Boston Technology Corporation

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Technical Architect at Circles, Bangalore/SG of Circle, Global technology firm helping telco operators launch and operate successful digital brands via our SAAS platform

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Circle, Global technology firm helping telco operators launch and operate successful digital brands via our SAAS platform

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Boston Technology Corporation to accomplish?

• AI-Driven Customer Engagement and Feedback Optimization for the Telecom Industry

SOLUTION

How did you find Boston Technology Corporation?

Referral

Why did you select Boston Technology Corporation over others?

• Company values aligned
• BTC demonstrated a profound understanding of AI technology and the implementation process.

How many teammates from Boston Technology Corporation were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The project was to develop a POC to demonstrate
Enhanced Customer Support: Develop/ Deploy AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants to provide 24/7 assistance for billing inquiries, troubleshooting, and service upgrades.
Improved Customer Retention: Leverage sentiment analysis to gain actionable insights from customer feedback and optimize user satisfaction.
Sentiment Analysis Models: BERT.
Data Sources: Our CRM systems, Inhouse SaaS platform, support tickets, social media platforms, and surveys.
Visualization: Dashboards for real-time insights using Power BI.
Deliverable: POC (Proof of Concept) showcasing measurable improvements in support efficiency and customer satisfaction.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We could analyze customer reviews, feedback, and chat transcripts to detect sentiment trends. We were able to identify key drivers of dissatisfaction or satisfaction for targeted improvements.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They set clear expectations, ensured transparency, and presented a seamless engagement model from start to finish. The response time was fairly impressive and there was nothing to complain.

What was your primary form of communication with Boston Technology Corporation?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their ability to scale resources and adapt to our evolving needs made them stand out.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Boston Technology Corporation could have done differently?

NA

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Ushur Inc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a SaaS platform that allows customers to use our low-code platform to build workflows and automate customer experience. Our platform is a CXA (Customer Experience Automation) platform

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Boston Technology Corporation to accomplish?

• To help us with creating an SDK for the iOS platform

SOLUTION

How did you find Boston Technology Corporation?

Referral

Why did you select Boston Technology Corporation over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Boston Technology Corporation were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The task was to develop an iOS SDK to interface with our platform on one side and an iOS app on the other. The SDK was the glue between these two systems.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• SDK met our Quality criteria - it did not have any blockers when released and was easy to make changes as requirements kept changing.
• SDK met our Coding metrics - the code was well written and easy to maintain
• SDK met our timelines critiera - they delivered on time to help us with our client.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes, BTC had good Project management methods and they met our criteria of delivery under a strict timelines. They were helpful to do multiple code walkthroughs and also perform demonstrations to our customers.

What was your primary form of communication with Boston Technology Corporation?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were easy to work with; they had well-established teams that knew the technology well. Also, their strong collaboration and communication were outstanding.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Boston Technology Corporation could have done differently?

None that we found for this engagement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Amira Health Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We create consumer electronics to help women sleep better throughout menopause.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Boston Technology Corporation to accomplish?

• Develop an iOS app to interact with two devices produced by Amira
• Test the above app and subject it to QA

SOLUTION

How did you find Boston Technology Corporation?

Online Search

Why did you select Boston Technology Corporation over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Boston Technology Corporation were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The scope of BTC's work was to develop and test an iOS app that could interface with the two Bluetooth devices that make up Amira's system. One key defining feature was that the app should be able to interact (receive data, write data) with both devices and Amira's cloud server while the app was in the background with the screen off. The key deliverables were: 

• Waiting for materials from Amira (e.g. physical devices) 
• Developing the above core functionality along with a basic UI 
• Writing test cases and performing internal quality assurance 
• Releasing to Amira for user acceptance testing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Successful user acceptance testing and well-maintained connection with the devices.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They performed spectacularly regarding timelines and delivered the items far ahead of schedule.

What was your primary form of communication with Boston Technology Corporation?

Virtual Meeting

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

They were great with meeting timelines.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Boston Technology Corporation could have done differently?

Small: perhaps some code sections could have had less commented-out code upon submission.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own a small professional services company. We offer collaborative business consulting and software development for personal and business applications on mobile devices. Our focus is on identifying business problems and developing the requirements for mobile app solutions in a variety of vertical markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Boston Technology Corporation?

