Intellectsoft

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

FINIS is one of the largest competitive swimming brands in the world.

My name is Christopher Zhu. I am the lead web developer here at FINIS Inc. and also the current project manager of the FINIS Live mobile app.

My name is David Beittel. I am an industrial designer, and I manage the product development group.

My name is CJ Fiala. I am the lead of the demand generation group, and I handle public relations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intellectsoft?

CJ: We were coming out with a new version of our Swimsense Live. It tracks all of your swimming statistics while you are swimming. There was a desire by users to be able to look at those statistics on a mobile device. Previously, you would connect it up to your computer through USB, upload the information, and then look at your statistics on a computer.

Therefore, we worked with Intellectsoft to develop a mobile application that currently pairs with Swimsense Live and eventually other products. We wanted an app that would be readily available to transfer data in real-time as we have products that track certain data. This was our first app, so we did not have experience developing an app nor the in-house engineering and software developers needed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Christopher: Intellectsoft dealt with developing an iOS and Android app for us. Our app connects our electronic devices via Bluetooth from the hardware of the device itself to the mobile device. Our main product right now is the Swimsense Live, and it records your swim workout which then syncs with your phone through the app, displaying the workout on your phone. The app is on Google Play and the iTunes Store since Swimsense Live launched two or three months ago.

How did you come to work with Intellectsoft?

CJ: We looked around. We got quotations from three other companies, and Intellectsoft was in San Jose. We are in Livermore, California so they were pretty close by. Through the process of evaluating the different vendors, Intellectsoft looked like a good fit. We believed they were driven and excited to work on our app, and willing to work quickly to meet the deadlines we wanted.

How much have you invested with Intellectsoft?

Christopher: We have invested between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Christopher: About a year and a half.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Christopher: Our users enjoy the cleanliness and design of the FINIS Live mobile app. We worked hard to make sure that the app matched the design and layout of our website. Users familiar with our website were also quite familiar with our app so they really enjoyed that. Users are awaiting more features, and that is what we are working on now.

How did Intellectsoft perform from a project management standpoint?

Christopher: We enjoyed Intellectsoft’s excitement and attitude towards working on the app. Having part of the development team in a different part of the world introduces a time difference, so communicating is naturally difficult, but they did a good job responding as soon as they could and being as descriptive as possible. They tried to understand the questions that we had. When they had questions, they also tried to be as specific as they could so that we could respond appropriately.

What did you find most impressive about Intellectsoft?

Christopher: As our first venture into the app world, they were responsive and also educated us on how to go about developing an app.

Are there any areas Intellectsoft could improve?

David: They could have worked a little more on communicating exactly the changes we wanted into their estimates. Because as the project goes on, problems arise, and that affects the budget estimation.

We were specific when working on the project and reviewing the build. Sometimes, we would ask them to do things, but it seemed to take a couple of times until they got it right. That was a little bit frustrating, but the stuff you are communicating is also difficult to communicate over such a long distance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We buy and sell high-end jewelry. I am one of the partners. About eight people are in our company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intellectsoft?

We wanted to grow our online business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We brought them on to completely redesign and rebuild our online retail presence. They did the front and backend of our public facing website built on Shopify. They also helped to build our backend inventory management database.

How did you come to work with Intellectsoft?

We were referred to them by a friend. And once we talked to them, we were not considering anybody else.

How much have you invested with Intellectsoft?

We have spent between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them for three months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The new website is remarkably better than the one we had before. We have a higher retention rate on the site. People are staying longer and looking at more pieces. Online sales have gone up a bit more, but we do not ever anticipate selling a lot through e-commerce because the products we sell are expensive. It works more as a brochure than anything else, and the high-end business has increased as a direct result of what we do with them.

How did Intellectsoft perform from a project management standpoint?

They were responsive and open to our ideas.

What did you find most impressive about Intellectsoft?

We, especially I, were very specific about what we wanted. And even if that sometimes did not conform to their ideas, they respected our wishes and bent over backward to make it right for us.

Are there any areas Intellectsoft could improve?

No. We were thoroughly pleased with the whole process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We host senior-level executive conferences. I am the director of graphic design for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intellectsoft?

We wanted to build an app for our attendees, who are senior-level executives of Fortune 500 companies. The solution needed to be high-level, and be something that they could use and appreciate.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Intellectsoft was brought in to build our iOS and Android app. We plan to extend the app to the iPad as well as build a web option. The app is an extension of our on-site event book. It provides a consolidated overview of that information, as well as featuring meeting reminders for our 3-day events. We have evaluation forms on the app, and also allow users to talk to each other and look at attendee profiles.

