OpenXcell

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are developing a social network app which helps people make new friends. I am the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with OpenXcell?

We needed development help.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

OpenXcell built our native iOS app from scratch. We had a back-and-forth process around which features should be added. We have a time-in and time-out functionality through which users can set dates on their calendars. There is also a geolocation feature, and the ability to make friend requests. It’s a relatively simple platform.

We focused more on the body of the idea and the functionality of the app, so I didn’t use OpenXcell for design.

How did you come to work with OpenXcell?

We looked on Clutch.co as well as other review websites. OpenXcell was a five-star company on the Indian market, and they could work with my budget.

How much have you invested with OpenXcell?

The cost of OpenXcell’s work was $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with OpenXcell in January 2016. The original timeline was for three or four months of development, but it took us a year to finish. Our time-in feature didn’t function right on delivery, so I’ve brought OpenXcell in again to fix it. We finished the project in January 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve tested the app through TestFlight, and one of OpenXcell’s developers added a couple of users to it, but we haven’t launched the app yet.

How did OpenXcell perform from a project management standpoint?

The different holidays between India and the U.S. delayed our process. We used Workhive for the collaboration, which allowed me to create a profile and see all the team members working on the app, from the manager to the developers. I could post any fault I discovered, and receive a response. There is a time difference between the U.S. and India, so OpenXcell usually responded within the next day.

What did you find most impressive about OpenXcell?

Our communication was very good.

Are there any areas OpenXcell could improve?

They could improve the quality of the work, and the timeliness. It took us a year to complete, which may have been due to the amount of money I put into it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Sivoxi is a mobile application and mobile marketing company. I’m the founder. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with OpenXcell?

OpenXcell were the main and only developers of the mobile marketing app. They created the app, website, and CMS [content management system] backend, which ultimately links the website to the app and allows us on the other end, who aren't IT experts, to be able to change and adjust information within the app and website without having to know coding. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sivoxi is a mobile marketing application and is the first of its kind. The application’s full functionality is currently confidential as we have not taken it to market yet, but it uses the user's location to provide them with location-based advertising.

It was developed natively for both iOS and Android. There's a user-facing website, and the CMS is linked to the website’s platform, which allows us to change information in the CMS to adjust what's in the app. If we want to upload something specifically, we can actually go into the backend through CMS and upload it into the app, but I'm not sure what the coding terms are.

Besides the listing of the deals, one of the biggest features within the app that took the most amount of time was the geofencing, geotargeting, and geolocation services. This is for consumers in South Africa.

How did you come to work with OpenXcell?

I actually found them through Clutch's research on app developers. I was researching a company that was similar to what we needed and went from there. I looked at OpenXcell's pricing, timeline, expertise, previous projects, and general feedback from reviews on Clutch. I looked at it from a rating perspective, and they were reasonably priced. The one thing which they weren't the best at was the timeline; things weren't getting done exactly on time, but they were still getting four out of five in scores. I gave them a call and got an idea with the contract they sent me. I realized they were professional, so I took it from there with the non-disclosure agreements.

How much have you invested with OpenXcell?

It was 500,000 rand [$38,000]. They were very reasonable with their pricing. They haven’t tried to take advantage with the pricing. They were very good with our additional requests for the scope. I had the concept, and they were able to do what was needed from a coding perspective.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project has been going for roughly nine or 10 months, beginning in June/July 2016. The final app, plus a couple of extras that came up, was done in mid-February 2017, but we're still working on it. We’re going back and forth with them at the moment for testing for bugs and making additions. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app hasn't been marketed yet. On OpenXcell’s ability, they would initially send me version one with a lot of bugs. But, as soon as I send them the bugs, they are quick to fix the issues. We don't have a ton of testers either, so I can't say if they can handle a huge quantity. But, generally, the app is good quality.

How did OpenXcell perform from a project management standpoint?

The pricing is great. They’re able to do what I need them to do—for example, "I'll need this to show up to everyone within 100 km of this point.” In functionality, knowledge, and expertise, they're very strong. I didn't find any issues there.

