Mercury Development

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a program manager at the IT department of a managed dental care organization. Our company was bought out a year ago.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mercury Development?

We didn’t have in-house app development expertise, so we hired Mercury.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mercury developed an iOS mobile app from scratch for us. We provided the wireframes during the RFP process. The app was intended to be used for dental facility audits, so we had the team build a custom survey module that could enable users to create or answer questions. It also had picture scanning, appointment scheduling, document signing, cost reporting, and location tracking functionalities.

The entire app development process lasted only six months, so we decided to expand on their role. The Mercury team then went into doing different things for us. We have a legacy or an internal application that we used to manage dental claims, providers, and members, and they helped us with that.

We also acquired a company during that time, and Mercury helped us conduct a business analysis and define the acquisition plan by interviewing stakeholders and subject matter experts. They worked closely with me and our first commercial client to understand the requirements, finalize the software development process, implement the plan, and test and support the whole system. 

What is the team composition?

Mercury provided us with two sets of people: one working on the application development, and an extended team working with us on the acquisition and other projects and needs. They had around 40 people in total, which included developers, business analysts, and project managers. I was mainly in contact with the project managers. 

How did you come to work with Mercury Development?

We found Mercury through Clutch. They were one of the many companies we interviewed, but we ultimately decided to work with them because they had an office near ours. At the time, we were looking for a more local company. 

How much have you invested with them?

By now, we’ve probably spent over $5 million. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in the summer of 2018, and our partnership is still ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve not been able to fully utilize the applications since the pandemic, but I can say that Mercury has successfully completed the first development within the timeframe that they specified and within our budget. Their involvement has also helped us secure a new customer for our commercial plans, which is something that we’ve never done before. We would not have been able to do it without their team’s help. 

How did Mercury Development perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project managers are very technical. I don’t need to interface with anyone else because they relay the information to the rest of the team. What I like about them is their ability to think knowledgeably about everything that’s happening. They’re close to becoming experts in our business, products, and technology.

Mercury also always accommodates our change requests. They can represent our company in front of clients and partners. We can really trust them to speak on our behalf. On top of that, they are also very detailed when it comes to their reporting.

Their team is very integrated with ours. We communicate through Slack, video calls, and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing about Mercury is their knowledgeability. Even if they're not familiar with a certain topic or industry, they're able to easily pick up on it. We like that, though we initially hired them to do mobile app development, we were able to expand on their role and have them do all kinds of development for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I cannot think of anything. Our only issue is with our time difference, but there’s nothing we can do about it and their team has been accommodating regardless.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Maintain good communication with the team. Mercury is able to make decisions and recommendations on your behalf, which is something you can take advantage of, but the more detail you can provide them, the better. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Aurios Medical. We manufacture optical coherence tomography devices used in the treatment of intravascular diseases — hardware and software components used to see inside of the human artery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mercury Development?

Our hardware devices interface with software in order to show readings to doctors and patients. We needed to develop an interface and specialized analysis software. 

We have our own development team, but salaries are very high in South Korea, especially for the high degree of experience we needed. This is why we chose to work with an outsourced company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mercury develops software that interfaces with our specialized devices.

What is the team composition?

There are six people from Mercury involved in this project.

How did you come to work with Mercury Development?

This wasn’t a typical project, given the hardware we’re using. We were looking for a company that could handle this kind of C++ code and specialized medical devices. A friend introduced one of Mercury’s members to me. They had the right experience and a good portfolio, which is why we chose them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Mercury in January 2016, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We spent quite a lot of money to develop this product, and I had some concerns about working with foreign developers that we couldn’t meet in person. However, Mercury has been very active. They’ve given us a lot of recommendations, and they have good expertise in this kind of development project. Beyond doing their job, they’ve given us a lot of ideas and kept ongoing communication with us. We’re on the right track to develop this software successfully.

How did Mercury Development perform from a project management standpoint?

They didn’t just handle development; Mercury has also advised us on the development of this software. The project has involved a lot of designers and developers working together, and the management team’s also been involved in the work, which is helpful for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of enthusiasm for this project is impressive, and it’s been nice working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m mainly satisfied with their service, but one downside is that some of their developers can’t speak English. The project manager is fluent, so there were no hurdles there, but we’ve had some trouble with developer-to-developer communication. There’s some latency between our internal developers and theirs. This has been the only inconvenience in working with Mercury.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Before starting the work with Mercury, clients need to prepare a lot of the specifications around what they want to develop. This is helpful in estimating the timeline of the project and the number of people that need to be involved.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO of a health-tech startup that's mission is to help caregivers and patients relieve their mental burden by organizing and tracking their healthcare data.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mercury Development?

