MobiDev

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a co-founder of Zoundream and supervised the collaboration with MobiDev

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were looking to develop a solution for internal testing of our cloud API.

SOLUTION

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

We have found them using clutch.co along with 5 other companies. During the pre-planning phase, MobiDev has been the most straightforward and clear, providing a detailed plan for our use-case.

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

The solution involves either the development of an app to interact with our API and the development of a MDM solution to remotely control the fleet of testing devices.

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

We had been working with a Project Manager, Account Manager, a Finance Manager, Back-end Engineer, Android Engineer, QA Engineer, QA Tech Lead and a UI/UX Designer, along with the Senior Solutions Manager who supervised the first planning calls.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have been able to upgrade our testing devices from in-house made embedded platforms, to a more modern, controllable and easy to scale system, where actual mobile devices are involved. This would speed-up significantly our collaboration with families and our on-going projects with hospitals and partners.

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

MobiDev works with the AGILE method, so short we had a call every day with the Project Manager to update on the development project and a weekly demo call on the status of the project.

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

The developers have been very open to suggestions and to work on solutions on problems that weren't exactly clear from the pre-planning phase. They have been very fast to implement the appropriate solutions, while maintaining a welcoming approach to creative ideas and suggestions.

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

At the beginning we had some concerns about a few days' delay on a promised project plan, but everything has been sorted out quickly and from that moment on everything has been great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an online marketplace and a fulfillment partner for wine estates.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MobiDev?

We needed to put our complicated system in place but didn’t have any developers on our team. We had EU legal requirements and intellectual property issues to consider, so we couldn’t choose an off-the-shelf solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MobiDev created our website from scratch. The design and development processes were collaborative. However, we required that their team automate all processes, specifying the flow for the input and output.

Their team created the design and architectural requirements and then managed full stack development, which included building the database. MobiDev used JavaScript and React with HTML and CSS formatting. Their team built the backend in Node.js and the database in PostgreSQL. They also advised us on third-party API services and legal requirements. MobiDev is now helping us build our in-house resources.

What is the team composition?

Throughout the engagement, we've worked with around 10 people in total. We collaborated with a project manager, a technical lead, and a QA team. When needed, we received resources on demand, such as legal advisors and designers.

How did you come to work with MobiDev?

I worked with them on another project and was happy with the outcome. I initially met one of their representatives at a startup technology event.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $100,000–$200,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with MobiDev around June 2019, and we officially launched the website in March 2020 but still work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

MobiDev transformed our idea into a functional website that has attracted a good number of investments. That’s due to its quality. I felt properly advised about which technologies to use throughout the project. Their team built the site using up-to-date and scalable technologies. They look after us well.

How did MobiDev perform from a project management standpoint?

Our main point of contact is a capable project manager who advises us well. Their team followed an Agile-Scrum methodology, so we had retrospectives and planned sprints together.

What did you find most impressive about them?

MobiDev addressed all of our needs throughout the project. As a young startup without many resources, it was helpful to have them be able to cover all aspects of the project — from developers to legal advisors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m very happy with MobiDev.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Be transparent and tell MobiDev what you want. Their team’s discrete about their work and can implement your idea. We were initially hesitant, which wasted time because MobiDev is a trustworthy company.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company designs and sells 3D printers for large and small industrial concerns as well as designers, artists and other professionals and also to domestic markets. Founded in UK and with offices in the USA we have around 150 employees. I am the software manager responsible for all aspects of the company that relate to customer facing software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MobiDev?

We had a requirement to build a software platform to allow bespoke offerings to our customers and particular industries to support the use of our printers. At that point our internal development capabilities were limited and time was short in a rapidly changing market.

In order to support the sale of our printers we required rapid development of a system, which we could continue to develop internally in the future, whilst we built up a team.

What were your goals for this project?