My company outsources all app and GUI code writing to ensure the best product development and UX. We engaged Boston Technology Corporation to develop prototypes for a mobile app. 

What were your goals for this project?

We needed prototypes that efficiently conveyed a mobile app’s functionalities to all user groups. My team wanted to simulate UX while using static data for reference. We also required specific cost estimates (i.e., full product development, backend server costs) to project to the investment community.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My company requested quotes from the top three software developers in the Northeast US. We interviewed each company about their development and project management methodologies. Our team ultimately chose to partner with Boston Technology Corporation based on their comprehensive skill set and flexible schedule.

Describe the project in detail.

We held brainstorming sessions to identify the core business problem and then establish the facts, industry trends, and desired solutions and results. Our teams collaborated to design solution wireframes for target audiences. Boston Technology Corporation then began each prototype with sample screenshots and workflow detail. The creative team developed the mobile icon and screenshot acceptance from users. They completed final changes on iOS prototypes.

What was the team composition?

My team communicated with a project manager and a few developers. We also had access to subject-matter experts in different areas.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The prototypes were used to create a website and a promotional video. The investment community is using the prototypes to prompt interest in the app.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Boston Technology Corporation focused significant time and effort on developing solution wireframes to prevent costly design changes and scope creep. The project manager was instrumental in defining how to achieve the product’s business goals. My team could contact the VP of Business Development if we needed to escalate any part of the project. They provided the iOS prototypes via TestFlight.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Boston Technology Corporation was fully committed to delivering a high-functioning app and even provided additional feature content. They communicated well, assessed change requirements, and adhered to deadlines. We were particularly impressed by the creative team’s capabilities.

​​​​​​Are there any areas for improvement?

To translate business requirements into a seamless and efficient solution, Boston Technology Corporate’s project managers could be more knowledgeable about business models and technical development.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT manager at a public health research and policy organization, which is affiliated with a major medical school. I’m responsible for the technology infrastructure that supports our public health research, as well as the surveillance and oversight that one state and several federal agencies undertake.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Boston Technology Corporation?

We hired Boston Technology Corporation to build mobile applications for Android and iOS. The apps would help gather patient-reported information. They also had to deliver a web portal with functionality for configuring and publishing studies and surveys on the apps. We wanted to deploy that data without having to develop additional software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Boston Technology Corporation created a web configuration portal that enables users with no programming experience to create a questionnaire. Users can then publish the questionnaire to iOS and Android devices. The team used Apple’s ResearchKit and Android’s ResearchStack.

In total, the team provided all the business services necessary to create the requirements, manage the project, and handle software development and deployment. This included managing developer accounts on the app stores.

What is the team composition?

Shyam (President, Boston Technology Corporation) serves as the account executive. The team then comprises a project manager, a business analyst, and a technical lead.

How did you come to work with Boston Technology Corporation?

We issued an RFP in separate parts for frontend development and the survey response storage environment on the backend. Our team then did a Google search for development agencies with experience using ResearchKit and ResearchStack. Boston Technology Corporation responded to the RFP with the capacity to build the mobile apps that were required to gather data for use in public health and other medical research projects.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $500,000–$1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2017 and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product received 33 downloads on GitHub in one day—a good indication of success. Anecdotally, our mobile product received positive coverage on a government agency’s website.

How did Boston Technology Corporation perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve been doing IT projects for decades and this team is one of the best vendors I’ve hired. Boston Technology Corporation is flexible, accommodating, and timely. They deliver high-quality results and resolve any software defects within a week of being reported. The team brilliantly ideates how certain functionalities could improve users’ experience. From our perspective, it’s much better than if we’d been left to our own means.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team knows how to build cross-platform solutions as well as native iOS and Android apps. They also advise us when our requests would exceed ResearchKit and ResearchStack support in our scope. Overall, the team manages our budget well and keeps the engagement cost-effective.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. The development team accommodates the time difference and makes themselves available during our normal working hours. Likewise, Boston Technology Corporation is attentive and responsive. We couldn’t ask for more.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should let Boston Technology Corporation follow the vendor’s business requirements process, even if it were not the same as theirs. It took time for us to arrive at that conclusion, since we perform business analysis and requirements functions for specific audiences. Ultimately, our team allowed them to follow their own method and it proved advantageous. They have a depth of mobile app experience that we do not possess.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the project director of a hybrid flight attendant health study within a major school of public health.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Boston Technology Corporation?

