Fora Soft

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of an education company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provides educational support services

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Fora Soft to accomplish?

• To develop a web app that facilitates educational support services by providing a comprehensive range of tech tools.

SOLUTION

How did you find Fora Soft?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Fora Soft over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Company values aligned
• Other

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

As an educational company, we wanted Forasoft to develop a web app that would allow students to connect with teachers and provide a virtual space for lessons.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

By the end of the project, Fora Soft delivered the 1st version of the product that was ready to hit the market and provide services to our customers. Our customers loved the snappy outlook of the user interface as well as the capabilities of the whole system.

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

The communication channels were streamlined and efficient, with the majority of interactions occurring directly with the dedicated project manager via Skype. Regular meetings were held to ensure alignment and address any concerns or queries. The project manager was highly responsive, promptly addressing messages seeking details about progress, technical challenges, or refinement requirements.

I received comprehensive weekly status reports that provided a clear overview of the project's advancement. This open communication fostered trust and enabled proactive problem-solving, ensuring the project remained on track despite any potential hurdles.

What was your primary form of communication with Fora Soft?

Virtual Meeting

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

The team demonstrated an unwavering commitment to delivering impeccable code quality. The codebase they produced was a masterpiece of architectural elegance, meticulously crafted with a keen eye for cleanliness and extensibility.

Their attention to detail and adherence to best practices were evident throughout the project, resulting in a codebase that was not only highly functional but also a joy to maintain and enhance.

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

Interdepartmental Collaboration: The project development team should actively liaise with other teams that have worked on similar projects. This cross-functional collaboration can inform critical decision-making processes, such as selecting the appropriate tech stack etc. By leveraging the collective expertise, the company can minimize costs and adhere to project timelines more effectively.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a solutions architect for X-on, a company that provides cloud telephony solutions to NHS healthcare providers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fora Soft, and what were your goals?

We wanted to develop a mobile app (plus a backend platform and a small web app) to allow patients to communicate with their healthcare provider for free by text, voice, and video. It would use our company's existing cloud telephony platform to automatically choose between VoIP and PSTN, and would be able to seamlessly switch from voice-only calls to video.

SOLUTION

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

We searched for reputable development agencies in our local area and on various online freelancer/agency websites. We shortlisted and interviewed 3, and chose Fora Soft because of their domain expertise and how they demonstrated a professional and pragmatic attitude towards the project.

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

We had some initial meetings to discuss scope, timelines, and milestones. We provided their team with comprehensive technical specs and UX designs throughout the project. They produced demo versions of the mobile apps at regular intervals, giving us an opportunity to provide feedback. They also provided additional web-based tools to allow us to test other aspects of the product, such as an online messaging tool.

They worked with native iOS and Android frameworks, SIP and WebRTC for VoIP communications, and created backend servers using NodeJS, Next.js, React, and Typescript, deployed to AWS using Terraform.

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

We worked with 8 people in total: 1 project manager; 4 mobile engineers (2 x Android, 2 x iOS); 1 software engineer; 1 QA engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

By the end of the project, Fora Soft had successfully developed working versions of the Android and iOS mobile apps with voice/video calling implemented, a web app allowing patients to upload images in response to requests from their GP, and extensive backend systems that communicated with out existing platform and services.

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

Most communication was directly with their project manager using Skype, who was an excellent communicator. We had regular weekly meetings, as well as ad hoc calls as appropriate, and they were always on hand to respond to messages asking for details about progress, technical challenges, or refinement. I received frequent updates, and he was candid about progress and unexpected delays.

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

Their expertise in software development was the best I’ve seen from an agency to date. As somebody with a background in mobile development myself, I looked at the codebases and could see that they had produced well-architected, clean and extensible code.

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

The biggest challenge for us all throughout the project was how we communicated on aspects of the project that involved work from both Fora Soft’s developers and our own internal developers, such as inspecting and debugging call flows between the mobile apps and our telephony platform. Because all communications went through Fora Soft’s project manager and myself, the back & forth between developers could sometimes be slow and ineffective. This could have been improved by putting their developers in direct communication with theirs (e.g. through shared Slack channels), however I appreciate the language barrier may have been a problem. Fortunately the excellent responsiveness of their project manager mitigated this issue to some degree.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder of a zero-rated chat app that has launched to the South African market

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fora Soft, and what were your goals?

