The NineHertz

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of a company building an entertainment/social marketplace aimed at the cannabis industry. We’re developing a couple of apps, each targeting a niche market and using its own revenue system.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nine Hertz?

We had a whiteboard design for the platform’s look and features but needed to build Android and iOS versions of the app, and find a partner for maintenance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided Nine Hertz with certain icons and drove the general design of the app, while their job was to develop it for both platforms. They will probably maintain it in the future. Nine Hertz also provides some design work on top of the normal scope. They are creating the main icons and splash screens, but if we come up with a new concept or requirement, we will design it ourselves.

Our backend displays a news feed for the web version of our platform, as well as the iOS and Android apps, which act as a subset of our website.

How did you come to work with Nine Hertz?

The app we envisioned initially had elements of Instagram and Tinder. We searched online for companies that had built similar apps and came up with three or four options. Our timeline was urgent, and Nine Hertz was the first group to give us a proper response and provide feasible deadlines. In fact, we purposely provided an impossible timeline in order to determine the level of commitment from the developer’s side. Nine Hertz told us they’d worked on similar apps in the past, and that they’d be able to do it. They had a good portfolio that included some well-known apps, so we were able to filter them easily.

How much have you invested with Nine Hertz?

The cost of our application has been around $145,000. We have been paying Nine Hertz in installments based on the angel investments we’ve received, and estimate we’ll spend another $20,000–$30,000 on development.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Nine Hertz two and a half or three months ago for the current project. We had had a previous experience with them, building another app. We have been working with them for the past year and a half. The 1.0 version of our current app is out, but we still have pending work for the next two or three months for building a

We’ve been working with Nine Hertz for the past year-and-a-half, and started working with them two-and-a-half or three months ago on the current project. We had previous experience with them when they built a separate app. The 1.0 version of our current app is out, but we still have pending work for the next two or three months for building additional features based upon market response.

dditional features based on market response.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have been completely satisfied with Nine Hertz’ work. We have gauged the quality of work by the number of crashes for each app and we haven’t seen any crashes at all. Nine Hertz has taken care of almost everything in the submission process for the app stores, completely provisioning our apps. They’ve also taken care of the backend elements of our system, which is completely functional. Initially, we led them in terms of design, but once we did that, they put our concepts into action.

Our previous app, Dobbi, had almost 2,500 downloads on Google Play, and around 700 on the Apple Store. The current app has only been live for one week, but we already have 100 downloads on the Android store and we plan to release the iOS version soon. These are our current metrics, and beyond the marketing, the app spoke for itself on the stores.

How did Nine Hertz perform from a project management standpoint?

We are able to talk to the developers directly whenever we need to. It’s an easy process, and we’ve never felt that Nine Hertz was hiding its employees. A dedicated person interfaces with us and translates our requirements back to the team, but there have been instances when an interaction with the designer or app developer is required. In those cases, I’ve been put in touch with them, and we’ve discussed our issues directly in just a few minutes.

What did you find most impressive about Nine Hertz?

Nine Hertz provided us videos and other updates for the work on a daily basis. Whenever we had a quick turnaround, they were able to do it, as well as communicate what was being done and what the app looked like from the developers’ perspective. This made us feel more confident in our investment.

Are there any areas Nine Hertz could improve?

The requirements are always driven by the entrepreneur or the company that contracts for the development, but Nine Hertz could own more of the design component. For icons and other new requirements, they could employ designers creative enough to produce a couple of different versions and show those to the client.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The company is a startup in the advertising industry. I’m the sole owner. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nine Hertz?

Nine Hertz is developing the software for the company that the customer will use to generate and post their ads. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave Nine Hertz an idea of what I wanted, and they designed the entire system.

How did you come to work with Nine Hertz?

I was searching for companies that would be able to design this product and write the code for the software. There were a few I checked out that weren’t in my budget. I was going to do it myself but then I did some online searching and found Nine Hertz. When I called them, it seemed like they would do the work within my budget, so I started working with them.

How much have you invested with Nine Hertz?

We will spend between $50,000 and $60,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve been working with them since February of 2016, and the work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m very satisfied with the results. I get pretty excited every time they send me a deliverable and show me how the product is progressing. When they finish a section, they send it to me, and I can test for errors by running it on my phone or online. I have tested the speed, and I’m satisfied.

How did Nine Hertz perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication is excellent.