The only issue, which I knew from the start, was that if they said it would be done by December, for example, I only ended up getting the deliverable by mid to late January. From a timing perspective, that is a four out of five to try and get things done when they said.

Also, when they give me a product, the only thing I would ask (and I may actually speak to them about this) is that in every new version, I'd like them to do more basic testing before sending it to me. I sometimes find a lot of small bugs as I start the app, and it would be nice if they would do a quick, basic review for every version to make sure that the critical things are still working.

What did you find most impressive about OpenXcell?

They’re very reasonable with their pricing. That's one thing that I found when I was comparing them to some of the other companies and through some of our discussions. Their expertise is very good. As a non-IT person, I'm not looking to go into detail, but I can tell you what I want it to do. Even if I haven't seen another app that’s able to do what I want, they are able to figure it out and put it into a product.

Are there any areas OpenXcell could improve?

They should test each version a little bit more or do a basic review. I know they can sometimes be rushed to get me the version. But, even a small review of the version could result in having me pick up fewer immediate bugs. I have no issue with anything else. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am developing a social app with a disappearing newsfeed. It's a mix between ephemeral apps and social news feeds like Facebook. I am an independent entrepreneur purely developing the product for fun.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with OpenXcell?

I sourced OpenXcell's services because they are a low-cost and high-quality group. As an independent person, I don't want to worry about costs too much. Two years ago, I was looking to build a messaging app of sorts, which had a set timeline. Over time, I changed the focus of the project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

OpenXcell is developing my cross platform app for Android and iOS. As an independent entrepreneur, I'm not worried about other platforms; I'm just having fun. The two versions need to communicate with each other, and they each have unique features. Android has been the more challenging version to build.

How did you come to work with OpenXcell?

Two-and-a-half years ago, I made a number of internet searches looking for a portal similar to Clutch, which would have data on both domestic and international app development companies. I made a summary in spreadsheet form, detailing what specialties each candidate had. I came across OpenXcell on some odd website which listed all their information, along with three or four other companies. I went on to each individual website, and from a user experience, tried to evaluate which was best. I downloaded a couple of apps developed by each company and selected OpenXcell. They had the lowest cost and good utilities.

How much have you invested with OpenXcell?

The cost of OpenXcell's work will be between $30,000 and $40,000. This is a minimal investment considering the fact that I changed my mind all the time.

What is the status of this engagement?

The app is in its final stages, mostly due to me changing my mind frequently. Every time I changed my mind, OpenXcell was extremely patient and went through change requests on a time-and-materials basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In terms of quality, Android has been a very difficult platform to develop for, but OpenXcell has continued to find things to improve with each iteration. These are elements which aren't present even on apps from big companies, like making the camera side of things more efficient.

How did OpenXcell perform from a project management standpoint?

OpenXcell's workflow pattern is very easy for me to deal with. Their metrics are based on milestones, as with any other project, but OpenXcell's way of keeping track of things is very intuitive. We use Excel and Word documents, as well as their proprietary, Slack-like messaging platform. All of this helps OpenXcell's team deliver things on time.

As an American, I appreciate the fact that OpenXcell will work while I'm sleeping, and even beyond that. Their work hours are not 9–5, but rather 8–7, and the team even works on Saturdays. I can always reach out to OpenXcell when I need them, even though they're in a completely different time zone. I only have experience with their Slack-style platform, which is all I need for communication.

What did you find most impressive about OpenXcell?

OpenXcell's people have never lost their cool and always remained professional. I mostly interact with them over a messaging platform with the Indian team, but we've also had a few calls. They are always on point, focused, and professional. I never got the sense that I was dealing with people in a garage somewhere. That would be the biggest thing I could cite about OpenXcell.

Are there any areas OpenXcell could improve?

For the value, there isn't much that OpenXcell could do to improve. The biggest area would be the misunderstandings created by the language barrier. I could use a common term in the US which is not picked up the same in India, for example.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We offer connected healthcare through the use of devices and software. We have an internet-of-things approach but from a health and fitness perspective. We focus on wellness and elderly care programs.

