OpenXcell

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We're a social media app that helps facilitate social gatherings among friends.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I'm the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with OpenXcell?

I needed somebody to help me develop a mobile app. I really don't have a computer science background, so obviously I had to find someone to help me out with it.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

OpenXcell did the design and the development of my website and my app. I told them what I wanted and they delivered.

What was your process for selecting OpenXcell?

I'm an Indian-American. OpenXcell is located in my parents' hometown in India, so I could travel back and forth very easily if I wanted to, and talk to them in person. That's the primary reason why I chose to work with them.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

It cost between $10,000 and $30,000.

When was the project completed?

The project started about six months ago and is ongoing. They completed the first phase on time, and now we're on to the second phase of the project. The second phase includes some new additional features, which are complex.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

They did an awesome job, I can't lie. We're live in the App Store, and it has seen no major problems. They were awesome. OpenXcell beat my expectations.

Do you have any stats or metrics on the project?

It's still too early for that. We had a mini-launch back in May and, in the course of three hours, we made about $1,500. We're going forward with this type of launch again when universities re-open in the fall [2015].

What differentiates OpenXcell from others?

Their customer service and organization are great. They have a very organized back-end system and good project management. There's always someone there for me to talk to. If I wanted something done, OpenXcell made sure that I was satisfied. If it wasn't done right, they would fix it to make sure that it was done the way that I wanted it done.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

We lived in very different time zones, so I'd often have to stay awake to let them know what was going on if I needed something urgently. Relaying what you want is a difficult thing if it's outsourced, regardless of who it is. You just have to let them know what you want. If you're asleep, it might not turn out the way you want it to.

What advice would you give a future client of theirs?

You have to know what you want from the start. That's the way it works best, for them and for you. Little things here, and there come up later on that are not in the project scope, and they put more work on the developers that they didn't know about. You've got to know what you want from the very beginning.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization. What is your role and responsibilities?

I own the company. It's a digital rewards program-focused startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with OpenXcell?

I needed a company to design an application for mobile devices, tablets, a platform, and a website. Obviously to have it done in the right way, too. 

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting OpenXcell?

I happened to come across them online and thought I'd give them a shot. I had a few tries with other companies that didn't work out. Either the developer of the company was incompatible or the price was too high and multiple other reasons. To me, OpenXcell sounded very reasonable. They were very professional when they dealt with me. 

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

By the time we are finished, it will be in the $10,000 to $50,000 range because I plan to use them to continue phase two and three of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics on the project?

We are in the beta phase. We haven't launched it yet. So far, it has worked out really well. The work is very good. It's not like OpenXcell just wanted to finish the project quick and get the money. They are cost effective.

BACKGROUND

We are a startup with 5 employees, based in Switzerland and we are active in the field of mobile and desktop apps.

Our product is basically an application that links sport enthusiasts from the same region and allows them to organize sporting activities together.

I am the Founder & CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

We had the concept but we needed developers to implement it. Since development is extremely expensive in Switzerland, we opted for outsourcing. 

SOLUTION

After a first negative experience with another Indian company, we opted for Openxcell for this project. Among other reasons, because OpenXcell had very positive feedbacks on Clutch.co.

Our main criterias were: meet our budget and work with competent developers. It seemed to be the case with Openxcell. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

The partnership was a failure in our minds. Although the developers working for us tried their best most of the time, this was far from compensating for the fact that they performed poorly. I suspected they had little to no prior experience in mobile development. Their deliverables were inaccurate, full of bugs, poorly designed, the code structure was a mess, which made it non-scalable and very hard to maintain. Technologies used seemed to be depreciated for example choosing Codeignitor for a new project when it is a framework that is not maintained anymore, is a professional shortcoming, or developing an iOS app that is not object oriented.

After a while, our collaboration became conflictual because of their failure to meet the agreed quality and deadline. In the end, the project was almost 6 months behind schedule. I had an argument with project managers and even with the CEO of Openxcell who turned a blind eye to the aforementioned statements and even dared blaming us for our high expectations and covering himself by pretending that unit testing has to be performed separately and that this was not covered in the scope of work. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your firm.