We are running a large cohort study of flight crew but wanted to create an app that would allow participants to track their health systems over the course of a flight. We wanted to integrate elements like surveys, cognitive tests, and wearable sensors. It was a complicated process and we needed help developing the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They delivered the app in a very short time frame, quicker than any other quote we received from other companies. We started with a basic roadmap of the study and they built the app based on our needs. They came up with solutions to tracking flights and worked around the complications that arose when a flight was delayed or arrived early. They found and resolved several little issues and made the app work properly.

We developed text for the screens and an introductory theme that was appealing and user-friendly. We worked with their graphic design team to develop the interface within the space and price we wanted.

We had four sensors to innovate, including an Apple Watch sensor, a respiratory monitor, a pulse monitor, and a sleep monitor. There is also a survey component that begins two hours before a flight, runs every two hours during a flight, and once an hour after a flight is completed.  All of that information is collected and BTC came up with a way to retrieve it. We discussed what should be included in the surveys and made changes based on feedback from users and testers.

We added surveys and baseline health profiles and came up with different options to input flight information. Some tests worked better than others, so we ran several trials to find the best wording.

What is the team composition?

Primarily, we interfaced with a project manager. We also worked intermittently with their CEO and another representative, particularly in the early planning stages. We also worked indirectly with some of their technical staff via a bug resolution portal.

How did you come to work with Boston Technology Corporation?

A research scientist we work with was using them for a similar sensor product. Several people we knew reviewed them favorably, so we reached out to them.

How much have you invested with them?

The app cost about $39,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first started working together in August 2017. They were ready to publish in late October or early November but we had some delays on our end. The first edition was posted to the app stores by January.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our study is ongoing. We have about 40 participants and are aiming for about 120–150 to work within the guided framework of our pilot study. About 100 users have gone through the study on their own without the guidance test or sensors. We hope to publish our findings on heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep quality, cognitive testing, and neurological symptoms from the pilot group. We plan to use those findings to apply for funding and expand the study to as many people as possible. We will have more information and statistics later this year. The study is going well and people are happy with how it works.

How did Boston Technology Corporation perform from a project management standpoint?

We didn’t track their progress because they were always very fast and thorough when finding and addressing issues. We used RedMine to report and manage bugs, had conference calls, and shared screens. We also had a forum to log our conversations. BTC distributed beta versions of the app through Crashlytics and TechFlight and uploaded it to the Apple Store.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very professional. They were accommodating, flexible, and willing to work under less than ideal circumstances. We had a grant that required a very quick turnaround and they kept a really good attitude throughout the process. They were very polite and a pleasure to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing really comes to mind. The only thing that could improve is the graphic design. We got feedback from users for minor changes, but we were happy with the overall result.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Cross Medical Solutions. Our business revolves around helping medical device and pharmaceutical industries work more effectively with their patients. We provide a platform that helps patients be more engaged and receive better follow-up during clinical studies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Boston Technology Corporation?

We wanted to ensure that we had a tool that patients could use with their own devices for clinical studies, as well as one that would keep them engaged throughout the clinical study process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Most clinical sites expect patients to have their own communication devices, so it was critical that our platform work with any patient’s browser or phone. In order to achieve this, BTC built us a web portal and a cross-platform app entirely from scratch. I don’t have a technical background, so I provided a general idea and some notes, while they did all the work of figuring out exactly what the platform would look like and how to implement it.

The platform allows clinical sites to communicate directly with patients throughout their trials and also doesn’t transmit any personal information. There’s a notification feature for follow-up appointments that not only sends a reminder but also gives patients the options to confirm or reschedule from within the platform. Boston Tech also created a way for patients to note their medication schedule so that clinicians can track how they’re progressing, or see if they’ve started missing doses. If something like that happens, the clinical site can reach out to the patient through the app.

