NVT

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Grupa Radiowa Agory Sp. z o.o., a part of Agora SA Media Holding is one of the largest radio broadcasters in Poland. GRA is an owner of Information Radio TOK FM (broadcasting in 19 polish cities) and three networks of local radio stations including: Zlote Przeboje (24 cities), Rock Radio (7 cities) and Radio Pogoda (4 cities). GRA also provides the music streaming service Tuba.FM and full archives of Radio TOK FM podcasts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire NVT?

Project title: TOK FM Microphone – the innovative online platform for audio feedback & user-generated audio news. The project received funding under the Google DNI program.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to create a www/mobile app to let our listeners to record on line comments which would be transmitted on TOK FM Radio. Due to the requirements imposed on us by Google DNI we needed a reliable partner which would meet a tight time and budget requirements.

We have chosen NVT as we had a good experience in former cooperation with them. The second goal of this project was to get a flexible mechanism which will be easily adopted for our other brands such as Radio Złote Przeboje.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have sent a RFP to few chosen companies which have an experience in audio processing and transmission. NVT/N7 was one to meet our budget and time requirements.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

TOK FM Microphone is a mobile application and website for listeners and commentators who want to co-create programs for TOK FM radio antenna. All participants can record and upload through the mobile application their own audio recording directly to the TOK FM editor.

This project has been developed by NVT for GRA Online Department in close cooperation with TOK FM editorial team and web developers from GRA IT department. Microphone application is addressed for two main groups of users:

1. Journalists, commentators and regular guests of TOK FM programs who actively participate in the creation of programs on daily basis. It is a group of about 300 people.
2. Radio TOK FM „loyal listeners” who want to actively participate in the creation of the radio program. Potentially, it may be a group of several thousand people.

NVT was responsible for designing UX/UI for web front-end and mobile app and for development of the backend of the solution and the mobile application for Android and iOS platform. NVT is providing M&S services for the whole software solution.

What was the team composition?

The NVT team consisted of: project manager, 1 UX/UI designer, 4 backend developers, 4 mobile developers, 2 devops. The team was supported by GRA online project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

TOK FM Microphone platform has a valuable impact on the radio content we create. The radio is still a little bit "traditional" and „passive” medium, while we all live for 24 hours a day in the digital world, where interaction between the "sender" and "recipient" is very fast and easy.

Microphone platform let us change and accelerate the way we communicate with our Radio audience by:

• Automating a number of steps which are needed now to record and broadcast the radio listener’s voice or a program guest’s voice on the radio antenna.
• Generating and broadcasting „audio comments” from our listeners, that are generated through deep links from the audio content on TOK FM web and mobile application.
• The ability to facilitate and enrich daily job of TOK FM reporters and journalists.
• Introduction of more „user generated content” to the radio antenna.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project was conducted in scrum methodology with two-week sprints. They presented results to us after each sprint. We had access to Jira to have a constant view of work progress.

We also used Jira to communicate with team to answer questions and solve problems during the development process. Thanks to the very good communication with PM and the team project went smooth and on schedule.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The NVT team was professional, open to new ideas, and supportive in solving problems. During the whole process they were efficient and involved in the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, they have done a fairly good job and the quality provided is good.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

e-Muzyka S.A. leads the Polish digital music distribution market. We hold the rights to several million songs, represent more than two hundred Polish independent labels, and supply content to international music services.

We also deliver comprehensive technical solutions, offer marketing and consulting services, and help clients acquire music usage rights. Our content generates over 150 million YouTube views per month. I'm the CFO. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire NVT?

NVT built Plus Music, a store where customers can access over 10 million music tracks. Our business model is based on both streaming and downloads. 

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to create a modern music store for Plus GSM network costumers to use on mobile devices and laptops.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our mobile network operators, for whom NVT has been building applications and services for years, recommended them. We worked with NVT on several small projects before commissioning them for this one.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The solution includes a frontend, backend, database, API for external systems, CMS for content management, CRM for client communication and marketing activities, Ad Server integration, and recommendation system.

NVT has designed and developed the platform and integrated it with our existing payment operators and billing systems. They also handle testing, commissioning, further development, and maintenance. They've built mobile applications for iOS, Android, and Windows. In addition to streaming music, customers can download and store tracks on the device of their choice. 

What was the team composition?