Pixtant LLC is a small app development company, with two managers; only one full time, which is me. We specialize in iOS applications. My partner is in Chicago, and I am based in Los Angeles. We jumped headfirst into developing a sophisticated photo-polling application, but have more recently moved into publishing smaller apps. 

What is your role and responsibilities?

I wear a bunch of different hats, but my main responsibilities include doing basic app development and reporting like financial and app analytics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address?

We approached OpenXcell to develop and design an Instagram-based application for us.

SOLUTION

Can you discuss the scope of the project?

The project was for an Instagram-based application in which users can like other users’ Instagram photos. OpenXcell completed the design and development for the iPhone application.

What was your process for selecting OpenXcell with which to work?

We searched for overseas companies through Google and freelancing websites. We looked for companies that had a nice portfolio and good reviews from various Web development websites. After getting quotes from multiple companies, OpenXcell seemed the best for quality, time, and price.

In what parts of the development cycle was OpenXcell involved?

They were involved in all parts of the process from start to finish.

Can you provide a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms?

It cost about $6,000.

When was the project completed?

The project was completed in December of 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project? Do you have any statistics or metrics to share?

The project has been profitable for us, and we’ve come back to OpenXcell for more projects.

How did OpenXcell perform?

OpenXcell performed all agreed upon tasks and within budget. The schedule was a bit above the estimation. They were very responsive and flexible through the effort, and the project was wrapped up cleanly.

When working with OpenXcell, is there anything else unique or special about them compared to other IT firms?

OpenXcell had better designs and seemed more responsive than other companies we have worked with.

Looking back on the project, is there anything that you think OpenXcell could improve or something that you might do differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

The organization doing the work is a startup tech venture, creating an app for the iPhone. We also run an incubator here.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the president.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with OpenXcell?

Getting the app done was the primary goal. I’m tied to a lot of IT and tech companies in the United States and have done a lot of work in the past.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

This app was not simple or easy; it is a multimillion-dollar app. Most apps are between 15 and 25 megabytes. Screenshots of my app are 25 megabytes each, and it has more than 340 screen shots. I designed everything, and what they received from me was a long description of every function, sub-function, and sub-sub-functions. They also received the entire, completed wireframes from me. I’m doing all the graphical work, too. They just do the development work for me.

What was your process for selecting OpenXcell to work with?

I looked at international companies and put the project out for bid. I narrowed the companies down to two, including OpenXcell.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

The project is about $75,000. It's a huge app, a customer website, which is 45 pages. There is CMS for both websites. There are Web services because it's heavily database driven in MySQL.

When was the latest milestone completed for that work?

I’m very pleased. The project is about 70 percent completed. I have about two years of programming that needs to be done after that. It will be a long-term relationship. I plan to use OpenXcell for that work.

The app is all about content, and I will be competing with Foursquare and Yelp. It has new content that has never been done, and it's all localized and based on advertising. I think in the future, we're going to see bigger and bigger apps.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

The people at OpenXcell probably spent 20 to 30 hours on Skype with a team of people, going over my requirements. They are committed and held to their word. The project was probably bigger than they thought, and they honored their word. That is rare. They come up with helpful ideas, too. I’m very pleased. They are very good about communicating over Skype, and the audio quality is good. I couldn’t do this project without Skype. I fully intend to do more with them.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

They are fairly regimented and follow the rules, which could be a cultural difference. I provided almost everything to them and told them they need to do everything exactly the way I showed it. They could not deviate, and they complied.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We train churches to be able to train disciples. We create many learning communities and a lot of workshops around the world. We worked on an application with them that is like a tool belt for users. It’s like an instruction manual and an aiding tool.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the IT supervisor and app developer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for the app?

The app was for training purposes. The revenue part wasn’t a factor. It has exceeded what we wanted it to do. We’re really pleased with that. It’s for Android and Apple.

SOLUTION

describe the scope of OpenXcell’s work?

It was helping us get to our developer’s license. Every step of the way, they helped us with suggestions, changes, and the things that we weren’t quite sure of. They helped us make a better, smoother app user experience. They kept the native app for Android and Apple that we wanted. We didn’t want a universal app; we wanted a native app for each, and we kept it that way. They were very informative. I did have to work at night with them, but that was a small price to pay for the outcome we got.