What did you find most impressive about Nine Hertz?

If I have a requirement or suggestion, they often provide feedback on a different or better way to do it. I always know how far along they are with the project. They’re some of the nicest people I’ve worked with so far.

Are there any areas Nine Hertz could improve?

I can’t think of anything. Everything has been excellent.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Nine Hertz?

Know what it is you want to do and let them know. I think they have the talent and expertise to be able to bring your vision to life. At first, I was reluctant to divulge every aspect of my project, but as time goes on, I realized that if they get the full understanding of what I’m trying to do, they’ll do a lot better in providing their services. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We provide printing services for universities and companies in Abidjan, Africa. We can provide our service for free by inserting ads at the bottom of each page. I am a co-founder and the chief executive officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nine Hertz?

We needed to develop a technology platform in order to provide our service.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our platform included a student and an enterprise dashboard, allowing employees to upload documents online and have them sent to the nearest available printer. Nine Hertz developed our student dashboard. It allows users to register using their name, date of birth, nationality, university, and study specialization. They can then go through a list, selecting five interests out of a list of 20. We gather all this data on the admin interface, allowing us to filter students and bring the information to advertisers. We can create groups based on universities or fields of study.

We are currently working on an advertiser dashboard through which clients can create campaigns based on our target market. We’re also developing the functionalities for uploading documents and sending them to printers. We will have access to a list of printers and settings, as well as available promotions. The third phase will involve testing.

Nine Hertz assigned five to six people to our project. I’ve met all of them, though I've worked mainly with the project coordinator, the lead developer, and the salesperson from Nine Hertz.

How did you come to work with Nine Hertz?

I found Nine Hertz through Clutch.co, after making a Google search for "best application development companies." I went over all the listed options for under $35 per hour and had Skype calls with five of them. We chose Nine Hertz because they were professional, could work quickly, and had the lowest price estimate.

How much have you invested with Nine Hertz?

The cost of Nine Hertz' work has been $7,000 for our first phase. The second phase will have a cost of $6,000–$7,000. The overall project is estimated to cost $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Nine Hertz in October 2016. The first phase lasted for one and a half months. We need to complete some steps before launching the platform on campuses. We plan to build a student database before going to advertisers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't had to undergo many modifications to Nine Hertz' work. I sent design guidelines to the team and received screens for the work every two days. They only required minor alterations.

Nine Hertz was very efficient and had a very low price. By comparison, I've gone to an Indian company which gave me a $40,000 estimate.

How did Nine Hertz perform from a project management standpoint?

Nine Hertz' contacts were always available on Skype and WhatsApp. They always sent me feedback and updates proactively. Other development companies need to be chased by the customer after the contract is signed, but Nine Hertz had no delays in communication. We had a shared Google Doc detailing the scope of my project and we also talked via email.

What did you find most impressive about Nine Hertz?

Nine Hertz is a very responsive company. I screened 20 other companies and contacted ten of them. Nine Hertz was the first to answer my email. Their price and portfolio were better, compared to what I saw. They've worked on many applications and have received good reviews.

I have worked for a development center for eight months, so I know how to develop an application and how to work with developers. Based on this, I found Nine Hertz' team to be great.

Are there any areas Nine Hertz could improve?

I can't think of anything at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an online betting company providing a social media betting website. I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nine Hertz?

We wanted to create a website which would have people from around the world create their own bets, either publicly or just with friends. The site would also keep track of bets, a user's win/loss records against other individuals, as well as their overall records.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nine Hertz has developed our website. I provided a template for the design I wanted, which Nine Hertz implemented.

How did you come to work with Nine Hertz?

As I was researching web developers, I reached out to around 5 companies for a proposal. Nine Hertz seemed to be the most thorough based on their proposal and provided better pricing compared to the other companies.

How much have you invested with Nine Hertz?

The cost of Nine Hertz' work was around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Nine Hertz one year ago. The work is 99% complete, but I continue to work with Nine Hertz on getting the site live.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I am very pleased with everything that Nine Hertz has done for our company and website. They were extremely responsive to all my requests. I laid out a very detailed template, which Nine Hertz met in full.

Testing the website revealed a few issues, but Nine Hertz fixed them right away. They're very responsive to anything that I needed to be changed and to any glitches I noticed. When the site goes live, we will discover any further issues.

How did Nine Hertz perform from a project management standpoint?