We had developed a responsive web and iOS version of our app and were in need of an Android version to satisfy the needs of our growing user base.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to develop an Android app that had the core features of the other client versions we have released in order to increase user engagement.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched a wide variety of mobile app development shops, weighed the options of hiring internally / freelancing routes and landed on Mercury after whittling the list down to 3 top options.

Describe the project in detail.

We started with a few discover calls and sent over our iOS codebase for the team to review in detail. We worked with Mercury on scope, timeline and rough cost of the project based on our expectation of a v1 release. Throughout the development process we had weekly calls to review progress and communicate feedback.

What was the team composition?

We started with a project manager which we communicated with on a weekly basis and a dev team consisting of 1 dev and 1 QA tech. Once we gained momentum on the project we doubled the team to more efficiently meet the time and cost constraints.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Mercury team was able to achieve an identical version of many of the iOS core features using a completely different language and OS environment.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow and communication was excellent, we leveraged JIRA, google sheets to ensure the features and development time scale was being adhered to at all times.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to hit the ground running and solve many challenges without our intervention was impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We would have like to move a bit faster but as an engineer myself I release the constraints at hand and opted for a higher quality product vs. a quicker release.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of GatewayMD, a telemedicine platform that allows users to facetime each other. Physicians can work on their patients remotely through the service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mercury Development?

Finding the right vendor to create a unique and proprietary platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we first started, we spent time crafting and designing the mockups of the platform. After that, the developers went forward and began building. We implemented the best cloud storage and other third-party services that best fit our product. Overall, the majority of the work their team did was writing code.

What is the team composition?

The team was composed of seven developers. We had a full team composed of a CRO, a development manager, and a group of skilled developers. 

How did you come to work with Mercury Development?

We found Mercury Development through a personal referral. Our team would not settle until we found the best team for the project. Mercury Development was the right fit for us, and we were happy with the quality of the product and customer service. They were also competitively priced.

What is the status of this engagement?

I reached out to Mercury Development in November 2018. The work began in early 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched the first version over a month ago, and we’re still working together. There have been a few minor bugs, but that come with the territory. Although we have just launched, we have received good feedback with the accounts that are using our platform so far. 

How did Mercury Development perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management aspect, they were excellent. Their team performed well. I spoke to their project lead directly about the work they did each week. We used email and Zoom for conference calls. If I had questions or if they needed something from me, we would email. For longer discussions, we just set up another call.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with the product quality. Their team is also full of responsive communicators.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. It was a good experience overall.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make that you know what you want to build and get the price locked in before you start development.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the corporate marketing director at Flatiron Media.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mercury Development?

We wanted to develop an app to supplement our existing online business, looking for a simple, straightforward solution with analytics reporting and data management capabilities. The development was for our gaming app connected to the sweepstakes we run. The end product was intended to allow users to enter the sweepstakes from their mobile phones, in addition to existing avenues.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

This was our first mobile app development project. We started the process with a discovery phase to scope out the budget and various aspects of their work. That gave us the opportunity to evaluate workflows and documentation. We provided concepts and ideas in our initial planning meetings.

Then, they built the entirely of the front- and backend in React Native for both iOS and Android. The team guided our decision after talking through a few options with us. This seemed to be the most cost-effective solution that would be easy to maintain. In addition to the development, they also designed the interface using our logo and brand book. The app launched about a month ago, but they still support and maintain it.

What is the team composition?

We had two separate project managers. One took over after the other went on maternity leave. There was an additioanl point of contact, a development team, and a graphic designer behind them, too.

How did you come to work with Mercury Development?

Originally, I found them through a Google search. We did discovery phases with three companies because we thought it would give us the best idea of how well we’d work with our partner. In that process, we weaned out the other two companies pretty quickly, ending up with Mercury Development. Their communication stood out, and we felt like we could potentially have a long-term relationship with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

The discovery phase was about $6,000, and the full execution of the project cost approximately $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2018, and they still help us in a support capacity.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the first week of the launch, our internal team was happy with the app. Our user metrics and revenue are both going up and to the right, which is an early indicator of success. We’ve only been up for about a week and a half, so it’s also still a little early to tell.

But, the app is more convenient. Users can use it to play games to get more entries into the sweepstakes. Retention numbers are solid, the artwork is fun, and everything is suitable for our demographic. 

We’d been struggling with Google penalties at the time, and my consultant helping me with the issue said he was impressed that we made as much financial headway with the app as we had.