We were looking to develop a mobile app that would allow users to communicate - without paying for any of the mobile data consumed. This was enabled through reverse-billing agreements with the local network operators but required a very technically-complex mobile app which would work under these specific conditions.

SOLUTION

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

We looked at many different developers to help us build a custom chat app. ForaSoft were the only company that really understood the technical requirements and not only provided us with a comprehensive quote but have been our partners throughout the development of two apps and all the related maintenance of the apps.

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

We have been working with ForaSoft for a long time already and have been through the entire software development lifecycle with them - on two different projects. This includes the initial business requirements, technical specifications and costing, wireframes, design work, full app development (on Android and web) as well as testing (user testing and automated load testing) and full maintenance of the project thereafter.

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

We primarily dealt with a project manager who managed our relationship and acted as the interface between us and ForaSoft's business analysts, mobile developers, app developers, API developers, and graphic designers. This helped with any language issues and also ensured a single point of contact and accountability.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched our first app which received nearly 100,000 downloads in South Africa within a matter of months and was often a trending App on the Google Play Store.

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

The ForaSoft team was very amenable to working with us in a way that we were comfortable with. We primarily communicated via Slack but had a few Skype calls as well when it came to discussing more complex or strategy matters

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

They leverage their experience and learnings building many different apps, to help with the building of our app, which really set them apart from a lot of competitors who lacked the experience. They really delivered in terms of their development, and I was also pleasantly surprised by their UI and design capabilities as well.

Although we had a few hiccups around the requirements specifications on one project, they helped us through this issue and since then have really been great with budgeting projects as well.

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

As mentioned above, there was one project that was under-budgeted due to some features that were not specified correctly in the technical requirements. They helped us through this issue and it didn't happen again thereafter

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Project Owner/ Project Leader

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fora Soft, and what were your goals?

Business analysis, initial assessment, strategic recommendations, subsequent development

SOLUTION

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

Team, scalability, communication, cost factor

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

They provided us with the initial assessment document, it was a fruitful session with a good overview. I was quite pleased with the granularity of the User Stories & the prototype itself. The team was always approachable and clear on key milestones. I have full confidence in the team now that our project progresses. They know what they are doing

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

Analyst, project leader, project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Scope of work defined, planning completed, project tech stack & strategic recommendation received. Project demo available, and project progresses per plan

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

They work Agile. I was concerned initially a bit due to the time zone differences, but this was never an issue. What i like about Fora is that they are always clear on commitments & do deliver. I have had bad experiences with the developers before working with multiple vendors, and i am very pleased i have founds them. The process is smooth, straightforward & the team is always available. They are definitely experts in their field and know what they are doing.

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

They know what is the best way to achieve things and have a smart talented team!

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

I found some developers who seem to offer a better rate before. Would be great to have additional discount for loyal long lasting partners.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am founder of Vokalo, a sports tech startup from Denmark

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fora Soft, and what were your goals?

We wanted a mobile app which should boot directly into to sourced hardware types. We hired Foasoft because of their expertise within the VOIP/webrtc domain and their really great collaboration during the project scoping and definition.

SOLUTION

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

We searched online for mobile developers with expertise within VOIP/webrtx and after conduction several interviews we proceeded with Forasoft.

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

We had several meetings where we scoped the project. We provided wireframes and an initial product requirement description. Forasoft then evaluated and came up with some suggestions for improvement. During the process we have had a project manager which we have had weeky status meetings with. Furthermore, we have created a docuement where we write requests for new features or bugs found in tests.

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

A projet manager, an analyst, an Android developer and a web/backend developer. We have mainly been in contact with the project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a really well functioning prototype. Towards launch we will insource the backend development. Fora Soft will continue to be our trusted partner on mobile app development, especially on WebRTC and VOIP parts. 

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

We had weekly meetings and every week we got a status report. We had a document to prioritize and track the development of new features and bug findings.

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

Their holistic approach to development, their competencies within VOIP/webrtx, and their project management. The budget has not been exceeded which is also a big plus!

