Appus Studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization and your position.

Buddypass is a next generation Group Chat app designed to help people make true friendships with people nearby. It is location based and allows people to find and interact with other users by proximity. It has numerous features including a robust chat engine, and unique tools to help people find and connect with like-minded users.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you looking to address with Appus?

Appus has helped us refactor out-dated and buggy code from previous developers and develop new features.

SOLUTION

What business challenge were you trying to address with Appus?

It was an iPhone version and my point was to first start with iPhone and then when I get something running and almost done then going to the Android version. What is on the iPhone version - I went to some Chinese freelancer with part of the work and then after a while I told them to stop and would do it myself. Then I start finishing the stuff and then by doing this on iPhone I realized that actually it was best to ask a freelancer or a team to start the project to get to a point where they could do all the framework and when the framework is in place because it started to be business oriented - basically to finish it myself because I have the IT skills. But everything is really technical. I see it makes sense to ask those guys because they know how to do it and they know how to do it on a daily basis. This is where I started talking with Appus and they started the project and then they arrive at the point they wanted them to go and now I need to finish the app so I need to do my business side in the app and then I think I will be stuck at some point because of the technical stuff and then I will come back to them and say I need this stuff and I will pay them for this.

How did you come to work with Appus?

Appus was a topped ranked Development Studio found through Elance.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

With Appus my project was $10,000 to $50,000. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

Appus has delivered a high standard and high quality of work throughout the project in a timely fashion.

How did Appus perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s been maybe one year talking with freelancer and then based on the experience I had I see that they were very professional the way they were asking the questions and the way they were delivering the job. If I compare the Chinese person with the one I was working after I can see straight away from the questions they were asking that they know what they were talking about. At each point of the development when there was a question where they see different way of doing it they were also me my preferences whereas on the other side they were always doing what was best for them not best for me. They didn’t even ask me. Because it’s technical so I’m not aware of all the specificities and they do a choice and then you realize later it’s not the best choice. So on their side what they did is before to actually go and do that they talk to me and say if you choose this option - say for a chat for example - then you’re going to have this to take care of later on. And they give me all the different things. Based on this I had to do my choice. But they give me the choice.

Is there anything Appus could have improved or done differently?

They give me a good price for the work they did. What they provide me I don’t think I would expect more. I was being so cheap so I wasn’t expecting them to be like Google but for the price I paid I was very happy with the quality. I think for what they do they should ask more. Now if I wanted to make something very technical that requires optimization and all this thing - I didn’t test this part because I’m not there yet. I don’t need something running in milliseconds. But for what I was asking they were doing perfectly. I don’t have anything to complain about.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company is TakeMeOut. The purpose of the company is to build a new dating app. This is a side project for me.

What is your position?

I am the only employee so far and I manage everything from marketing to development, database incorporation and legal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Appus?

The main challenge was to build an android app using my current backend so that I can have my app on both platforms: iPhone and Android.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Appus was responsible for developing the Android version of my app, based on the iOS app that we had already developed. I also asked them to build some modules for the iPhone version.

How did you come to work with Appus?

I found them through a thorough online search. I selected them because they looked the best. They showed plenty of experience in mobile apps, high retention rate (percentage of people that made a project with them and used them again), good communication that I tested via Skype, good naming convention and good comments. I also asked them to send me sample projects to check.

They were in competition with two other companies and I was hesitating between them. In the end, I went with Appus Studio since they looked more responsive. The code was published every day and they made me a discount on the hourly rates as it was a long-term project.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

This project was in the $10,000 to $50,000 price range.

What is the status of this engagement?

It’s ongoing. They spent 7-8 weeks working on the basic part of the project. I am now using them when needed. If I see I need a small module, I send it their way.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I don’t have any results to share at the moment.

How did Appus perform from a project management standpoint?

I was very happy with the deliverables provided by Appus Studio. The team was really professional, and I had some past experience to compare. It was like 2 different worlds, and I really hope that I could have worked with them from the beginning.