What is the team composition?

When we first started the project, I worked directly with their president. As we progressed, I also worked with a project manager, a programmer, and the VP of operations. I think they also had additional staff helping on the project, but I didn’t interact with anyone else.

How did you come to work with Boston Technology Corporation?

They were referred to me by a friend who’s a digital marketing expert.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project took about a year and a half and we wrapped up in November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have a medical background, so I was pleasantly surprised by how well they translated the medical field content in order to meet patient needs. It’s given us a superior product in comparison to other options on the market, especially when it comes to engaging patients with the platform.

On a technical side, we ran into two bugs during the development process. They resolved each one within 24 hours.

How did Boston Technology Corporation perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly conference calls and kept in touch day-to-day via both email and a project management tool called Redmine.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was really struck by their depth of knowledge and their ability to convert our needs into a comprehensive product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their responsiveness improved throughout the course of our partnership, but they could be a little better at communication.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re someone who doesn’t have much experience developing a web-based portal or an app, it’s really helpful to have the developer meet with you to set a schedule and explain what kind of information you need to provide. You should clarify everyone’s expectations for the project and learn what the major project milestones are beyond just payment dates.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.  

I work for KICVentures, and my position is creative director. We do all the video and websites for a family of companies in the healthcare and technology industries. We run about 10 websites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Boston Technology Corporation?

We wanted people to have more understanding about the process our developer was using. There wasn’t a lot of transparency around that. We were looking to do more web development, which meant being able to expand rapidly or make many changes at once within a short period of time. We wanted to better understand how we could improve the quality of those sites, both from the development side and also meta tags. Our goal was to meet industry standards in that development process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the web, we transitioned out of having in-house developers to working with BTC. That has been great for us, as it has really increased our productivity and efficiency. We started with BTC by having them improve the websites we already had. We have also done complete website projects with them since then. One of the first things we implemented with them was a project tracking system. They connected us with the JIRA program. That was the first solution to one of our initial problems along transparency in the process. We primarily work with an account manager, a senior developer, and another developer. In the past, we have expanded the resources based on our needs.

We have a contract based on a number of hours per month. That’s been in effect for over a year, and we use our time with them consistently every month. We have so many websites that are always evolving, so we essentially never run out of work for them. Sometimes, it’s just basic edits to a website, but in other cases, they redesign an entire website for us. Some of our websites had no meta-descriptions, so we’ve gone through adding those. They evaluate for mobile optimization and implement those changes. They also set up forms on some websites that didn’t previously have them. They handle all our hosting. If I need to purchase a new website URL, I just do that through them.

How did you come to work with Boston Technology Corporation?

It was a recommendation from our business development executive. I’m not entirely sure how he knew about them. We interviewed them, and they seemed to be best equipped to handle our changing needs.

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe we started working with them last fall, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have specific numbers. The feedback from our executive team, who talk to investors and people we do business with, has been positive about the changes we’ve made so far. It’s definitely been positive for all the web people who work for the company. They’ve all seen an improvement. We do a website for a surgical practice, and they’ve seen an increase of interest from people who want to do a fellowship at the clinic. That’s coming from a new web page that BTC developed for us about the fellowship program.

From a productivity standpoint, we’ve definitely improved how much work we’re able to do. Our designers are much happier working within the framework we do with the company. It leads to more understanding of where projects are at and how to reprioritize and communicate that effectively. It helps from an internal morale perspective.

There are still things our designers come across they want to replicate, and sometimes those challenges stump them. However, it doesn’t mean the person who developed that site didn’t have advanced skills. Sometimes we just don’t want to spend the time to figure that out, so it kind of goes both ways. Their willingness to always try to do it for us is highly appreciated.

How did Boston Technology Corporation perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s very organized. Anytime we need to elevate an issue based on our needs, our account manager is very responsive, even on weekends and into the evening. We like that. We primarily use JIRA to communicate, and then we touch base weekly over email. Originally, we were doing phone calls, but we decided to scale back because things were working so efficiently with the tools we were using.

What did you find most impressive about Boston Technology Corporation?

I’m most impressed by the way they’re able to scale to meet the challenges we have. It’s our first time working with an outside development company, so I can’t really compare to other experiences, but that’s important to us. You don’t always get that with smaller firms.