They were friendly, very knowledgeable. If they didn’t know what to do, within a day or so, they would let me know. They would say, “Hold on. Let me research this.” They didn’t charge me for it while they researched it. When they found out how to do it, the clock started again. I wasn’t paying for them to learn. They were actually very knowledgeable.

What was your process for selecting OpenXcell to work with?

I went through about 15 developers, and it had a lot to do with the pricing process and knowledge. A lot of the companies that I spoke with wanted to sell you every bell and whistle known to man. This company said, “What do you want? Let’s work with the way you want it to work.” I was very pleased with that.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

We estimated the project to be about $35,000, and they did it for less than half of that. If I needed one developer or six, I paid for the developer hours for how many developers I needed. Honestly, when you added five people on there, it got done five times as fast. So, you were paying for what you were getting. They actually said, you don’t need this many because there would be overlapping other people, so let’s just hold off on this amount. They were not trying to nickel and dime you to death. It was a great, refreshing thing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

Yes. We had 2,777 downloads from the Apple App Store. On the Android side, we’re running about 800, as a round figure since its conception. Our expectations were not about financial gain for us. It was more of a structural gain, and we didn’t know if it was going to be a good aid or a bad aid. We had to roll the dice to figure it out. Our ratings are four and a half stars out of five. Everybody’s very pleased with it. It’s a great tool. It exceeded what we asked for. For what we’ve put into it, it’s already paid back financially. We’re really pleased.

Is there anything unique about OpenXcell that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

We had other IT situations where you’ll fill up a contract, with information about what we do and want. They’ll usually allow three major changes and two minor changes or so within the scope of the contract. The thing I liked about OpenXcell is that we changed that thing 30 times before we sent it out. There was no difference. We changed its whole image five times. We had a designer here that did all the design work. They were more than happy to put the new images in, and adapt the images to the program itself. It was great. That is the major thing I saw.

Once again, it wasn’t contract-rule-based. It was a weekly- or monthly-based thing, depending on how you wanted to do it. It was very refreshing. They wanted to complete the app. Once they completed it, they helped me submit it. They fixed bugs for us at no charge. That was something they prided themselves on. That meant a lot. They prided themselves on what they accomplished for us.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Yes. They need to switch to days for us. They need to switch to nights there and days here. They need to have a department that works for the U.S., luckily my company allowed me to work nights. I was with them from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. There are a lot of questions they need to ask about your app. There are things that come up when they’re doing it, and they say that something needs to be done. Instead of waiting until 7, 8, or 9 o’clock in the morning, until everybody gets in, I was there and available. That is the biggest downfall that I can see with that.

They don’t need to open a U.S. office. All they have to do is take half their programmers, and switch them to nights. That’s more than sufficient. If they had a U.S. presence with 10 or 20 people, they could work on a rotating basis. They would accomplish twice as much because a lot of companies want to know that you’re based in the United States.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

The company is an eCommerce firm that sells high-end ladies fashion apparel primarily into Latin America from the United States.

What is your role and responsibilities?

General manager. We have six employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for the work with OpenXcell?

I handled the project with my business partner. They were able to handle our work on a tight timeline. They designed a beautiful site for us quickly. A lot of the work on our end was organizational to make sure that they got the right data and goals.

SOLUTION

Can you tell me about the scope of their work?

We gave them a general look of what was desired, and all the parameters that needed to be filled in regarding what we wanted the site to look like, and what sort of functionality that we wanted. We provided them that information, and they ran with it. Our goal in this website was to be extremely customer-friendly. Our website was designed to be like a boutique. Our primarily goal was to feature products, not feature the website.  

What was your process for selecting OpenXcell to work with?

We solicited six quotes.. We listed bids on different continents. We looked at Magento as our primary platform but we’re open to other options. The goal was we to get it done well in a very short time. We only had eight weeks to get the site live. Every company that we went to aside from OpenXcell was in the five-month to one-year mark. We liked their speed and they passed all reference checks.  

What platform are you using?

Magento.

Are you satisfied with Magento?