I am the CTO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with OpenXcell?

We had multiple active projects, outsourcing the elements which were outside of the core development. We have worked with a number of outsourcing partners, OpenXcell being one of them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

OpenXcell has worked on the framework of a CMS [content management system] for our company, based on our requirements.

How did you come to work with OpenXcell?

I found OpenXcell online. We interviewed many outsourcing companies, looking at their technology expertise and general strengths. OpenXcell has expertise with CMS backends. Based on this, we started our collaboration.

How much have you invested with OpenXcell?

This information is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with OpenXcell one year ago. The collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One thing I appreciate about OpenXcell is the team. I've worked with multiple outsourcing companies, and am familiar with the headaches this involves. OpenXcell gave us realistic deadlines based on our scope of work, which were met 95% of the time.

How did OpenXcell perform from a project management standpoint?

OpenXcell is good in terms of transparent communication. The team is responsive, which has been helpful for us. Workhive is OpenXcell's internal collaboration platform.

Are there any areas OpenXcell could improve?

OpenXcell should keep doing what it's currently doing, expand the current team, and explore other areas of expertise.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is called m3b labs. We are a consumer tech startup in Westminster, Australia. We have a team in the US and OpenXcell is our development partner in India. I am the CEO [Chief Executive Officer] and one of the founders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with OpenXcell?

When we founded m3b labs, we were looking for someone to develop our application because our Chief Technology Officer, Ron Hooper, didn’t have the time even though he is highly skilled.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our application, Jugglr, is a social network for mothers. The app was launched in Australia and is available for iOS and Android devices. OpenXcell did the development side for Android, iOS and the backend – the complete package. We had the creative team in-house, so we did the entire design of the app. Since we launched about a month ago, we have gained around 2,400 users. We would like to release an even newer version of the app in a few weeks and we plan on using OpenXcell for all improvements and future releases.

How did you come to work with OpenXcell?

When looking for app developers, we found it very hard to find local talent in Australia. We found a few potential partners, but we felt that none of them had the capability to develop the app while being challenged in terms of going to the market with rapid prototyping. I ended up shortlisting three companies in India, and OpenXcell was the one that I felt had the best tradeoff between capability and price point.

How much have you invested with OpenXcell?

We spend around $50,000 to $200,000 per year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Bear in mind that our app is specifically for moms. So in Western populations, our primary target market is about 10%. In Western Australia, we have a population of 2.2 million people, meaning that there are roughly 220,000 users in our primary target market which includes moms with kids of a certain age. In the first week after we launched, we had around 1,000 new users which we were not expecting. Now we have 2,500 users, putting us ahead of our acquisition goals by over a year. This rapid acquisition has put some pressure on the way we had to scale the application; however, we agreed on some tradeoffs during development to make sure we could launch as soon as possible.

What did you find most impressive about OpenXcell?

I am a no-nonsense guy and I believe in leadership rather than hierarchy. When working with the CEO and business analyst of OpenXcell, I felt that they had the same professionalism as I. This professionalism is what distinguishes them from other firms. Sometimes there are challenges in a project that are hard to work out, but OpenXcell has been supporting us throughout our partnership with them.

Are there any areas OpenXcell could improve?

If you think about the software development life cycle, I think OpenXcell excels in development. I can only speak from a partner’s perspective, but if you’re willing to put in the hard work with them, they will deliver. Once the development side is completed, however, I think OpenXcell can improve on the maintenance side of things. It’s not entirely fair because maintenance is not their core business, but we would have loved if they had helped us more with maintaining and running the app. We’ve had these discussions with OpenXcell, however, and they have been responsive in bridging that gap and supporting us, even if it is not one of their main capabilities.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company is Palma Creations, Inc.

What is your position?

I am the founder of a company that publishes games.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with OpenXcell?

I needed a mobile app developer for a game I had created.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They developed a game for me on both iOS and Android.

How did you come to work with OpenXcell?

