Let’s Make an App for That
Since our inception in 2002, we’ve sourced and vetted our city’s top talent in order to provide our clients with local access to world-class developers and designers. Our mission isn’t to sell software - it’s to use cutting-edge technology to create custom solutions to help achieve our clients’ goals.
Specializing in mobile applications and enterprise software development, AIVIA’s core vision is to produce innovative digital products at the intersect of technology and the humanities while providing elite levels of agility, expertise and quality. Our agility means that we don’t worry about changes to the project scope - we embrace it. We plan for change, and we’re equipped with the invaluable experience and skills to address it.
Focus
Portfolio
Jayman BUILT Homes - Interactive Display Software | Levven Electronics | Government of Alberta - Service Awards Program | Old Strathcona Farmers Market | Assembly of First Nations | City of Edmonton - Interactive Survey | Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta | Alberta Association of Architects | Alberta Nursing Education Administrators | Valard Construction
Levven Controls
Our team worked with the embedded software engineers at Levven Electronics to come up with a client facing app written in Swift and Kolin programming languages. A custom user interface along with first run screens help new users set up a technologically advanced system with relative ease.
Our engineers were able to learn and adapt on the fly as we worked with the team at Levven to use and integrate into their proprietary programming language.
Features
- Hardware interface with embedded technology
- Propriety coding language
- Kotlin and Swift Programming
- Cloud AWS integration
- Transitional interface animations
Radar Fox
Radar Fox utilizes core location, geofencing, data mining, notifications and audio alerts to provide drivers with current road information, and ultimately increase road safety.
The application gathers all the latest online civic information about photo radar, red light camera and school zone locations, and creates alert zones that notify drivers as they approach them. Users save real money and increase driver awareness.
Stoney Language Dictionary
Alexis Nakota Education approached Aivia with an idea for a Stoney language dictionary for mobile devices.
Aivia created a mobile archive of thousands of words, meanings, and spoken pronunciations. A special Word of the Day feature entices users to revisit and interact with the app, in order to learn on a daily basis.
The Alexis people are fully trained to administer and update the library database archive and the user access system.
JaymanBUILT Homes - Granite Interface
Jayman BUILT homes wanted a cutting-edge, interactive presentation software to run on its show home media centre kiosks. Aivia was engaged to work with their show home presentation displays in order to create an engaging and informative presentation for potential home buyers.
Designers and programmers worked with the sales, marketing and technical staff at Jayman BUILT homes to deploy an innovative experience for interactive display users. Dynamic PDF printouts were also designed and programmed for users to take with them when they left.
Communikit - Communication Toolkit
The team at AIVIA Inc. designed Communikit as a mobile app framework that allows you to easily communicate with groups of users using simple to use but powerful tool sets.It’s the perfect communication management tool to create a tailored user experience for your app community. Start by sorting users into custom groups, then send custom forms or notifications for all kinds of announcements, events and notices.So far, Communikit has helped 7 organizations communicate more effectively using these features:
- Sort users into custom groups like staff, members, clients, and the general public.
- Reach people on their mobile devices at anytime.
- Link straight to action items like forms, events and PDFs.
- Easily create and distribute your own custom forms with our form creation tool.
- Set up, invite and sign up people to your events using your own app. You can either direct people to an external event platform or handle it all yourself using the in-built tools.
Alberta Fire Bans
As lovers of the great outdoors, the team at AIVIA Inc. designed the Alberta Fire Bans app to help Albertans maximize their ability to have fun outside.
Our goal was to provide Albertans with an easy-to-use, straight-forward application which displays current information about fire bans, restrictions and advisories – sourced directly from provincial fire authorities.
Since the launch of this free application on both Android and iOS devices we have served the needs of 20,000 happy Albertans.
Features include:
- Push notification settings for specific geographic areas
- Categories include fire bans, restrictions and advisories
- Up-to-date information sourced directly from provincial fire authorities
- Available for iOS and Android
Reviews
the project
Web & App Dev for Driftpile Cree Nation
"They’re friendly and approachable."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the membership lands and estates clerk for the Driftpile Cree Nation.