What distinguishes Appus from other providers?

The Appus Studio team was fast, efficient, and their code was perfect. They are incredibly professional and knowledgeable in their field.

Is there anything Appus could have improved or done differently?

I can’t think of anything at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Inspiring Apps [IA] is a mobile app and website development company. We used the services of Appus Studio to develop our mobile applications. My role is geared towards Project Management between our clients and Appus Studio’s developers.

What is your position?

I am the Co-Founder and Managing Director of IA.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Appus Studio?

We were seeking someone to help us build an application based on an idea we had. We were sick of seeing baby photos, posts and pictures from days before and rarely time sensitive Facebook posts.

We wanted to know when our friends were out and about since people weren’t using the check-in feature on Facebook anymore.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Appus was responsible for the full development of an iOS and Android app for Smartphones and tablets. The app required Facebook integration for sign-in and sharing purposes. Appus also included a one-on-one chat integration featured, as well as the ability to comment, like and check in. The location-based check-ins are pulled from the Google Places application. This was developed using the Parse framework.

Appus Studio set up a client management system for us to use to communicate with the developers. They also provided additional services such as App Store listing setup and creation, testing and app store submissions.

How did you come to work with Appus Studio?

We wanted to see a great portfolio of the kind of projects we imagined we were going to create. We first started developing our own (internal) applications with Appus Studio, and then we brought them our clients too. So the portfolio was important, but after a Skype meet and greet, we were certain that Appus Studio could meet our requirements.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It cost approximately $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project is ongoing though the first few versions finished around February 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any results that came out of this engagement?

The app is working great and is still functioning on both the App Store and Google Play. The seamless communication between the apps is accurate; the chat between users is effortless and has push notifications to keep users engaged. Only due to our own budget we have slowed the growth of the app. We have a multitude of integrations we wish to do in the future.

What distinguishes Appus Studio from other providers?

They are the first development company we have worked with. We continue to bring Appus Studio projects due to their consistency, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

They offered services such as App Store set up that we had no experience in, which was crucial. They also provided better solutions to our requests, and we would continually look forward to how they could improve our own apps.

Is there anything Appus Studio could have improved or done differently?

We could have scoped our project better to make the process more seamless for Appus Studio. We made several iterations which often set Appus back in time, but they never made anything of it and kept on working away.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization and your position in the organization.

We are a research group within a university that is interested in understanding building performance and occupant satisfaction. As the technical officer of the laboratory, I saw an opportunity to apply mobile technologies to explore occupant movements throughout a building.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Appus Studio?

The challenges were to better understand how building layouts can influence health, as well as discovering how occupants move across a floor or within a building by using smartphones to track their activity in conjunction with beacons to monitor location. This is of huge interest to researchers because people in developed countries spend approximately 90% of their time indoors. The application of mobile technology to this problem is novel and has the potential to unlock a whole new area of research into public health and office configuration optimizations.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Appus Studio developed an iOS application that served two primary functions: first, it logged key activity indicators such as steps taken, floors ascended/descended, and the distance travelled; second, it provided distance estimates from beacons within range of the device for the explicit use of indoor location tracking.

They were responsible for every aspect of design, development, testing, and support based on the brief that was written for the project. There was a tight timeline, but the project was completed ahead of schedule thanks to their quick development time and excellent communication.

How did you come to work with Appus Studio?

Having considered a number of development studios, we selected Appus Studio based on their excellent track record of delivering well-designed apps that were similar in nature to our requirements.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The project cost less than $10,000.

What was the timeline of the project?

The total project timeline was 3 weeks from the starting date.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Unfortunately, I do not have any results to share. The app that was developed is still going through internal testing within our research facility. We are planning a wide roll-out to test it in the field by the end of 2015. At that point, I will be able to provide statistics.