Are there any areas Boston Technology Corporation could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a managing partner at AdvisorAdit. Our business serves the independent financial advisor space. We cater to any stakeholder in the independent advisor community, from fund families, to custodians, to the various associations that serve advisors e.g. the Financial Planning Association, and the advisors themselves.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Boston Technology Corporation?

Our company is based on a technology platform, so we needed to have an outside company to build it for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

About four years ago, when we were trying to figure out our technology direction, we knew we were not going to be hiring internal staff. We needed to have a company to provide end-to-end services. In addition to helping us with the design, build, deployment, and support, we also needed a company that could handle both the backend and frontend well. We learned that a lot of companies were good in one or the other. Given that we wanted our system to be an enterprise-class platform, it was very difficult to find a company who did that cost-effectively.

We wanted to go with a Java backend, so an open stack, Linux, Java backbone. Our frontend at the time was just your standard HTML. We are starting to move towards HTML5, so some aspects of our system have that for a frontend. We’ve toyed with the idea of going with a native app, but that can be expensive and hard to manage on an ongoing basis. We are interested in learning more about Facebook’s new proprietary front-end code for our next generation user experience.

BTC [Boston Technology Corporation] helped us with the functional specification, then the technical design, and the build. We continue to engage with them when we want to do statements of work for enhancements or adding new features. We talk to them at least once a week, and sometimes twice a week. Their service model with us is that their development and QA environments are in India. When any new code passes that, we have a user acceptance testing environment here. That’s where I evaluate the code and approve it, then it goes into production.

When we first started, we had a project manager, a QA manager, a team lead, and two developers. The team lead and developers were really the folks working on the project. The project manager made sure things were on track and served as an escalation point. During the build, we always had the ability to be in touch with the president. Now, on a day-to-day basis, we will work with the team lead as our main contact, and he has someone working with him. From a development standpoint, there are two people day-to-day. Sometimes, the project manager will get involved when we scope out projects, and then we’ll talk to the president every once in a while.

How did you come to work with Boston Technology Corporation?

We found them through a web search. We reviewed many other companies. BTC stood out because they were able to cost-effectively manage both the frontend and the backend, given that our backend was Java and open-source.

How much have you invested with Boston Technology Corporation?

We started with a chunk that was around $50,000. Throughout the years, it’s been in the $100,000–$150,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around November of 2011, and the relationship is very much ongoing. We depend on them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The most important metric is that, out of the 4 ½ years that the platform has been live, we’ve only had a few issues. BTC has been right there for those issues, which is especially important given that they are based out of India. They have an office here, but their developers are over there.

We needed them to really build. Whenever we want to design anything, we have a web developer here, a local guy, who will help us design things. He either gives us the code or lets BTC know what to do. BTC then actually implements that. When we first started with BTC years ago, they did not have a lot of frontend native app folks. I think we were one of the first customers that had a frontend with them, but they quickly ramped up. Right now, a lot of their business is app design. We just happen to have our own person with experience working with our platform for the frontend.

How did Boston Technology Corporation perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very good. We’re really hands-on, and that’s one of the reasons they’re very cost-effective for us. For project management, I take on a little bit of that role. I overlap into their world a bit because we know them so well. You could not get a stronger partnership. We use Redmine, which helps track bugs and enhancements. If I want an enhancement done, I will scope it out and upload to Redmine. As these lists build up, I can create a report and review. That’s how they give us pricing and all that.

What did you find most impressive about Boston Technology Corporation?

I don’t have much to compare them to, but they are very accommodating to us. They’re not always holding their hands out for money every time we talk on the phone. There’s none of that a tall, which is so refreshing. Maybe other companies operate this way as well, but our experience with them is nice.

Are there any areas Boston Technology Corporation could improve?

Early on, it would have been nice for them to have more of a user experience team, but they have that now. It’s not a valid critique at this point, as they’ve addressed that. I really have no complaints with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an on-demand live streaming platform. I’m the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Boston Technology Corporation?

