tool to gain insights in areas such as product
development, event management and regional sales and marketing. In the
spirit of transparency, it decided to share the tool with other users.
The tool will continue to evolve based on user feedback. Several new
features have already been added, such as the ability to see the volume
of tweets over time for any given search, and the ability to add a
widget (showing a map of your favorite conversation) to your blog or
Facebook page.
?At Humana, we?re interested in engaging communities of like-minded
people around concepts like health and wellness,? said Greg Matthews, a
director in Humana?s Innovation Center, which developed the tool. ?We
originally developed the TPS tool with this in mind, but we quickly
realized it might have applications beyond that. A small business, for
example, might want to see what people in their market are saying about
them or their industry to help them improve their products or services.
?If nothing else, it?s fun to play with the tool to see where people are
talking about the things that matter to you, such as your favorite food
or favorite team,? he added. ?The geographic differences can also be
pretty fascinating as you try to figure out why a certain topic
resonates in one area, but not in another.?
As with all mashups, the tool has not been officially endorsed by either
Twitter or Google.
About Humana
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is one of the nation?s
largest publicly traded health and specialty benefits companies, with
approximately 10.3 million medical members and 7.3 million
specialty-benefit members. Humana is a full-service benefits solutions
company, offering a wide array of health and specialty benefit plans for
employer groups, government programs and individuals.
Over its 48-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities
to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in
consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a
better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer
portfolio.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the
Investor Relations page of the company?s Web site at http://www.humana.com,
including copies of:
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Annual reports to stockholders
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Securities and Exchange Commission filings
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Most recent investor conference presentations
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Quarterly earnings news releases
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Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls
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Calendar of events (includes upcoming earnings conference call dates
and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and
institutional investors)
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Corporate Governance Information
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Humana Corporate Communications
Doug Bennett, 502-580-3625
dbennett@humana.comRead more