The app that was developed by Appus Studio exceeds our expectations. Their implementation successfully generated the data we had hoped to collect, thanks in-part to their suggestions. Our internal testing has shown the accuracy of the measurements to be very high, and we plan to roll-out a large-scale test in a real-world setting very soon.

How did Appus Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

The Appus Studio team was perfect! They followed the brief and kept the project on track, resulting in the app being completed ahead of schedule. Communication was efficient and succinct, and they limited contact with me only to clarify particular elements or to update me on their progress for feedback. It really was very easy on my end.

What distinguishes from other providers?

I have dealt with a number of mobile app development firms, and what separates Appus from other providers is really their project management. As I said above, as a client I am only engaged when absolutely necessary. This works for me because they always deliver a really great product on-time. They work closely to clarify and define the scope of work, but afterwards it is really hands-off on my end. As a client, I really value being able to have total faith in the provider.

Is there anything Appus could have improved or done differently?

To be honest, I can't think of anything. They really did deliver an excellent app, and their service was excellent!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're a middleman between IT outsourcing companies, and clients in the states looking for those services.

What is your position and responsibilities?  

I am the founder, and it’s pretty much a one man show. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Appus Studio?

We wanted to make a text scheduling app.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

I had a client who was looking for an app that would enable the user to schedule SMS and email messages on their phone. We provided them with designs, but they had a lot of freedom. We didn’t really tell them exactly how to develop it, as we weren’t sure of the most efficient way. So we literally gave them wireframes and said, "We want this. You can see from the designs what the functionality is, make the backend however it needs to be." So they’re the ones that actually integrated Parse and Twilio, and the different third party APIs that run the show behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Appus Studio?

I found them first on Elance, where I posted the description of what I wanted for the job. I’ve worked on Elance for five years now, so I kind of knew what I was looking for. What they were good at, versus a lot of the other proposals, was that in their proposal, they actually said very specifically, ‘This is how we’re going to make it’, as opposed to just saying, ‘Yeah, we can do it for this price.’

A lot of people, if they’re a freelancer, they’re going to say they can do it because they want to get paid, and then they run into all these issues later. When Appus came in and provided their proposal, they said, ‘This is easy. We know how to do this, this and this. This is what you’re going to get.’ So we were comfortable going with them in terms of actually getting the project done and not getting stuck halfway through.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was probably $5,000 or $6,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We still work with them for bug fixes and new features, but in terms of the main app - what we really built and got into the AppStore - it took about three months, from September of 2014 to launching in December of 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We’ve gone to five figures in terms of downloads, so that’s nice. We have about 25,000 messages that have been scheduled, and just in the last month, we started making it paid and adding some freemium, paid features. We’re starting to slowly generate revenue from it, which is nice. None of that stuff happens unless the app runs smoothly and there aren’t a lot of bugs, because App Store reviews matter a lot and you won't get 5 star ratings if your app crashes all the time.

What distinguishes Appus Studio from other providers?

I’ve worked with a lot of companies overseas, and it's rare to find a company that is actually good with communication. With Appus you have a dedicated project manager who is your one point of contact with all their developers.

Also you have piece of mind with Appus because they’ve done hundreds of thousands of dollars of work on Elance. That’s kind of nice, because when you’re working with somebody overseas, you never really get to talk to them or meet them face to face, and you worry where your money is going. They’re actually a reputable company.

Is there anything Appus Studio could have improved or done differently?

There’s always stuff to work around when you’re working with overseas developers. It’s not necessarily anything on them, but they have totally different holidays than we do. Or if someone gets sick, you kind of wait that out, because they do have a dedicated person working on your project, and other developers are working on other projects. That isn’t my favorite part; to me it’s just a random working day, but for them it’s a national holiday. That’s not necessarily on them. I don’t know if there’s anything that I would deal with that isn’t completely common with other vendors.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company is Unified Grocers. We are a retailer-owned wholesale grocery cooperative that supplies independent supermarkets in the West Coast. We supply groceries to 3,000 independent grocery stores. We develop, market, and sell technical services to them.

What is your position?