What challenge were you trying to address with AIVIA Inc.?
Our website was down for a few years. We needed it to be up and running again.
What was the scope of their involvement?
AIVIA originally built our website. After the platform was down, their team got it running again.
They also created a Driftpile Cree Nation application. AIVIA built push notifications features for our administrators, staff, and social profiles. They maintain our website, app, and emails. Their team pulls from our social media to post events and updates on the platform.
What is the team composition?
We’ve worked with five people from AIVIA. However, I regularly interact with the owner and two developers.
How did you come to work with AIVIA Inc.?
Our company engaged AIVIA before I came on board. We actually switched companies for a couple of years. However, I re-established our connection when we decided to reinvent the website.
How much have you invested with them?
Our cost was small because they received grants. For maintenance, we have them on retainer for $2,500–$3,000 CAD (approximately $1,900–$2,200 USD) per month.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked on the website and app between January–June 2017. They maintain our website, app, and emails.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They built a beautiful and easily accessible app. While we can log in to make changes, most of the information can be accessed through guest accounts. They do good work, so I’m pleased.
How did AIVIA Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?
We communicate via email and phone. Their team’s available 24/7 for maintenance. They’re organized and awesome.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re friendly and approachable. Their team’s not overly formal.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I don’t have any issues with their performance.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be patient. It’s easy to work with AIVIA. They’re diligent about ensuring you understand their process.
the project
Web Dev for Home Builder
"They were so accessible at every stage and easy to work with."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I was the assistant sales and marketing manager with a new home builder.
For what projects/services did your company hire AIVIA Inc.?
Design & development of a web app that allows customers to track the construction progress of their home. It gives customers access to the house details and location, a checklist of which parts of the build process have been completed, informative resources and videos about their home’s features, and contact info for their sales representative.
What were your goals for this project?
Provide a convenient easy to access place for our customers to track the build of their new home and to share information with them.
How did you select this vendor?
We already used them for our main company website and were very impressed with the service they provided us and wanted to have the customer portal be a seamless integration with our existing site.
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
Design & development of the ReidBuilt Homes website that has full details of all of their floor plans, including galleries for each. The site also has all the communities that they build in, and a “quick close” page that has properties that are listed at very attractive prices.
What was the team composition?
Stable contacts who understood our vision and would ensure our site never got stale.
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
Purchasers start their search on the web. Ensuring you have an updated relevant website is important in the new home industry.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
Everything was done online so it was easy to see what they were working on and to add notes.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
They were so accessible at every stage and easy to work with.
Are there any areas for improvement?
No
the project
App Development for Home Electronics Company
"They realize the importance of not confusing users, keeping the app easy to use."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am a co-founder/owner and head of R & D (research and development) of a smart home device manufacturer. We design and manufacture devices that advance new construction, allowing residential home builders to improve their bottom line. Today our team consists of eight people doing cloud backend development, electronics hardware design, firmware development, and wireless protocol development.
What challenge were you trying to address with AIVIA Inc.?
We were looking to outsource our mobile app development with a local developer competent in iOS and Android, and our timeline for MVP was very aggressive. I wanted the apps to be in the native languages of Swift and Kotlin, respectively.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They created the MVP from scratch including all graphics, screens, and code. It was a challenge integrating an existing crypto code base that I provided, and implementing a communication protocol spec that wasn't fully baked at the start of the project. We also didn't have hardware for them to test against, so we provided simulators in the early days and then later transitioned to testing against real hardware. They hosted the code in GitHub where we could see daily edits and collaborate on code reviews. They coached us through the process, ensuring a good experience for users. Now, they provide ongoing support, looking at the code base monthly. They monitor real-time crashes through Sentry.io, fix them, and submit a monthly report.
What is the team composition?
There was a project manager, someone on UX, someone on the business side, and several developers.