Nine Hertz was very responsive to any requests I had and they were pleasant to work with.

What did you find most impressive about Nine Hertz?

I'm not a very tech-savvy person and I don't know how to develop a website, so one of my goals was to understand what Nine Hertz was doing. They were very good at relaying the information in layman's terms. Even though I didn't understand the technical jargon, Nine Hertz understood what I was talking about.

Are there any areas Nine Hertz could improve?

I have no major improvement points.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Nine Hertz?

Make sure that you know exactly what you're looking for and have everything planned out before starting the project. There will be things that come up and add extra cost, so we need to know those things beforehand. If those are things that the web developers weren't expecting, they will lead to extra costs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We have developed a social media app. I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nine Hertz?

We aim to bring the app to a level that would attract recognition for it, along with a substantial income.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nine Hertz has developed the iOS and Android versions of the app from the ground up. They handled some of its design as well.

How did you come to work with Nine Hertz?

I looked up app building companies online and read reviews for Nine Hertz. Based on their portfolio and feedback, I couldn't find one negative thing about Nine Hertz. Their price point was also appealing.

How much have you invested with Nine Hertz?

The cost of Nine Hertz' work was around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Nine Hertz in early 2016 and completed at the end of the year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work has been very successful. Nine Hertz employs a great group of people. I haven't seen any significant feedback as of yet, given that the app hasn't been released. Based on the testing, the code looks clean.

How did Nine Hertz perform from a project management standpoint?

Nine Hertz's communication was very good, even though we've worked over a big time difference of around 12 hours.

Are there any areas Nine Hertz could improve?

As of now, I can't think of anything.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Nine Hertz?

Clients should have a very detailed scope of what is needed on Nine Hertz's behalf.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a web design and development company helping local businesses in the Buffalo and Western New York areas. I am the president of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nine Hertz?

We needed to create an iOS and Android photo sharing application, similar to other popular alternatives. It would be geared towards dog owners to share pictures and short video clips, breeders to share their inventory, and shelters to display animals available for adoption.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nine Hertz developed our app for Android and iOS.

How did you come to work with Nine Hertz?

I looked online for companies that could build this type of app. Nine Hertz was one of maybe two options, and we ended up going with them.

How much have you invested with Nine Hertz?

The total cost of our project with Nine Hertz was around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Nine Hertz in early 2015, and the app was completed a few weeks ago. There are still upgrades I want to make, but this depends less on Nine Hertz's talent and more on what the market will bear. We are working with Nine Hertz on an as-needed basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Oddly, the app hasn't gone anywhere. Many times, users will come right away, but this didn't happen in our case. It's confounding, given the number of people who own dogs. We have published other apps which have reached 50,000 downloads, but our current one hasn't gone above 10, for each platform respectively.

Whatever bugs were identified within the process were taken care of quickly by Nine Hertz.

How did Nine Hertz perform from a project management standpoint?

Nine Hertz did a great job in this department. We mainly communicated through phone calls and email.

What did you find most impressive about Nine Hertz?

There was always someone on Nine Hertz's side to answer the phone and get things moving. The project management was good.

Are there any areas Nine Hertz could improve?

There will always be a language barrier which we won't fully overcome, but Nine Hertz was good in terms of English skills. Our cultures are definitely different, but I haven't come across anything specific that could have been done better. Nine Hertz could use some newer equipment, going by the pictures I've seen.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Nine Hertz?

I would advise clients to trust that Nine Hertz will get the job done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a startup in New Jersey working on mobile app development. We currently have three apps on the market, all of them developed in collaboration with Nine Hertz. We started our business in June 2015.

What is your position?

I am one of the co-founders of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Nine Hertz?

We wanted to outsource our development efforts in order to reduce costs and increase our technical capacity. We were looking to keep the total spend in the range of $50,000, based on our budget at that time.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

They've done development work for iOS devices exclusively. The work included one social networking app and two games, which speaks for Nine Hertz's versatility in terms of design and development. We haven't yet gained the necessary capital to expand the apps to Android devices, but we plan to undertake this within the following year.

Nine Hertz helped us with the design process for our second and third apps, building the wireframe, and providing constant suggestions.

I don't exactly know how large their development team is, but they've certainly assigned the right number of people for us. All their milestones were delivered on time.

We interact with their project manager exclusively for getting updates on the work.

How did you come to work with Nine Hertz?