How did you come to work with Intellectsoft?

Intellectsoft attended a startup conference hosted by our group. When we were looking for a solution for ourselves, we considered them because Intellectsoft had experienced our format, so they could have an advantage in knowing what we needed. We also looked at other options, but Intellectsoft offered the best quality for the best price.

How much have you invested with Intellectsoft?

The cost of our project with Intellectsoft was between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Intellectsoft one year ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We haven't received any negative feedback for the app. People have loved it and said they wished it was present from the start. 

How did Intellectsoft perform from a project management standpoint?

Intellectsoft was extremely responsive to all of our questions. They were great at making sure that issues were followed up on; nothing fell through the cracks, which is very important. There are many moving parts and details in our work.

What did you find most impressive about Intellectsoft?

Intellectsoft was able to think about the big picture for our apps. There are many different details around them, all linked together.

Are there any areas Intellectsoft could improve?

I wish that Intellectsoft was working specifically for us, but I have no actual improvements to suggest.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Woodside Hotels is an independent operator of luxury boutique hotels in Northern California. We operate a portfolio of 8 hotels across the region, from Carmel Valley up to Monterey Bay.

I am the vice president of sales, marketing, and revenue management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intellectsoft?

We were renewing our digital landscape from top to bottom, including individual properties, our corporate website, and overall presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Intellectsoft redesigned and published our desktop and mobile web materials. I oversee all of the company's marketing efforts, so I acted as the key connection to Intellectsoft.

How did you come to work with Intellectsoft?

We went through a thorough request for proposal process looking for website developers. Intellectsoft was chosen based on their strengths and acumen within the industry. There were some personal connections to our president and chief executive officer, so after reviewing multiple candidates, previous work, and references, Intellectsoft came out on top.

How much have you invested with Intellectsoft?

The cost of Intellectsoft's work has been below $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Intellectsoft in the middle of 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The websites won't be published until January 2017. In terms of outcomes, we've been pleased with working with Intellectsoft's team over a period of 3 months, developing the site and partnering them with a separate creative agency.

How did Intellectsoft perform from a project management standpoint?

Intellectsoft has a robust team, providing experts in every field we required. Having a single point of contact and project management was one of the key things we were looking for. Intellectsoft was able to provide this, off shooting tasks internally to appropriate individuals for development or design. As we went through the project, we remained pleased at every turn.

What did you find most impressive about Intellectsoft?

Being a small, family-owned company, we are prone to provide feedback, so it can take some effort on the part of our partners to work with us and turn all of this feedback into actions.

Are there any areas Intellectsoft could improve?

As we moved towards launching our sites, we noticed that Intellectsoft has a tendency to work from the app, back. This may be a general trend in the industry, but we're used to developing the desktop versions of our digital presence first. Working the other way around was difficult for us, and it added some complexities. Once we got through some of them, everything started to flow smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

‎Liquid Studios is a consulting firm which deals with innovations in community development. The company is comprised of a network of some 180 consultants. The parent company of Liquid Studios designed and developed an app called Mi Rialiti .

I am the founder, president, and chief executive officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intellectsoft?

We deal with many individuals and have had challenges around how people of different ethnic backgrounds, genders, and ages are treated. We wanted to create an application which would address, capture, and document those experiences, acting as a one-stop-shop for businesses, municipalities, universities, philanthropists, and others to see the impact of these experiences.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Intellectsoft is building our iOS and Android app. Our investors are suggesting that we also create a desktop version, which is something for which we'll engage Intellectsoft in 2017.

How did you come to work with Intellectsoft?

I was using the off-the-shelf software offered by Intellectsoft’s subsidiary company. I called them 3 years ago about a mapping function which we really wanted. It wasn't something we could do with the ready-made software, but they gave us an estimate for how much it would cost to build. I couldn't afford the $200,000 price at the time, but I checked back with them 2 years later and was put in touch with Intellectsoft.

How much have you invested with Intellectsoft?

The cost of Intellectsoft's work has been above $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Intellectsoft in March 2016. Our MVP [minimum viable product] was launched in October. Version 1 came out in November, and version 3, a week and a half ago. We estimate that our project has one more year to go.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Instead of being an enterprise solution, our app is intended for regular users, which makes it more complicated to develop. There's much more critique around it, as well as more expectations from people who are used to using other social media applications.

Our app is currently out in the marketplace. Our investors as well as the beta testers have enjoyed the app and are seeing its potential. We have mapped out several additional versions of the app.

How did Intellectsoft perform from a project management standpoint?