How did you come to work with AIVIA Inc.?
I reached out to many local companies. One of the founders from AIVIA came to our office to discuss the project and demonstrate some of the things they had developed. They presented their idea of wanting to do new, cool things, which was appealing to me.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent roughly $100,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working with them in February 2019, and it is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
It’s been ad-hoc. We tend to do internal evaluations of new builds. Our developers look for edge cases.
How did AIVIA Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?
Early on, it was more difficult, as we weren’t speaking the same language, but it’s become clearer as we have developed a rhythm. It took a bit of adjustment on their part to integrate with what we were providing, as it was different from their usual relationships. We used an older version of Basecamp for a while, but it didn’t work well. We now communicate through email, Github, and specification drafts.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They try to understand how users are going to interact with our brand through the app, even if it means sacrificing some functionality and reducing features. They realize the importance of not confusing users, keeping the app easy to use. They take requirements given to them and return with intelligent questions, troubleshooting how to proceed considering the effects those requirements will have on the overall app.
Are there any areas they could improve?
User acceptance testing and automated regression testing were not used in this project. Most of the testing was done manually with physical devices. Implementing unit testing, continuous integration, and test-engineering practices from the start of the project would be beneficial for them in the future.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Have a clear idea of what you want to achieve overall and through timelines and segmented work. Think through how it will affect the different stakeholders: users, developers, etc. And know ahead of time how the product will be tested.
the project
Development for Construction Company
“Their level of transparency around timelines is pretty impressive.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I work for a construction company within the Quanta Services Utilities Group, which is a large company based in Houston.
Our company builds utility solutions, mostly transmission lines, but also distribution, solar, and a number of other activities. I'm the digital transformation manager for the company.
What challenge were you trying to address with AIVIA Inc?
Our company at one point had an inhouse team of developers that I ran, but due to a variety of factors that was cut down to a maintenance level, and I needed to hire a company that was capable of providing some development services to create new applications for our company.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Their first project for us was more of a get-to-know-you application, so it was purely iOS and was simply a connectivity electronic report and replaced a paper form that we had for requesting, returning, and transferring our equipment to job sites.
That was phase one, and since that went well, they are currently working on phase two of the development, which is going to be the desktop website administration panel. That will encompass the processing of the request or the return from the selection of available products, request shipping and logistics, and confirmation of delivery.
What is the team composition?
Throughout the project, I worked with their business manager and project manager, but I’m not sure how many developers they had working on the project.
How did you come to work with AIVIA Inc?
I did some research on the web for local companies, read some reviews about them, and just decided to give it a shot.
How much have you invested with them?
The first phase of the project was limited to $25,000, and the second phase is currently budgeted for $65,000 with the expectation to continue working together.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started the process in September 2019 and our work together is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Their team uses a dashboard that allows me to monitor key milestones and where their progress is towards those, and I’ve really appreciated that visibility. It allows me to know what’s going on without having to delve into the weeds directly, which is exactly what I needed.
How did AIVIA Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?
I think they do a good job of keeping everyone on the same page. They’ve kept me informed all along and haven’t caused any delays for the projects from their end. Their level of transparency around timelines is pretty impressive.
One aspect I appreciate about them is that unlike a lot of bigger development houses, they are not trying to build out their customer base just for the sake of having more customers. It’s clear that they are focused on their clients and building their business in terms of the quality of the service they provide, and as long as they’re doing that I don’t think there’s any way they’ll go wrong.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I’ve dealt with a lot of development companies in a variety of industries, and my experience tells me that they are a fairly young company still working through their processes. That said, they’re also not rushing things, and really seem to be on the right path in terms of customer handling and prioritizations, so I’m pleased with what they’ve completed for us.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I really haven’t been disappointed with anything that they’ve done.
AIVIA Inc. delivered a visually appealing product that supports seamless updates and received praise from stakeholders. The team is accessible to address maintenance requests 25/7. Their organization supports exceptional project management. An affable team, they remain a valuable partner.