We researched their company on multiple freelancing sites, including Elance, and found that they had good reviews.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together since June 2015. The relationship is ongoing. They're a trustworthy company, and we're looking forward to using them in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We launched the apps locally, in New Jersey, and have received great feedback in terms of design and user interface. The App Store activity is also promising. We have almost all positive user reviews and, more importantly, we don't receive many bug reports, which is great.

How did Nine Hertz perform from a project management standpoint?

They've been able to deliver on time, and we've never had any unexpected budgetary issues during development.

The agreed delivery time for our second app was three months. Nine Hertz were able to complete it within six weeks. The extra time could have been used to make modifications based on our requests, but we haven't had any issues with its usability. They're devoted to our satisfaction.

We communicate with them mostly through phone calls, Skype, and email. The work is managed through Upwork.

What distinguishes Nine Hertz from other providers?

Their commitment to delivering quality results really sets them apart from others. Nine Hertz cares more about the work they deliver than they do about money.

Is there anything Nine Hertz could have improved or done differently?

We haven't encountered any issues with them. Our Elance reviews for Nine Hertz have been all five stars constantly. There will always be bugs or issues that only show up when the app is live, but that is unavoidable. They always delivered on time and fixed any issues quickly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company started January 2014. The company was designed with an idea to look at marketing and analytics. Our first phase is the rollout of an application, which is now in the Apple Store.

That application provides a social forum where people can go and talk about products and services. We're pretty much built around products and services. Later, we will work on the analytics portion where we will connect with other companies and people who want to subscribe, and we'll provide data to those people. 

We want to be able to help people make decisions on products and services. We want to give them the opportunity to compare things and review things. You can go to any site, and you can see someone's name but that doesn't mean that the review was truly written by that person. They may have done a write up for a vacation site, but you don't know that person. But, if you're following that person you've got that connection, and you might be more inclined to trust them. 

We're hoping to revolutionize the marketing that companies do today by getting in touch with people who are buying products and understanding what's good about it, but also what's bad about it and how companies can change that. 

What is your position?

I'm a director. Being a small startup, I wear many hats. I'm also the program for system development, software development, and marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with NineHertz?

What I liked about NineHertz was they were able to answer every question that I wanted to have answered. Their responses were fluid. It was on time. They were able to work with me on the design of the product itself. I'd created a 130-page business requirements document on what this will look like. They reviewed it and gave me feedback in terms of that. 

We started working with them on the software development because we trusted them and knew they would protect our ideas. They gave us great feedback on what we can and can't do and what we could possibly do later. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

It was mainly software development, and we're going to look to roll out our Android application in the next couple of months with them as well. They help us with mobile iOS and Android apps. We're not sure if we're going to build our web browser application because I don't think anyone sits in front of their laptops anymore. We're going to think about that. We're building a website with them as well. That will be coming out in the next six months.

How did you come to work with NineHertz?

It was an online search. We needed a software development firm to work with as our vendor. I looked at oDesk, Elance, and LinkedIn and found NineHertz on LinkedIn. I was also able to find their information on Elance and oDesk. I found a few other companies, and I went through a whole evaluation process trying to figure out who was the best for us to go with. 

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

Our iOS project is more than $10,000. The other ones are going to be similar in terms of cost. The web project depends on how deep we go into it. It may be slightly less than that because it's just a browser based app.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The end result is the app is in the Apple Store. It's live and ready to go. Everything is pretty much the way I envisioned it in terms of the business requirements document. The results if you look at it in time as with any software development projects, you're going to have your ups and downs. You're going to have testing that goes great. You're going to have parts that fall apart and you need to revise them. Maybe it's a feature that you can't use or it's a feature that you need to rework in terms of how the workflow is going to happen. We had all those situations come up. 

We had features that I wanted to put in that were very complex, and the workflow initially had to be altered.

How did NineHertz perform from a project management standpoint?

NineHertz is great because they don't try to push you to do the impossible, but really trying to reengineer it so that it actually becomes a possibility. That's one of the great things about them. They were able to provide some good feedback in terms of doing the workflow is such a way that coding doesn't become a nightmare or too complex. We have queries that are running that kill the server.

What distinguishes NineHertz from other providers?

Their willingness to go above the requirements is unique. That doesn't include the fact that they're cheaper than the companies that are based in North America. It's their willingness that I was stunned with. To first of all go through the RFS [request for service] process and win the project was outstanding. 