Intellectsoft's attention to detail has been great. Our project coordinator, in particular, has been fabulous. I receive summaries of our conversations, with tasks itemized in spreadsheets, including hours and estimated costs. It's been a great working experience.

Are there any areas Intellectsoft could improve?

As an architect, I can understand the design and technical process involved in development. After this project, I have developed a better appreciation for the steps that a lay person might not understand. Depending on who Intellectsoft is working with, these steps may be something to lay out formally to make the process easier to understand. I have the feeling that many developers simply don't do that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a software company with a solution that makes using Salesforce.com easier, and selling more effective. I'm the chief executive officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intellectsoft?

We've worked with them for several years now. Our company was still relatively small when we first even considered outsourcing some of our development. We had a team of two developers, but they did not have native iOS experience. This forced us to consider hiring internally or partnering with another company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Intellectsoft has been involved in multiple different engagements, helping us develop and launch a series of custom mobile solutions for both iOS and Android. Our earlier projects were smaller, more like pilots. We brought them vision documentation and feature specs and then they'd go ahead and build the functional version, deal with testing, bug resolutions, etc.

Once we had established an effective process with them and we became more familiar with their work, we decided to begin roping them into more advanced project work. Most of the solutions they'd built have been data-intensive, and have required considerable understanding of nuanced business logic.

They've had a hand in a lot of our completed projects at this point.

How did you choose to work with Intellectsoft?

After much deliberation, we decided trying outsourcing our work. A number of places were considered, including India, Pakistan, China, etc. Intellectsoft was one of a number we vetted, but in the end, we were most confident in their abilities. 

What's the status of this engagement?

I can't remember exactly when we began working with them, but it's likely sometime around 2012 or 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The best example is the fact that several products wouldn't have been launched for our own end-customers if it hadn't been for Intellectsoft and their dedicated team of developers. When we first began, we definitely had a lot more work in our pipeline than we could realistically complete within the specified timelines. It really came down to having access to the right technical skills for the right amount of time in order to get our releases out the door. All of that was made possible thanks to Intellectsoft.

You have to remember that we had only web developers on our team, so the prospect of having all this native development work thrown at us was certainly a lot of pressure. We then had to apply pressure to Intellectsoft to ensure that we'd have what we needed. For the most part, these guys have been able to deliver exactly what we've asked for.

How did Intellectsoft perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management, overall, is one of their strengths. Even in situations where things went wrong, they've gone out of their way to remediate and resolve them. For instance, one of the first larger projects we delegated to them resulted in having three different project managers assigned to us in 6 months. One of them experienced a nervous breakdown, which no one can ever predict, but Intellectsoft handled the situation very professionally. They were extremely apologetic and worked with us to identify a candidate that would likely work out. That kind of flexibility has been a key contributor to our success. They've always been willing to bend over backward for us.

What did you find most impressive about Intellectsoft?

Intellectsoft is very customer-oriented. On more than one occasion, they've been very accommodating to our unique or unusual circumstances. For instance, earlier in our business relationship, we ran into some finance issues and couldn't afford to continue paying for their services. It came down to us pinging them rather unexpectedly, requesting that we suspend the contact immediately because of our situation, even though it might have proven only temporary. They came back to us and proposed establishing a line of credit for us so we could continue developing our products. They simply said we could begin repaying them once we got things back in order. In all my years working with offshore companies, not once have any of them ever proposed such a thing.

Are there any areas Intellectsoft could improve?

The only real thing is their communication skills. This is typical of most offshore operations. Some of their executives have some great verbal and written English skills, but others could use some improvement. It'd be nice to see more consistent working knowledge of English throughout their team, but that's really the only area. These guys have been fantastic.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Eurostar is a transport provider. We offer high speed rail travel between London and the rest of the continent. 

What is your position?

I’m a business systems manager for the apps used on board the trains. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Intellectsoft?

We had a previous technology supplier who wasn’t working out. They developed a train manager’s application for us. It’s one of the main applications that we use. We were looking for a new company to help us improve on the app. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Intellectsoft migrated the application to the Cloud, has continued to support our team, and has developed the application further. 

How did you come to work with Intellectsoft?

I wasn’t involved in the selection process, but from the conversations I’ve had, I understand that we were looking for a provider who would treat us as an important client. We were looking for a company that was innovative and excited to work with us as a brand.

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

Our ongoing maintenance contract is worth about £50,000 (approx US$73,300). With the development aspect, the total project is probably around £200,000 (approx US$293,300).

What is the status of this engagement?