How did Mercury Development perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Google Docs, Dropbox, and other basic communication tools. I also used OneNote internally. They really led the charge on the communication end, which was solid. We always had our timelines laid out. Eugenia, in particular, was very methodical. Their team read all my emails and retained the information, which was refreshing. We were always on the same page because of that. She was very detailed, prompt, and linear.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were steady, consistent workhorses, setting a nice pace for the effort. We had a dedicated team, and the resource management was great. Their price point wasn’t the most or least expensive—it was fair.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They didn’t have as much business intelligence as we would have liked. That could’ve helped us with the Google penalties. Sometimes, communicating with some of their programmers was difficult because their offshore and in different timezones.

We were also trying to stay on the lower end of our budget and ended up on the upper end. I wasn’t gravely disappointed about that, but there were some features that we assumed were standard that we ended up being charged for. Most minor hiccups like that were accounted for and solved by project managers, though.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Think through their questions, providing detailed answers in the beginning. Outline your needs, and ask them to volunteer information about their processes and pricing. They’ll give you a direct answer as long as you think to ask.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a controller for a biweekly financial periodical.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mercury Development?

We wanted to create a whole new branding strategy and needed resources to redesign our existing app to support that. Our goal was not to just update the app but rather to look at it from a new approach.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The process consisted of two major phases: design and development. Initially, Mercury Development went over our app and created a sketch of the redesign on pen and paper. We wanted a look that was fresh, innovative, and intuitive to use. Once we approved their work, they proceeded to development.

They created a native app for iOS and Android that allows users to read our publication on mobile devices. The app mimics various features on our website, including an archive of past issues and a full view of the newsletter. Currently, we’re at the beta stage and are wrapping up the last 10% of development. They’re using TestFlight to test the app for error states.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with about three contacts, but there were other developers and designers working behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Mercury Development?

When we first started looking for developers, we knew that we wanted an agency that was creative and easy to work with. That is to say, we wanted a firm that was within our time zone to facilitate communication.

We eventually found Mercury Development online. They said the right things and seemed to know what they were doing. We also liked their past work and felt that they could accomplish what we wanted to do with our app.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work started in August 2017 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Internally, everyone liked the overall functionality as well as the look and feel. We’ve already had releases but are waiting for a few more changes before we go live. Once we have live users, we’ll see more quantitative feedback.

How did Mercury Development perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very timely and keep on top of everything. If they can’t meet a deadline, they make sure to inform us, but we haven’t had any noticeable delays.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Not only have they delivered what they said they would, they’re easy to communicate with. It’s hard to predict what kind of challenges you’ll face with a global company, but we’ve had a positive experience so far.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief Operating Officer at Neuxpower, an international software development company based in London. I am responsible for the recruitment and management of the various internal teams and for any relationships with external sales or development partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mercury Development?

We first hired Mercury Development to develop a Mac equivalent of our Windows Desktop software, NXPowerLite. We wanted to support only PowerPoint files initially to test the market and keep the scope tight. Due to the small size of our internal development team and the lack of resources, we could not develop this product in a timeframe the business demanded. We approached Mercury and asked them to investigate if they could complete the project within the budget and timeframe.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to produce Mac software that could be installed on the latest operating system. Once installed, it would allow users to select or drag and drop PowerPoint files and for the software to optimize the files. The requirement included porting our underlying engine processing Windows code to be able to work on a Mac. The code was written in C++ but included many third-party libraries where alternative solutions needed to be sourced. Our specifications were clear on how we would like the application to look and behave and integrate seamlessly with Mac's finder tool. If executed correctly, we anticipate using this application to test whether a full-featured Mac application would be required or whether the Mac users did not need this type of application.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We reviewed their website and reviews online before contacting them to start initial conversations. We asked to talk to previous customers to find out if they were a reliable development partner. We decided to go with Mercury because their references we very good and they were by far the most responsive and professional company out of all being considered. The decision to hire Mercury was made between myself and the CEO.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Because we are a software development company, we supplied them with a very detailed scope. This contained screen mockups and desired behaviors. We supplied the underlying file processing engine with regression test files to ensure identical results on Mac to those achieved on Windows machines. We also supplied Apple versions of the third-party libraries that we used inside our code. Most of the behavior and processing could be seen in our Windows application, so that was always our first point of reference.

What was the team composition?

