Skytz Software Labs

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of Redd-Op Services Inc. We are a tour boat company that was moving into land based travel, but COVID stopped that.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Skytz Software Labs, and what were your goals?

We wanted to create a Student / Passenger Management System with some other features as well. It went from a small project to a large one quickly.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I spoke to some other programmers. Skytz seemed to know what I wanted and were flexible on time.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The program was to have students enter the vehicle and scan a QR Code on an Ipad. This would enter them onto a manifest that would be linked to a off site central location. When the passenger left the vehicle they would scan the QR code again. This would give a real time manifest to the driver and a different location such as a manger. Other features included: GPS tracking of vehicle, Pre-trip / post trip form to be filled out by driver Field trip communication Payroll

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Three people. I'm not sure their positions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Unfortunately COVID out a stop to the program. Interest was lost in many of the potential customers. I have dropped the product for now.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Communication was normally done through Zoom or Skype where screen sharing was used. Things were done quite quickly. There were some tricky programs as I understand it and the original thought turned into a much bigger project which needed interconnection between all items.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

How they knew what I wanted with little detail. Sometimes I would want to add something to the program project but not know the terminology or exactly hoe to do it. They would figure things out quickly and have a sample product for demonstration.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director for a nonprofit religious organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Skytz Software Labs?

We had an old mobile app to connect the members of our congregation and other church networks to enable them to access conference recordings, outlines, and literature. The project got too big for the person handling it, so we decided to bring in a professional. We hired Skytz Software Labs to develop our application and to make it into a platform that could be used worldwide.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They had the older app as a baseline in terms of functionality, but the old source code wasn’t compilable. In order for us to leverage the new technology, particularly for iOS, Skytz Software Labs rewrote the app using Swift. We wanted to use the apple ecosystem, so we focused on iOS. 

Skytz Software Labs has been handling all the enhancements and upgrades we’re looking for, and has even been improving our ideas. They’ve improved our playlist, home screen, and journaling feature. The app now has a feature where a user can journal, and those journal entries are replicated across all the user's devices using iCloud as the backend. The app also supports video and provides multi-language support. 

Skytz Software Labs has been working to unify the JSON structures of all our content so we have one unified API spread across multiple sites. Our next step is to work on the backend infrastructure and then develop a web app. We plan on rolling everything out on Windows, Linux and having an Android application by the time we’re finished. 

What is the team composition?

We work with a primary iOS developer, and he has another person who performs the backend work on his team. We believe there are two other developers on the team. 

How did you come to work with Skytz Software Labs?

We found them on Upwork. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent more than $10,000 with Skytz Software Labs, but we plan to invest more than $25,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the first few days after the launch, more than 550 users downloaded the app without any kind of marketing. The app has been downloaded in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. We’ve received a lot of positive comments on the app, and our existing user base has been impressed with the video function and multiple-language support. 

How did Skytz Software Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything has been delivered on time and within budget, and our primary form of communication is Zoom and Telegram; we also use Google Docs. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re incredibly patient because no one on our side has any experience with development. When we want a modification, they take the time to show us what is possible regarding different technology options. They always ensure that we’re on the same page, which we appreciate. 

Skytz Software Labs is proactive in bringing us solutions, even if we’ve already moved on from that part of the project. They want to make everything as well as they possibly can, and if that means going back and showing us possible improvements on previous work, they take the time to do that. They have a high level of understanding of the technology, and they explain all of that to us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We wish there were better time management. We’re in different time zones, which makes things a bit difficult regarding meeting at reasonable times. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate clearly and describe what you’re trying to achieve in the clearest way possible. The more dialogue you have with them, the more effective your partnership will be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our software helps insurance claims adjusters at the lowest levels of operations. For instance, if you have to meet with an insurance adjuster about a claim on your home, we’d help schedules that appointment. Our system is becoming more robust, basically able to write estimates and provide information for users now.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Skytz Software Labs?

When I hired them, we didn’t have a mobile application. We needed one to be able to compete in this space. After deciding to go with a calendar app, we got to work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially hired them to complete a basic calendar app for our company. Over time, they continued coming to us with ideas on how to innovate and make the solution more robust, so we’ve continued to release new versions of the app together. At this point, we’re at version 3.6. We already have a quote for the next build and will continue to use their services to grow our product moving forward. 