It’s an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

From the user point of view, the app is a massive upgrade and it replaces a lot of paperwork. Previously, everything was done with paperwork. Train managers had to carry paper to report faults. The app allows them to communicate and record things better and it’s all housed in one application. It’s viewed as a positive step and as a real enhancement to the job.

What distinguishes Intellectsoft from other providers?

Intellectsoft is very flexible. Our project manager is excellent, always available and very organized, very transparent and reactive. We throw a lot of ideas at Intellectsoft and some we go with and some we don’t. They always find time to look into new things for us and have demonstrated a real willingness to react quickly to change.

Is there anything Intellectsoft could have improved or done differently?

Their time to deliver is not always as quick as we’d like, but that’s an expected thing with any client-vendor relationship.

BACKGROUND

We provide solutions that integrate Google productivity applications with the Salesforce CRM [customer relationship management].

I'm the CEO and CTO and managed the project from our end. It was my responsibility to oversee the complete planning, development, and deployment of the application, including marketing strategy and integration with the rest of the [our] products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Hundreds of thousands of companies use Salesforce to keep track of sales activities and customer data. There's always been a divide between the system's users use to communicate with their customers, [such as] email and phone, and prospects and Salesforce, where they're supposed to track that information. We knew that bringing the CRM to users' Inboxes would be a game changing solution, and we launched [our application] for Gmail in 2011 and have been pleased with the success it's enjoyed. We wanted to broaden our support for other email platforms and looked at iOS first. 

SOLUTION

[The application] was released initially to support iPhone, we later released support for iPad. The application is a full-featured email client with advanced CRM functionality built-in. The app was built 100 percent native with communication to our Salesforce-integrated platform via our private API [application programming interface]. Due to the nature of an email client, building a hybrid app (native+HTML5) wasn't an option.

We found Intellectsoft through online research. We spoke with several outsourcing firms during that time and selected Intellectsoft due to their impressive portfolio and hybrid onshore/offshore model. Before embarking on the full [mobile app] project, we asked Intellectsoft to build a proof-of-concept demoware app in less than two weeks for an investor presentation. They delivered.

Intellectsoft was a true partner throughout the process. They were our mobile development team. Once the project began, Intellectsoft lead us through a thorough design process that included mockups and storyboards. Intellectsoft engineers led the selection of the low-level libraries that we would use for email server communication. Their project managers managed their resources effectively and communicated with us professionally. 

We've been engaged with Intellectsoft for nearly two years now. We've brought some mobile development in-house as we've grown, but Intellectsoft has continued to be an important part of our mobile development team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Working with Intellectsoft has been a very positive experience. They’re a small company, and we found that as a result they were able to give us a great deal of attention. They possess strong competencies in mobile app development, and we never got the impression that we were dealing with anything less than top-shelf experts.  

Our project managers have been great, always keeping us in the loop with maximum transparency, and their development processes were executed very efficiently. We’re extremely satisfied with the applicatio] and we hope to partner with Intellectsoft for future projects.

BACKGROUND

Can you give a little bit of background information on your company?

I’m only 22 years old. When I first started the company, I was 21, which is just the beginning of this year. I had an idea for an application. Obviously, I’ve had every iPhone – I’m an iPhone fanatic. I had this idea for an app, and I thought, “Why not? I’m just going to do it. I’m just going to do it myself.” That was literally what it was. I just decided I wanted to do an app, so I did it. I went on Google, looking for developers in the U.K. I came across a few and phoned up a few. Even now, I’m 22 years old, and people won’t take me seriously. A lot of app developers said, “Are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure you’re going to pay so-and-so money?” I worked hard. I knew I wanted to do my idea. I believed in my concept. I believed in my idea. I believed in everything. A lot of app companies were just not taking me seriously. A lot of them were very unprofessional.

When I came across Intellectsoft, they weren’t my first hit on Google. They weren’t the first company I phoned. I came across them, and I looked at their website. They built a few apps for a lot of credible companies. I phoned them up. From there, it’s just been so smooth. They said, “We’ll send you a nondisclosure and just send it back to us.” They sent me the nondisclosure. I signed it. We talked about the idea. They loved it. They said, “Come in.” I went straight in to meet them in Central London. It was just perfect. They were so professional. They told me everything that had to be done. The best thing about it that they did is that they sent this specification document, and this document just outlined every single thing about the app. They really take their time. Whenever you need them, they’re in constant conversation with you. I mean it’s perfect. I have no faults about them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Can you give me an overview about the app itself?