Absolutely, yes.

Can you provide a sense of the size of that project in a general dollar?

We had 2,000 man-hours put into basically finding the right data. I would say 75 percent of that was devoted on our end to getting the web site done. The rest of it was company business. As far as hours on their side goes, we used them for the entire site development. I can’t answer exactly how many hours they put into it, but I will tell you it was a lot. 

They did not go over the budget. We did have some extra costs that were in there but it was only because we added them.

Was this the company’s first web site?

Yes, this was the company’s first website. However, our business team has created around seven other eCommerce sites before.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you happen to have any stats or metrics to track success from the project?

Yes, we do. This was not a rehash of another website. It really was a startup. We did have very good results. In terms of marketing campaigns, it was inbound marketing and social media. We had a dedicated team set up in three different countries that handled that. The Web traffic and sales were very good.

How did OpenXcell perform?

They’re probably the best Web development company that I’ve ever seen. Everybody on our team agrees. We have had no complaints whatsoever with the work they performed, and their customer service and execution. We would hire them again in a heartbeat. 

Is there anything unique or special about them that stands out compared to other IT firms?

The thing that we liked about it was the way they laid out the work flow. They managed to set up a work flow and communication flow with their people to us. They did it from the day we started. It set the bar for what kind of service we could expect from them. They knew what to expect. They knew how to communicate.

Looking back on the work, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

I honestly can say no.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We make massage products for one business including oils and gels. The other is a multidisciplinary health clinic where we do massage, Chinese acupuncture and chiropractic work. 

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the owner. I lead marketing, website development, and similar projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for that work? 

Our website was a little bit dated.  It was five years old and I wanted a fresh, open new-look design. I wanted my website to be unique, simple, and inviting. I provided the concept, and they helped me design it. In only took them a couple of iterations to complete it well.

SOLUTION

When was the last web site completed by OpenXcell?

They just finished a new site about a month ago.

How did you find them to work with in the first place?

I originally hired a different company that works with them. Unexpectedly, a woman called me from England from the Special Olympics and asked me for reference. I didn’t actually know OpenXcell, yet but I discovered them by accident. It was a very lucky accident because I have used them many times since.

Which technologies were used?

I believe Joomla.

What was the cost of the initiative?

That particular site was only $800.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How has OpenXcell performed so far?

They really did exactly what I wanted since I have a wonderful website. Their communication has improved so much since five years ago when I met them. I would say there was never an issue this project. I put the concept out there, and they nailed it first time.

They made great strides to be able to focus. That problem is completely eliminated. I’ll refer them to anybody.

What is unique or special about them compared to some other vendors you may have worked with?

Well, price point is the first thing. Their ease to work with is amazing. They have a wonderful program where you just post pictures and comments. Everything is quickly received. They always provide a response the next business day due to the extreme time difference.

Are there any improvements that you would suggest for them or something you might do differently?

No, because the communication issue has improved drastically.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We create websites for small businesses. My business is basically only me and a few people I bring in sometimes.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am the principal and owner. I run the sales side. I run the marketing side, and also the project management for the various solutions out there. With project management, there are quality assurance responsibilities. I’m looking over the code that comes in from the developers from OpenXcell and other vendors. I am also monitoring the quality of the product on the design side, and making sure that the client’s needs are met.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What is the challenge you’re trying to address or your goal for working with them?

We want to make sure that we can get good quality work done at a price range that our clients can afford. We want to make sure that it’s done on time, and so they’re able to deliver when required.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of OpenXcell’s work?

We have a number of projects we work with them on for website coding.

How did you find them in the first place to work with?

They contacted me via email. I followed up with them. I looked at their portfolio, tried them out on a few test projects, and then trusted them. They’ve done really well.

What is the average size of the project?

These are small projects from $1,000 to $5,000.

How do you track the project’s success?

We have a project management tool that we use. We have timelines. I don’t have any specific metrics, but I do know that they’re very good about hitting timelines. Sometimes, I ask for unreasonable timelines, but they keep up.

What technologies are used?

WordPress is really popular for small businesses and even medium-sized businesses. It’s all open source that is used primarily. They often work on website maintenance as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How has OpenXcell performed so far?