We were trying to put my vision of what this business needed to be into something that worked—an actual product, a mobile app. What I was trying to create was a ubiquitous, on-demand live streaming service where somebody wanted to be at an event but couldn’t be for whatever reason. You could actually order that event to be live streamed, and others could join in on that live stream also. There’s a revenue model because people get paid throughout the process; there’s a user interface situation because people like myself who are clueless with technology should be able to work through it. It needed to be accessible to everybody and provide extremely high-quality live streaming all at the same time. So, you’ve got the “How do I get there?”, “How do I bring people together?”, and “How do I make this a great experience that people will want to use?” I had a vision for it. I knew what I wanted, and I’m so technologically incompetent that I needed to work with somebody who could literally take my words and put them into the application, which Boston Technology Corporation (BTC) did. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

What was great about it was that they first really looked at the business process that I was trying to create. They didn’t try to shove my process into a specific type of technology.

They gave me options about what platform we were going to use. They did the research for me. They presented all the pros and cons, and we made the decision to go in a certain direction. We did that process at every step along the way.

We developed for iOS. I had a primary quality assurance contact, a primary overall project contact, a specific contact in charge of keeping meetings and schedules and facilitating things between the developers, and a business/sales contact who oversaw the entire project. In terms of their actual development team, I can count seven who have been on calls with me. How many actual people they have on the project, I have no idea.

They didn’t really do much marketing of the app to my clients because I didn’t ask them to, but they did completely walk me through the process of submitting to the App Store and dealing with all the issues that might arise from that. The description and things along those lines and other things that needed to be included, they handled all that. I didn’t know any of it. They took care of the whole thing.

How did you come to work with Boston Technology Corporation?

I found them through a series of searches, quite honestly. I did several searches for the type of company I was looking for. I looked at their past ratings, and I looked at the scale and scope of what they had developed in the past. This is projected to be a very widely used platform, and I needed it to be immediately scalable in terms of technology. So, I looked at what they had done and narrowed it down from five to three. I decided on BTC after my interviews with them.

What I loved about them, and why I chose them, is that they started with the business and worked backward from there. Then, at each step of the way, it was, “Okay, here’s where we’re at; here’s where we need to go; what decision do you want to make?”

How much have you invested with Boston Technology Corporation?

Approximately $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in October of 2016. They have completed the original phase, and I’m thrilled to continue the relationship. We’re actually in the middle of development for phase two. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can’t release any qualification about downloads yet because of our investor agreement and things like that. But, I can say that through our testing in certain markets, amongst certain people who have experience in developing this type of thing, the feedback has been tremendous. The user experience (the UI/UX, as they say) has all come back extremely positive. In fact, they did such a good job that they accelerated our launch date because there were things we tested that came out so well that we could just move forward with certain things.

How did Boston Technology Corporation perform from a project management standpoint?

I will tell you that there were never cost overruns, and there was nothing unexpected in terms of delays. They were extremely professional about time and meetings and agendas and things along those lines that kept everything on schedule. They’re excellent—the best I’ve seen. As an entrepreneur, I’m very cognizant of deadlines and cost overruns. Nothing bothers me more than frivolous overruns or time delays. These guys were great. They understood that.

They used several project management tools, but they understand how ridiculously incompetent I am. I literally have a hard time going into the different types of easy-to-use applications that people use for project management. We did have a couple of tools, and everything was always updated in there, but they also backed that up with specific emails and spreadsheets for me that I could easily access and understand. It wasn’t like they didn’t have it; they just did double the work to make sure I had all the information.

What did you find most impressive about Boston Technology Corporation?

They never wavered from the business process. If I started to get a little out of scope on my end, they were the ones bringing me back in to make sure that the UX would be in line with what I wanted to create.

They understand that I am trying to run a business to provide a service to a certain clientele. That covers everything. It covers respect for my time, respect for my cost, respect for the project, and understanding the project and what it’s designed to do. Their overall attitude as entrepreneurs themselves was critical in the relationship that we have. I never had to say anything more than, “This is what I need for my business,” and they understood that. I think that’s very rare amongst even the best development teams.

Are there any areas Boston Technology Corporation could improve?

I’m hesitant to say no because we can all do better and improve, but no. Their engineers stay up until three o’clock in the morning to meet my timelines.