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

We choose Basement as a project planning tool, which cost us 100USD each month, however, the use of that tool did not live up to the cost. For smaller projects like ours I suggest to keep the dialouge and file sharing through existing channels.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m CEO at Mind - a Russian video conference system. Biggest telecom operators in Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan offer Mind under their brands. Our competitive advantage is security that’s easy to understand. In 2012 Mind set a record in The Guinness Book of Records: the biggest number of participants in a webinar.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fora Soft, and what were your goals?

We hired Fora Soft to develop a new version of the web video conference. We needed a fresh view: our current system was created 8 years ago, and we wanted the new version to be modern, easy to use and beautiful.

SOLUTION

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

15 years experience with video software and hundreds of reviews, all 5-star - are what made me contact them. The deciding factors to sign the contract were:

1 - Their well thought-over processes. They have not rushed into coding, but thoroughly planned the system and drawn a wireframe.

2 - Their 15-years experience in video software development. They know what they are doing instead of learning on our project, and offer useful valuable ideas.

3 - We wanted someone working with foreign clients - knowing the latest trends.

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

Mind pays special attention to security of video calls. We do not limit by encryption because most breaches happen due to people, not technology. For example, we do not keep passwords and have a peephole: look at the screenshot from a camera of the person knocking into the conference, then permit them to enter.

We started with planning from ground up, wireframing of interfaces, then graphic design, coding, testing, and project management. When the 1st release has been launched, we’ve started using Fora Soft marketing and promotion services too. Now they write for our blog and manage it as well as carry out paid advertising on the Internet. We continue the development, our cooperation is ongoing.

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

Our team now is 12 people. We have a single point of contact - Project manager. With her we discuss any matters about the project. We also have an Analyst - she plans user experience, any new functions. 5 developers write code and 2 QA engineers test the system.

We have a Graphic designer creating the look & feel of the product as well as illustrations for marketing materials. Marketer thinks over marketing strategy, carries out paid advertising, keeps an eye on SEO and social networks. Copywriter writes articles for the blog with the help of other technical specialists from Fora Soft.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve launched the 1st release. Then we carried out a paid advertisement campaign on Google, Yandex, and MySpace, gained first users. We collected their feedback and are completing improvements based on that. The #2 release launches in August. We have many years of experience in software development. When you develop a product from scratch, the 1st version rarely works acceptably.

With Fora Soft, the very 1st release works well the very first time round. We launched in December, and have not made a single fix yet - the product just works. Users report minor corner case bugs, some minor inconveniences. However, it works so that real people can normally use it. It is really rare in software development.

It is a sign of high quality. Regarding marketing, our indicators are already better than that of the main competitor Whereby. 100% tech SEO and high visitor engagement: low bounce rate about 28%, high time spent on the website. It’s a solid basis for starting massive advertising campaigns.

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

Good. We started by working closely with an Analyst. She has planned the product and drawn a clickable wireframe consulting with us on what we need and offering the best ways of achieving that. All the pages were there, we could click on buttons and go automatically to the corresponding page. When the development started, a Project manager became the main point of contact.

Analyst still works part-time to plan the new functions. We get status reports each Friday with 3 items: what has been done during the week, what is planned for the next week, and problems if any. We have constant access to the timesheet: a list of tasks with how much time is spent on each task daily. And we have video meetings once per week to plan and make decisions.

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

No reworks. Stable good results. They have good established processes: any new function we plan, wireframe, design, then code. With each step we understand what we need better, and how to better implement it. So, we make some corrections here and there throughout the process. They are not major. The end result comes out good and as expected, we do not have to rework.

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

Their timesheet could be easier to understand. They have tasks and time spent on them. We have really many tasks, and it’s hard to compose a big picture. They say they are already implementing the modification to solve it for all the projects. We use different programs for project management: they use JIRA, we use Monday. They do not integrate with each other automatically. The PM has to do it manually.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're building a virtual chatting application for mobile with unique features not currently available in any other virtual chat applications. I'm the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fora Soft?

We hired Forasoft to build the application custom from the ground up using Native iOS/Swift and JS technologies. They helped us in the process of selecting the best technologies to accomplish our goals. They also created our designs from hand-drawn mock-ups.

What were your goals for this project?

Build out a prototype for internal testing to verify the product hypothesis, and then to launch our app into appstores with an MVP to begin our path towards product market fit. This project is on-going and our goals are changing as we move along as well.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We initially found them on Upwork through various bids and discussing the project with various other Eastern European or Russian developers.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They took our specification document and broke it down into a detailed user story list. During this analysis phase, and lot of questions were brought up and we worked our way through the whole project, as well as milestones for the project.