I was having a hard time finding a developer, so I looked at companies on Clutch and found OpenXcell. I saw that they had good ratings and performance. One of the biggest reasons that I decided on OpenXcell was that they are very affordable. I contacted other companies that wanted to charge me more than $50,000. OpenXcell had exactly what I wanted to spend.

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

It was about $23,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project is completed. I still communicate with them often regarding fixing bugs and making improvements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

It's been less than a month since it came out, and I have about 500 downloads on the app store. Customer reviews have been pretty positive reviews.

How did OpenXcell perform from a project management standpoint?

OpenXcell did pretty well with project management. Sometimes, we weren't able to reach the deadlines we had set because we made many changes. I appreciate all the work they did and completely understand why we weren't able to meet our deadlines. Overall, they did great because they were always willing to go above and beyond to make sure the game was as best as possible.

What distinguishes OpenXcell from other providers?

I like how OpenXcell works because they would often do extra work to make sure I was satisfied. They put a considerable amount of effort into customer satisfaction.

Is there anything OpenXcell could have improved or done differently?

No. Overall, we were able to manage everything okay. We always had strong communication, and they were always there when I needed them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My relationship with OpenXcell goes back to my Google days.

What is your position?

I used to head the business marketing function for Google in India. I used to do a lot of work in the space of mobile optimization and app optimization. My job was to essentially evangelize marketing and especially mobile advertising for our large customers such as Unilever, Citibank, and J.P. Morgan. We audited their mobile assets and helped them to set up their whole mobile advertising strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with OpenXcell?

My objective was to evangelize Google services and solutions, especially mobile advertising solutions, to these kind of clients.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

OpenXcell used to work as a vendor for us. OpenXcell helped us in terms of auditing a lot of mobile assets for a lot of different clients across different sectors.

How did you come to work with OpenXcell?

We used a request for proposal process at Google. We invited proposals from multiple vendors, then we evaluated their potential. We received very good references about OpenXcell. OpenXcell was really flexible. They worked through the night and on very, very tight timelines. Their ability and willingness to work on a tight timeline was one of the key factors of why we chose OpenXcell.

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

Each of the audit projects were close to around $10,000. We worked with a number of clients. In total, we probably spent close to $200,000 with OpenXcell.

What is the status of this engagement?

Google’s engagement with OpenXcell is complete, but I have worked with them in my new startup.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

For each client, we saw improvements in their mobile assets.

What distinguishes OpenXcell from other providers?

Often times we would have items come up unplanned. We would have to work through the night, and they literally worked around the clock. That’s what made OpenXcell a good partner, because we could count on them and know that these guys would come to our rescue.

Is there anything OpenXcell could have improved or done differently?

While they’re very, very good at delivering on a tight project scope, sometimes I feel they should be able to work with a little less ambiguity, and bring more structure to a project. They’re amazing execution partners, but I think there could be a little more strategy at times.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company is Netqwerk and it is a business networking app that tracks all of your contacts and potential contacts, then scores them and uses that scoring to make recommendations to help you stay in touch with the right people at the right time.

What is your position?

I'm the president.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with OpenXcell?

We brought on OpenXcell to develop everything. We don't have an internal development team. We outsourced it entirely.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Our platform is a web-based, iOS, and Android application.

How did you come to work with OpenXcell?

We looked at many companies. We looked at many people in the United States because that's where we're based. From a cost standpoint, it just didn't make sense to do it in the U.S. So, we chose to outsource offshore. We interviewed many people in many different countries. What it came down to was their competency. We felt as if they were the people that could get this product done and do it well. They weren't the least expensive option, but Netqwerk is fairly complex, and we felt like we needed somebody that had top-notch developers and project managers that could grasp the concepts and build it correctly. 

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

It was around $200,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I don't have anything quantitative. 

How did OpenXcell perform from a project management standpoint?

I was impressed with their project management and communication. They're very organized. 

What distinguishes OpenXcell from other providers?

Many times when you're dealing with offshore companies's communication can be a challenge. There's often language barriers and cultural differences that make it challenging. OpenXcell did a great job with that. We communicated well. They got the idea. I felt the developers did a good job at executing it.