Second, to go through every single challenge. We ran into a few difficulties along the way in terms of features that couldn't work and were harder to complete than originally envisioned. 

They kept at it and working through these things and trying to find the right solution. They are also collaborative, we were on Skype meetings with them around 12 a.m. EST and we'd go through these things together. There was always a willingness. There was never hesitation on their side. I encountered hesitation to perform with some of the other people.

Is there anything NineHertz could have improved or done differently?

I don't think there's anything I would say I would do differently. I think we've got a good, solid relationship and that's why we're going to go ahead and award the next set of contracts to them. 

We're not even going to put these out as RFS. We're just going to go ahead and work with them on these projects. I don't think there's anything they can change. You've got to understand the culture of companies that you work with too especially if you're going to go offshore. Once you understand that you'll understand if there's challenges along the way. 

One of the things maybe some people may find as a challenge is the language issue. One of the NineHertz employees I worked with was really good at speaking English. They have covered those areas for you to interface with that. 

In times when you want to speak with the developer, it might be a little rough getting through, but you've got these other guys that can be the mediums between. They're a small company but I think they're going to grow real fast.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are making a social network application for the local market in Argentina. We are combining elements from existing services, but the whole idea is secret currently.

What is your position and responsibilities?

I am the founder and CEO. We are a team, but I had the idea, and I am the one who works with Nine Hertz. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Nine Hertz?

I talked with Nine Hertz about my idea, and then they showed me some tools they have that would work for my idea. Then, they did all the developing and programming. The idea came from my team and Nine Hertz made it bona fide. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We have a mobile application, and they did the coding and design work for it. We hope to start the next step in the next two weeks [October 2015] and work with Nine Hertz for developing the website. 

How did you come to work with Nine Hertz?

I read about Nine Hertz on Google. I read the reviews of people that used Nine Hertz and how good their work was as well as their reputation. We needed their ideas, so we wrote to them and asked if they could help. I wasn't real sure about working with them because of the distance between us, but I decided to try anyway and found that it worked.

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

It is hard to say because there were others involved with the project, but I would estimate the whole project to be around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started with Nine Hertz about eight months ago [February 2015]. We are not working with them right now because we had to finish some community things and some social media things. We are working on these things right here in Argentina because it is easier for us in regard to the language. When we finish these things, we do hope to work with Nine Hertz for our next project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

It is online now; however, you do need credentials to view our website. I am very proud of the products we made with Nine Hertz. The website will be attractive by the time it goes live.

What distinguishes Nine Hertz from other providers?

Nine Hertz has good instincts on what works and a strong work ethic. Once the language barrier was overcome, their work was good. They have the same project manager from the beginning to the end. They were good about taking my ideas and making the design that I wanted. They delivered all of the coding without questions but, for the design, I had to guide them a lot about what I wanted but, once they understood, they did a fine job.

Is there anything Nine Hertz could have improved or done differently?

The language barrier was the biggest thing. I sent them emails, but they did not always understand what I wanted, so they could not work on it. I had to try to be more specific in order for them to get the whole idea. I am not sure if the team always has the same people working on it because, sometimes, I would have to explain things to them more than once, which was a little frustrating.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Actually, I am self-employed, and this is one of my projects.

What is your position and responsibilities?

I am the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with NineHertz?

Actually this is a social sharing application. So, my target will be the general public who utilizes social networks and photos.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

They provide me with mobile application development services.

How did you come to work with NineHertz?

I have a project for myself, and I asked for NineHertz to help so I can stay self-employed and avoid getting a job. This side project has the potential to be my main source of income to support my family it's selected.

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

Between $1,000 and $2,000

What is the status of this engagement?

It is still ongoing; it is a bit complicated because it is pretty much complete on their side. I just have to do something on my side, but Nine Hertz has finished all of the required tasks. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

They were excellent – much better than I expected. I'm very satisfied with Nine Hertz. I'm hoping to launch this in two months.

What distinguishes NineHertz from other providers?

I am very satisfied with their customer service. NineHertz always replied to my emails and they worked very professionally. They did very strong work for me. Even though we live in different countries, we communicated very well and understood each other. I really appreciated what they accomplished for this application. I have another project that I am working on and I am thinking about hiring them again.

Is there anything NineHertz could have improved or done differently?

I have nothing to note.