They established a dedicated project team with project managers from e-Muzyki, NVT, and Polkomtel. This team coordinates the project, reviews and approves progress after every sprint, and plans the next sprints. The NVT team includes a project manager who participates in weekly meetings, a UX designer, six to eight backend programmers, and three or four mobile application programmers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We created and launched the first commercial internet music store in Poland, which soon became the country's third most popular music portal. With more than 10 million songs available, the app has became a tremendous success. Despite huge competition, our unique sales model has attracted over 200,000 paying users.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They use an agile methodology, complete projects on schedule, and resolve problems regularly. We communicate through in-person and phone meetings, email, and Jira. We stay in control of their progress, implementing necessary changes and corrections. This is crucial since the project is so large and complex.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The whole team stays involved in the project and in constant contact with us. They offer many valuable ideas, and their expert knowledge and commitment have contributed significantly to our success. They've helped us solve problems quickly and significantly improve our knowledge transfer.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Their project documentation could be less technical and more user-frendly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for one of the largest telecom companies in Poland. During the project with NVT, I was working in the content branch of our company.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NVT?

For this project, we hired NVT to develop a TV and a VOD streaming platform for mobile devices.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NVT provided an end-to-end solution, including design, development, and maintenance. To begin, we gave them access to our on-site servers so they could complete the infrastructure and platform management. Their team developed several new features and designed the interfaces to match our company’s brand. The system was built using mobile-streaming technology. They also managed the maintenance of the platform and delivered new functionalities as requested.

What is the team composition?

NVT provided a project lead who managed the development and implementation. I worked directly with the VP and project manager. Additionally, they supplied a team of developers.

How did you come to work with NVT?

We worked with NVT previously and were pleased with their services. We included them in our tender process and they were the best option for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between €20,000–€25,000 (approximately $22,900–28,500 USD) per month. We paid NVT the guaranteed monthly fee and they received a share of our revenue.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with NVT on this project between March–June 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The platform generated a significant amount of revenue and helped us gain between 10,000–20,000 subscribers paying full-price. NVT supported our efforts in earning active clients and helped us display our platform as an innovative service.

How did NVT perform from a project management standpoint?

As a team, they were flexible and willing to adapt throughout the project. When directions changed, they were ready to provide what we needed. Their business model allowed them to regroup quickly and still provide strong work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were an open-minded team with limitless creativity. They were supportive of our ideas and ensured they could provide the resources to achieve our goals. We appreciated their flexible approach to the project and their readiness to collaborate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although we expected more involvement from their team toward the end of the project, the entire project went smoothly.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Matching their openness and honesty is important. Be transparent about problems and NVT will help solve them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the mobile services manager for a large mobile operator in Poland. We’re relatively new, but we handle a major part of the mobile telecom business in the country. I’m responsible for a small team of developers and project managers who build solutions and services for mobile operators.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NVT?

We needed a partner to augment our dev team and help build services such as voicemail, messaging systems, and payment options.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NVT has worked on various projects, especially in integration and IT systems. We specify project scopes, including functionalities, flows, diagrams, and interfaces, then NVT develops the code and implements it on our servers, which they host. In total, NVT integrates, launches, and maintains solutions.

One large project they recently worked on was a messaging platforms provisioning system that processes requests from our billing system and communicates with other systems according to our requirements. It’s based on a cluster of services running Java WildFly apps, so NVT’s code is in Java.

They’re also developing the system’s web interfaces—the management and maintenance console of the solution. It’s a big solution spanning 8–10 servers, with multiple database and application layers. Almost all the systems NVT has created have similar scopes, and they process huge numbers of transactions, around 20–30 per second.

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of 30 developers.

How did you come to work with NVT?

We sent out multiple RFPs, and NVT came recommended by a colleague. They offered a good solution for a reasonable price, and they were also able to meet our project schedule, so we hired them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since December 2010.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

NVT provides the requested solutions, which makes our subscribers happy. They’ve been our partner for years without any problems.

How did NVT perform from a project management standpoint?

Although their documentation could improve, their support team is available 24/7 if we have any issues. We have a service-level agreement in place, which they meet. When our systems are overboarded by spikes in communication, their engineers make the necessary changes to fix the problem. We expect excellent support from our developers, and NVT meets those standards.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They don’t just develop a product; they make sure it’s an appropriate solution that will make our subscribers happy. They take time to get to know their customers’ systems, which makes collaboration much more efficient. They’re flexible and accept changes in the project scope, adjusting to real-life market needs and requests.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They need to produce better documentation. Because they’re engineers, they write the comments in the code, but they need to prepare documents that non-engineers can access and understand.