I'm in charge of the retail technology products department of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Appus Studio?

One of the main functions that we have is an ordering system that allows stores to order goods from us. When their stock is low, they scan the tags of the goods that they want to restock.  The ordering system that we've been using is almost 30 years old. We were looking for a way to replace that system with something that was cheap and easy to implement. That's why we decided to go mobile, and we approached Appus to help us with that.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Appus Studio was involved in the development of an iOS app that would help our clients order goods from us. My background is also in graphic design, so I've been doing all the storyboarding. I have a team here that helped me work on the back-end, and how our files would integrate with our internal system. We had a whole team work on that side while Appus focused on database management and the actual development of the iOS app itself.

How did you come to work with Appus Studio?

We started out with an RFP [request for proposal] we gave to more than a half dozen different developers, listing out our needs. Appus Studio came back with a price quote that we agreed with, and they took it from there. They've pretty much done everything for us since then.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We're in the $50,000 to $200,000 range – closer to $100,000. They came in at a fraction of what other bidders offered.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talks with them about two years ago [as of September 2015]. Our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

It's an ongoing project, so we don't have all the functionalities that we want yet. To date, we've got about 700 stores on board, and it's been very successful. The feedback we've received on the app by Appus Studio has been phenomenal. We're in the grocery business, and nothing in grocery is cutting edge. We're really slow movers. This app has been groundbreaking in our industry.

How did Appus Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

I'd give Appus Studio high marks all way around. We have a dedicated project manager who does a good job with their team. I really can't complain.

What distinguishes Appus Studio from other providers?

We've personally been implementing waterfall development methodology, and bringing my company on board with the agile viewpoint that Appus implements has been difficult on my end. We had multiple releases of the app. We update it every month or so. That's been very good for us.

Is there anything Appus Studio could have improved or done differently?

No. I don't think there's anything negative I could say about them. We've been very happy.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and founder of the website

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Appus Studio?

Website design and development

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

This seller was chosen by previous customers

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Design and development of a website that is a directory for hospitals and medical centers

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I thank all the employees of the company, especially Mr. Dmitry Mi CEO and Mrs. Olga St Sales Manager and Mrs.Olha Na Project Manager. and the Website developer and designer. thanks a lot.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The project is still under beta launch and I find very great support from the work team, (Mr. Dmitry Mi CEO and Mrs. Olga St Sales Manager and Mrs.Olha Na Project Manager. and the Website developer and designer).

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very wonderful, clarity and respect for the contract and respect for the customer's desire and a wonderful effort from the work team to provide distinguished work. I achieved my goals because of their support and expertise.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Great support made me feel that they are partners with me and not just developers

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

There must be challenges facing any project, but as long as there is an honest and loyal team, it will overcome those challenges

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Digital Marketing at an outsourcing company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Appus Studio, and what were your goals?

App development

SOLUTION

How did you select Appus Studio and what were the deciding factors?

We have been working together for years

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

App development and assistance

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

(3) Project managers and developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

They are awesome partners. Their work is always good. People full of skills and empathy.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They always do a great job.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

The delivery times are good but can be better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Mobile app Management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Appus Studio, and what were your goals?

Creation of a plant recognition and sharing app with multiple functions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Best offer and quality.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Full creation and releasing of app.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

3 to 5

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Result are satisfactory as of now app has been just released to public.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Smooth, nice interactions.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their response and quality were impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Product Manager for an App Marketing company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Appus Studio?

We hire Appus Studio for several iOS and Android apps

What were your goals for this project?

Create a profitable product that differentiates itself from the competition

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched for companies with good reviews and testable apps which can prove they can do a remarkable work

Describe the project in detail.

Augmented reality app for astronomy fans.

What was the team composition?

they assigned us a project manager, one developer, and a QA

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

this app surpasses our expectations, more than 2000 downloads per week

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow is smooth with their own platform for project management

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The app is a real achievement in AR!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Every feature of any product can be improved.