We saw a gap where people were always playing this game. I don’t know whether you’ve heard of “Sudoku.” People are always playing “Sudoku” in this country, but they’re getting bored of it. There was this game that used to be out called “Countdown.” “Countdown” is on the app store. I saw the reviews of “Countdown” because I’m a keen “Countdown” fan. The reviews were awful, and everything was bad about it. I tried to play it myself, and it actually was awful. What I tried to do was fuse “Countdown” and “Sudoku” to create one game that is so user friendly to use. Yeah, so it was just really user friendly that everyone could enjoy it. People of all ages can enjoy it, not just the younger ones. The design of it is done so well, I think, from Intellectsoft. Kids can enjoy it. Adults can enjoy it. It’s so colorful with the bright display. It really takes advantage of the retina display and everything on the iPhone. It’s brilliant.

SOLUTION

Can you tell me about the scope of the project?

It’s only available for iOS at the moment. It will be available for Android in the future, but I’ve got an update coming out next month for iPhone. Once the update comes out, we’ve got our feedback on where it’s at, that it’s at the perfect stage. Whenever I’m at that stage where I think it's perfect, then I’m going to get it on to Android and the rest of them.

Approximately how long did development take?

Programming took up to four weeks.

How long ago was the project completed?

It was completed on the 21st of September, I believe.

Can you give a very general cost estimate for the project?

It was about $13,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Now that the project’s finished, how happy are you with the results?

Unbelievably happy. I’m very, very happy. I’m very optimistic. In particular, this update coming out, we just had some work sent to us today, and the work they sent is brilliant. Imagine you had an iPhone game. We’ve just implemented the new help screen. The help screen really serves animations. The thing goes on the screen, and everything is brilliant. They just sent it to me today, so I just approved it and everything.

It looks to be very well done.

Yeah. It had an amazing response. Amazing.

When working with Intellectsoft, is there anything special or unique that you noticed compared to other companies?

Even just any company in general, not just apps. If I email Intellectsoft, I’ll get a reply easily within half an hour to an hour. Even if it’s the silliest of questions, I will always – I have no qualms – I’ll always get a reply. If I need to phone them, and I get straight through to them, again. I’m answered there and then. If we need to Skype, we can Skype any time of the day between 9 and 6. It’s perfect.

Looking back on the project, is there any area that you would do differently a second time around that you think Intellectsoft can improve upon?

From my side, with regard to Intellectsoft, no. They couldn’t have done anything more. With regard to my side, I came across a few obstacles that I didn’t foresee. Like, for example, if somebody asks you what’s going to happen on a pull screen, you’re like, “Oh, God. I didn’t think that has to be in a pull screen. It’s so hard. I just didn’t think this would happen.” That’s just my experience and my knowledge that wasn’t up-to-date. You kind of learn as you go along as well.

BACKGROUND

Could you please provide a brief overview?

The project focused purely on creating an application and website that communicated with each other about where nightlife venues are located. The user would go to the website and register their details, which were then streamed to the mobile app. The app allows users to sort through all this information with tick boxes. The app solves the problem of where to go out at night because there's simply an overabundance of information out there.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the process by which you selected Intellectsoft to work with?

We researched what companies were out there, obtained price estimates from them, surveyed their portfolio, and reviewed their proposals for the project. When we received estimates from other companies, they regurgitated the information we gave them, and put it in a generic template. Intellectsoft, however, actually produced some work before we paid them, which demonstrated their initiative, and offered us a glimpse of their work quality.

SOLUTION

Could you indicate the relative scope of the project?

They were involved in both parts [website & mobile app development]. This was my first time in this kind of business venture, so I made sure to give them as much information as possible. I did a bit of the design work without them, but they handled the majority of the design, too. The mobile app is only available for iOS at the moment, but that’s entirely due to budgetary limitations.

How long ago was the project completed?

The project was completed a few months ago. Support is still ongoing. Minor bugs and incompatibilities have emerged, but nothing too serious.

Could you provide a general cost estimate for the project?

We spent approximately £35,000 to £45,000 for the whole project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How happy are you with the project results?

We’re definitely quite pleased with the overall results. We had a couple of touch-and-go moments, but you get that a lot with any software. It all came off perfect, and finished working smoothly. We definitely got our money's worth with the whole project.

Is there anything you would consider unique or special about Intellectsoft when compared to other companies you've worked with?

They’re quick to get back to you. I think that's one of the primary things. I’ve noticed with other companies that they can sometimes be very delayed in responding to requests and inquiries. Intellectsoft doesn’t operate that way.

In retrospect, are there any areas that you think Intellectsoft could improve upon, or that you would do differently as a client?

There's nothing wrong on their side. From our side, we could have planned a lot more. Obviously, your costs are higher if you try to add something to a project halfway through; it complicates things, which is a little mistake we made.