Is there anything OpenXcell could have improved or done differently?

There's always hiccups with complex development. There was one time where we weren't on the same page from a design standpoint. But, we were able to resolve that fairly quickly. Our biggest hiccup had to do with our APIs [application programming interfaces]. We had connections with LinkedIn and LinkedIn canceled them, and we had to find new ways to go about it. Then, we had some challenges with Facebook. So, all these social media sites were changing their APIs all the time. But, that had nothing to do with OpenXcell. It's been almost two years that we've worked with OpenXcell, and it was just that one time that we had a communication breakdown.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're an online platform aimed at a premium consumer. It's a mix of a user being able to discover a product, try it, and then decide to buy it, so there's e-commerce platform tied into it.

What is your position?

I'm the cofounder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with OpenXcell?

One of the key things that is different that we're offering with our product is an app. We want the first interaction that a consumer has with our product to be through an app. We are working to target a premium customer, so it was it was so critical for me to find the right development partner. I strongly believe I found the right partner in OpenXcell.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They did the entire development.

How did you come to work with OpenXcell?

We screened around eight companies and, out of eight, we brought it down to OpenXcell mainly due to their development approach. For all eight, we looked at their previous work to see if there were any similarities to what we wanted to do. OpenXcell was in the top three. Where I rate them significantly higher than the rest is their development approach and that the team that was involved in all of the strategy discussions. From a cost angle, they were also one of the most competitive. 

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

We started last September or October [2015]. We are going on nine months now. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project with OpenXcell is ongoing, but it's almost complete. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We keep learning and we want to keep improving. Phase 1 and 2 are done. Phase 3 we will start soon. We want this platform to be one that is loved by every user, so we try to keep bringing new offerings to the people.

How did OpenXcell perform from a project management standpoint?

To give you one example of their project management that I loved, initially I had a problem with my app. I went to them in the night, I got a response in two minutes, and they resolved the problem in 30 minutes. That has not just happened once. It has happened at least four times so far. 

What distinguishes OpenXcell from other providers?

There are many things that stand out. First, is their customer service approach. It's amazingly positive. Also, I wanted to launch a campaign for my customers on a Saturday night, which I was pretty much sure I was going to have to postpone because I knew OpenXcell didn't work on Saturdays. But, I called them on Saturday morning and said I wanted this to be done and, to my surprise, I saw five of them working on it, and they launched it at midnight. They are very capable. I haven't run into anything where I've had to tell them something wasn't right.

Is there anything OpenXcell could have improved or done differently?

I think they need to expand their team. I think they have huge potential in the market. I'm sure they'll get there. They're growing fast, and they deserve it.

BACKGROUND

Please briefly describe your company.

GymSnap is a software company that supplies universities with mobile and web apps to help manage their recreational facilities more efficiently. GymSnap connects students to their school's recreational center. We want to help colleges and universities create the best possible fitness experience for their students. Our goal is for students to stay healthy and still have time to enjoy all the other amazing experiences college has to offer.

What role do you play there?

I'm the cofounder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with OpenXcell?

We needed OpenXcell to help with the software development, specifically for our mobile product.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

OpenXcell helped to develop our mobile app and website. They handled almost all of the software development aspects.

How did you come to work with OpenXcell?

We deeply researched many different mobile development firms using many different means, including looking at reviews on Clutch.

Did you consider other business partners? Why OpenXcell?

Yes. We considered many different partners, but we decided on OpenXcell because they understood what we wanted to do, and we were confident they could help us to do it. Furthermore, communication is important to us, and they were great at communicating right from the start.

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

The project was more than $10,000, but less than $50,000. We still work with them to help with smaller projects here and there.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What distinguishes OpenXcell from other providers?

They were great with communication, and they do a great job of understanding the project goals overall rather than getting too focused on a specific task.

What makes OpenXcell a great business partner?

OpenXcell communicates well, they offer a service for a great price, and they are a joy to work with.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve or things you might do differently?

No, they have been fantastic. I wouldn't change anything.