There are a number of contractors that we work with. They’re my favorite team. 

What is the benefit of using WordPress for your clients?

It’s easy for them to use. Joomla has gotten better, but Drupal especially is hard for clients to use. For small businesses, they want to be able to get in, add additional content, edit existing content, and add new pages and manage the site without having us there to hold their hand. WordPress allows them to do that. It gets more and more powerful with every release. Almost all of the sites we make now are in WordPress. There are a number of plug-ins that are available to help make the process easier for folks. It’s not just about designing a website. It’s also about the ecosystem that revolves around WordPress. If somebody wants an event management plug-in, there is one. If somebody wants to be able to call about bookings, there is a plug-in for that. If you want to plug-in for keeping your databases in sync between production, staging, development, there is a plug-in for that. For backups, there are plug-ins. There is a great ecosystem around it. It’s a very good solid platform.

What’s unique or special about OpenXcell compared to some other vendors? What really stands out about them?

I’ve got a lot of experience from the development side. I worked full time as a software developer. I pay attention to the code quality. Their code quality is exceptional. There are a number of Web browsers out there, not only on desktops, but Android devices. Android tablets and Apple phones and tablets are important as well. There are different screen configurations and different capabilities. Their developers are somehow able to make that all work well.

We have given them very challenging projects before. They’re just wrapping up one for us. They really try hard to make it work well everywhere. We try to specify the requirements as well as we can upfront, but there are always things that are missed.

Do you have any improvement to suggest to them or anything that you might do differently?

They cannot edit English very well because of the language issue. They could improve that part.

BACKGROUND

Can you provide some background on your company?

I’m the founder of a company by the name of Groomza. We are developing a mobile application that allows users to find and book the best barbers, beauticians, nail salons, and massage parlors all from the convenience of their mobile phone. I’ve been working with OpenXcell to get the mobile application developed and, right now, we’re about halfway complete.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Can you tell me more about the target market?

Our primary targets [monetization] are going to be beauticians and nail salons because the profit margins are a lot higher and the user base tends to have a higher disposable income. We will make our money through the mobile app from a booking solutions, and we will eventually accept mobile payments allowing users to pay through their phones. The app will also be available to barbers and all personal care services providers.

SOLUTION

Can you describe OpenXcell’s scope of work?

OpenXcell has been involved end to end in the application development. They’ve handled the design component as well as the user interface and the development. They handled the component of, “How will this work?” or making suggestions here and there, “I think this should be done this way as opposed to that way,” and we’ve agreed on most.

Are you building this for multiple platforms?

Yes. We are building for multiple platforms. Initially, we’re going to do smartphones only, and that would be iOS as well as Android. Then there is the second phase, which will be two to three months after the initial launch for the smartphones, we’re going to do tablets, which would be iPad and Android tablets.

What was your process for selecting OpenXcell? How did you find them?

I reached out to multiple developers, and I went off a general feeling about their response and capabilities. I contacted about 10 developers, and based my decision upon their response; their timeliness of communication; and their knowledge, such as their understanding of the concept when I explained it to them. OpenXcell was the best, and when they gave me a price, they were very affordable.

Can you give me a sense of the budget? 

In the $10,000 to $50,000 range.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How do you feel about the work they’ve done so far?

I’ve dealt with numerous IT development firms and, hands down, this is the first and only firm that has been reliable as far as timeliness of communication and knowledge. I don’t think I would even go to anybody else after doing business with them. Their technology to view your project and daily updates, all of that is great, very different to my experience with other IT developers.

Is there anything that you would do differently next time or you’d ask them to do differently or think they could improve upon?

An area of improvement would be timing. I felt a little rushed during the design phase. I wanted to flesh out how everything is going to work – the different nuances and features. I don’t like to feel rushed when I’m thinking through how things are going to work because, as an entrepreneur, you may think of something a week later that, “Hey, I want to do this. Hey I want to do that.” Then, if they’ve already begun the development, it is a problem. That said, I understand their business model and they need to execute on the agreed scope of work quickly. I guess they set aside those resources for the agreed start data. But, it’s not anything major, not that big of a deal.