Mercury supplied a project manager and development team for our project. I only ever dealt with the project manager. On my end, I served as the project manager and supplied one developer who could work with Mercury when technical questions arose. We were never inconvenienced by team composition changes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From a business perspective, the addition of the Mac software enabled us to round out our software suite. Customers were delighted that they could now use NXPowerLite on both Windows and Mac. They were equally impressed that files were compressed exactly the same. It allowed us to expand our reach of technology sales partners and reach some Mac-only service providers. We are now into the fourth iteration of the Mac software with Mercury. We added many new features and file formats so that it is almost the same as the Windows version. The results exceeded our initial goals and expectations and we ended up with a solid development partner with whom we are expanding our partnership each year.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project management was exemplary. The initial research that Mercury performed prior to starting development was effective. It allowed us to be very specific about the scope of the project and clarify any unsuitable specified areas of the project. The report they gave us at the end of the research phase helped clearly identify each area of the project including costs and deadlines. Despite giving them detailed specifications, their team clarified several points of the project. When a project is underway their team is excellent at keeping their clients updated on the progress. Every week, a PDF with a rough progress briefing is sent. This allowed us to clearly see their progress and helped us plan our resources when they need our input. The communication was mostly done via email and more recently Google Docs. We also shared files and code using their secure FTP server. Although we were working in a different time zone, it did not adversely affect the timeframe of the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are very precise, and their detailed focus means they deliver exactly what is asked of them. They are also very adaptable. Projects always change as the feature set increases or decreases. We always found them accommodating and discussions around changing scope were always handled with clarity and fairness, which is unusual in my previous experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and director of a software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mercury Development?

We needed a team of experienced iOS engineers that could integrate with our existing code and drive projects forward with a minimal learning curve.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to further enhance an existing video playback platform with new features, improvements, and fixes.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We initially reached out to several different vendors when we began searching. Mercury offered thorough, in-depth analysis and advice before we even agreed to hire them, which was very impressive. 

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Mercury provided a group of experienced development, QA, and management specialists who implement features and improvements designed to support UX, reliability, and performance. The overall plan included integrating a combination of open source and proprietary code to deliver a professional and polished final product that would delight our users.

What was the team composition?

This is an ongoing project, and the team's size has fluctuated between three and 12 members.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With their involvement, the platform's user base has grown from the tens of thousands to millions in just a few short years.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was excellent throughout. Our project manager continually provides invaluable feedback regarding task prioritization and scheduling; this keeps the project moving at a rapid pace.  

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Mercury's skill and attention to detail are exceptional and second to none. Moreover, they have a large talent pool from which to draw that enables them to maintain forward progress if and when challenges arise. 

Are there any areas where they can improve?

They continue to exceed expectations in all areas, and I am excited to watch them to grow.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CTO of a software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mercury Development?

We essentially wanted to create a SaaS extension for one of our existing products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We explained our concept in a five-page document and sent it to their product managers. They typically get started as soon as we forward the project specifications, but we were already collaborating on several projects. Two years passed before we were able to revisit the complex task.

We held our first meeting in April 2018.  A couple of their project managers were in attendance, as well as some of our in-house product managers, business analysts, and other stakeholders. They established their roles in the development, design, and user experience processes.

The goal is to create a minimum viable product (MVP). We use Amazon Web Services for the backend, which includes database and storage services and QServers. We're currently in the design stage, but we plan to start developing the AI and machine features in three weeks.

We continuously build cutting-edge web applications with high-performance, low-latency driver code.  Our diverse portfolio includes cloud computing, file systems, kernel, and client software for Linux, Mac, Windows, and various web browsers.

What is the team composition?

Their team consists of 15 individuals.

How did you come to work with Mercury Development?

Our former development partner was no longer performing to our standards, so we started looking for a company that had experience in building software similar to ours.  Mercury's proximity to our headquarters was a contributing factor to our hiring decision.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent under $10 million on their development services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with Mercury for more 10 years, so we consider their team to be an extension of our own company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve had an excellent success rate in past decade that we’ve worked together. The products that we co-develop have reached hundreds of thousands of customers in more than 100 countries. Our company's steady growth and unmarked reputation is a clear indicator of their accomplishments.

How did Mercury Development perform from a project management standpoint?

We discuss the project's progression during the weekly meetings, but we stay in contact throughout the week using Jira. Supplemental documents are sent via email or stored on the shared Google Drive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to quickly overcome the most complicated technical obstacles is a rare talent. They prioritize essential features and waste no time eliminating elements that hinder efficiency.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They are always learning about new languages and methodologies, but they never proactively share that information with us. Hosting a quarterly briefing would be the best way to introduce us to the latest technology and in turn, give us more options. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Project management tools like Jira are more useful than email and phone correspondence. Preserving everything in writing allows you to revisit appropriate material and process the information effectively.