How did you come to work with Skytz Software Labs?

Our CEO request that I find talent through Upwork, so I posted the project there. Many companies put in bids for the job, sending along with designs and UI examples. Theirs was the best because I knew how the app would function without asking any questions. It was that intuitive. I found the risk to be very low because I was confident that their work would look good and work well. That solidified our relationship early on.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we’ve spent just over $63,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started collaborating in November 2017, and the first version of the app launched in January 2018. Our teams are still working together to improve the app, though.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our entire staff agrees that the team is impressive and is able to provide high-quality work. I’ve received plenty of positive feedback from my team about their responsiveness as well. I feel lucky to have found them, because we haven’t experienced any issues with timing with them. Despite being offshore, they keep our working hours to help us collaborate more easily. That’s been very helpful for us.

How did Skytz Software Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication has been very clear. I’m never left wondering about how well they understand any given project. We’re using RingCentral for standup calls and RingCentral Glip for instant messaging. We’ve included them in our development channels on Glip, so we can collaborate and discuss the project daily. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

On Upwork, we hired a freelancer to do the project. However, we actually hired a company with iOS and Android developers that can work in all types of coding languages. They have professional designers and front-end developers too. 

They have all the necessary resources that we might need in app development. The team also can easily map out the workflow so seamlessly so I can anticipate how the solution will function before receiving it. They also provide a speedy development experience. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They offered us a web developer, but we didn’t see a high level of expertise in the developer they provided. That’s not a knock on the team as a whole, I’m just not sure that individual was up to the task at hand. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Document the requirements clearly and stay in communication with them throughout the development. They’re easy to work with across the board, always only charging what’s estimated even if it takes longer than expected. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the owner of an international end-to-end encryption company that specialized in secure communication between individuals and comporations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Skytz Software Labs?

I hired Skytz Software Labs to handle the iOS mobile app development.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I hired many iOS developers in an attempt to find the very best coders at a reasonable price point. I needed the best coders because my company was pushing the boundaries in the application of encryption. I selected Skytz Software Labs because they were able to do very difficult tasks on time and on budget.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The project was an international end-to-end encryption company serving the whole world. We specialized in encrypted email and we were the "Worlds First" in several technological areas. For example, we invented a unique way to apply checksums to our codebase in a way that gave our users strong assurance that our service was secure.

Leading the world with this security feature, and others, was difficult because it required coders who were able to think outside of the box, It also required coders who were able to write code that no one in the world has ever thought of or imagined before. These were difficult tasks and Skytz Software Labs was able to meet these frequent difficult challenges on time and on budget.

We initially built the webmail app and then we hired the Skytz team to build the iOS app for us. Several other iOS coders failed and quit because the project was too difficult but the Skytz team excelled.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I hired two individuals from this company. They both worked on iOS development. One of them was the lead developer for the iOS app, and the other was support for him.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The company grew from 0 daily users to over 30,000. Most of these users used the iOS app that the Skytz team created. Their exceptional work made the company a success.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between my team and the Skytz team was excellent. The Skytz team constantly pushed my webmail developers because they wanted to make sure they hit their deadlines and finished their tasks on budget. We worked closely together on a daily basis.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The most impressive thing about this company is its honesty and integrity. In today's culture, these are rare qualities.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I have no suggestions for improvement for this company. I was thoroughly impressed and pleased

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and Founder a company that does graphic design, logo design, web development, and web maintenance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Skytz Software Labs?

We hired Skytz Software Labs to help with extensive web development issues.

What were your goals for this project?

They helped with e-commerce and functionality issues.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Skytz Software Labs was recommended by a peer web development company for their knowledge in the business and their proficiency.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

I have used their services for many projects - they were given details of our issues that we were not able to solve.

What was the team composition?

Our relationship has involved 2-6 of their team members working on our projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because of their expertise, our project deadlines were kept on track or surpassed the expected delivery date. Their efforts in helping our issues kept our timeline on track and our customers happy with no delays.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Email, Skype, and TeamViewer are tools that we have utilized over the years. Their communication and description of what they were completing was on time and well documented.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their attention to detail, expertise, and fast-acting work are the most impressive attributes of the company.

Are there any areas for improvement?

N/A