During the analysis phase they also took our mock-ups and turned them into designs so we could see and better understand how the app would look/feel. Then we moved onto a development, starting with the first phase of a prototype.

The project had to stop due to founder time constraints on another project, but was started up approximately 1 year later, picking up again with development after another brief analysis review.

What was the team composition?

Our project had 4-5 people at various stages. Project manager, iOS developer, web developer, quality assurance, and designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Prototyping and launching our MVP was the priority of our project, and we're still working towards that now.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was initially done mostly via Skype and Emails, however I felt this was ineffective, and we moved to Basecamp. Internally I believe they use Jira.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The company appears to have expertise in complete customized solutions especially as it relates to javascript and real-time technologies.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I believe they should standardize better project management software working with clients. However, their project managers are willing to use any project management software you request.

I also believe their pricing could be slightly more transparent, however I do believe it is fair and their estimations are fairly accurate.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO and founder of https://hitr.app

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fora Soft?

We hired Fora Soft to develop a minimum viable version of the iOS app.

What were your goals for this project?

Make an MVP and fit the budget and schedule.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Upwork

Describe the project in detail.

We made the wireframe for the app with the analyst (Fora Soft too) and then moved to the development which took us several months to het done, and now the app's at the App store :)

What was the team composition?

Analyst, Designer, PM, JS Dev, Swift Dev, QA engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are absolutely satisfied with the results.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

24/7 available, used Skype for that.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The availability of our PM was really the stuff we liked and appreciated.

Are there any areas for improvement?

While we're from the same area (Russia) the hour rate could be lower :)

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a communications company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fora Soft?

We needed mobile app development for numerous projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fora Soft is developing our mobile apps for iOS and Android. They’re for a communications service that manages voice, video, messaging, and emails.

What is the team composition?

We report to one project manager, but there are probably 5–6 full-time developers who work with us.

How did you come to work with Fora Soft?

I’m pretty sure we found them through Upwork. We considered other companies, but Fora Soft seemed like they really grasped the idea of the project. They also had better communication and responsiveness, which made us feel more comfortable with them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them for almost four years now. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any metrics because we’re a small company. Our company has doubled its revenue every year of its existence, including the four years we’ve been working with Fora Soft. Our mobile apps are the driving force of that. They’re used by 98% of our customers.

When we go to deploy a mobile app, we send it through rigorous QA testing so that it will have very few, if any, bugs. Fora Soft’s builds are as good as anyone’s. I base their quality of work on how buggy the app is when it’s deployed, and they have very few bugs.

How did Fora Soft perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re top-notch. Their communication and project management skills are part of the reason why we hired them. When we work with an offshore team and have a language barrier, that communication is important. We’ve actually used Fora Soft as examples for some of the ways we do things.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I admire their organization, communication, and project management. Their development is great as well, but tons of developers out there can do things as well as they can. We continue to work with Fora Soft because of their communication and how they lay things out. We never have to go back and redo things because of misinterpretation.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t really have anything, to be honest. They’re a small family business: the CEO and CFO are married. They’re also personable and make themselves available. If I ever had an issue, I’d address it immediately, but I’ve never had to do so with them. My CTO communicates with them, and he never reports anything but positive feedback to me.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an app development company that creates video-related apps that inspire creativity and edit in special effects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fora Soft?

Super Power FX, Anime Power FX

What were your goals for this project?

To release a video effects app for the Apple App Store and Google Play store.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found this vendor via UpWork, formerly Elance.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Super Power FX is an app concept I came up with. The Fora Soft team helped me bring this idea to fruition. They were the programmers behind the code. I simply provided them the animations and design work for the UI and video effects.

What was the team composition?

There was 1 project manager, at least 1+ developer, and 1+ tester on their side. I had my business partner, and 2 designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app was quite profitable and ranked well in the Apple App Store during launch. It continues to have good returns.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

I directly communicated with their PM, Polina and Natalya. They were the translators for the developers. I communicated my vision to the PMs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The organization and professionalism. If someone was absent, another person would step in quickly to help continue the work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Language is understandably an issue sometimes. The language barriers for English are sometimes a struggle but still manageable.