Automation of operation is a growth area in our field and software is a key enabler to achieve this. Each customer even in a particular market segment is slightly different in what they need to support this aim, so a flexible, configurable system was necessary. Additionally operation in the cloud, on premise and on desk top was a goal of the project.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Before I worked at the company several alternatives had been explored of which MobiDev was one. When I arrived we reassessed these alternatives as well as searching for other possible candidates.

MobiDev’s mode of operation supported the ability to carry out a small pilot project based on business analysis, with which we were able to determine suitability and gain confidence in terms of relationships and technical abilities. Also, the flexibility and possibility for elasticity in delivery supported our requirement to match our financial needs in case of peaks in troughs in our position in a dynamic and developing market.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

MobiDev supplied end to end services, from business analysis, research into technologies and platforms as well as standard development testing and not least project management services. Development was carried out with 2 week sprints in an agile process.

They were always open to discussion about approaches based on my and other colleagues experience and facilitated this professionally. Early on in the project we jointly discovered a hidden requirement which required a change in the plan/schedule and MobiDev were able to quickly reconfigure the plan and architecture to support this, which has led to a more staged delivery of the software system, allowing us to get parts of the system to customers sooner than planned.

What was the team composition?

The team size varied from 2 or 3 at early stages a period of around 5 and we plan to move up to around 7 in the future. At the current stage there has been 3 developers 1 QA engineer and a project manager (around 50%). In earlier stages we had Business Analysis team members. At each stage we also had access to specialists in system architecture, devOps etc to call on.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As mentioned above, we are able to deliver support to our sales team through the ability to offer to customers additional value, beyond our printers’ performance, as just ‘products’, impressive as that is.

By additionally being able to support increased process automation we can additionally offer increased productivity gains to them. Our platform co-developed with MobiDev is key to achieving that aim already even before the project is completed.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Even though the Project Manager was not full time, it felt that they were full time. Regular meetings, based around the sprint cycle, covered progress and work for the next cycle. Issues raised were dealt with promptly and with out significant schedule impact.

The final proof was in software components and functionality delivered with very little work necessary to tweak for incorporation. Communication was via Jira/Confluence and Skype meetings. Also one visit to MobiDev’s office a few months after the project started also helped significantly with the execution of the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their robust execution of business analysis and sprint execution was the most impressive, followed by access to a wide range of expertise that a company of our size will not have for a while are high lights about how MobiDev worked.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Very little that can be improved up on by a team working remotely. Infact in some ways it is a benefit as documentation has to clear. Having worked with UK, US and European development teams, this team is certainly at the very top of my list of effective ones, and a pleasure to work with.

Some may say that they are not cheap, but if one considers the speed of ramp up to full effectiveness they are very good value for money. If I had to express one area for improvement it may be to introduce automated testing in earlier, but that has already been addressed and was never a real concern.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder and CEO of an automotive subscription service that reinvents the car ownership experience for our customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mobidev?

We wanted to create a mobile app that would enable our customers to sign up for our subscription service.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mobidev developed a cross-platform mobile app for us. The app allows users to log in and enter key personal information. We screen customers on our end based on their driving record and creditworthiness through an algorithm and either accept or reject the client. Once approved, clients can create a virtual garage of cars they want to drive and run all elements of the subscription service within the app. They also built the backend admin tools for the app and worked on our algorithm. 

Additionally, Mobidev helped us with elements of our website. The team made the website more dynamic, pulling information out of our databases and displaying our vehicles in a more eye-catching fashion. Our team provided the internal design and development, but they helped augment some of the capabilities. Their team helped us put our roughly sketched ideas into wireframes and understand what technology was necessary to make the wireframe functional. We went through lots of iterative concepts before they ever began coding. 

What is the team composition?

The team composition varied over the past two and a half years but we must have tapped into 10 different team members. I primarily interface with our lead program manager, who we talk to every week and sometimes many days in a row. 

Periodically, we have a call with some of the other technical folks but having a single point of contact is a very efficient model. We also have an account manager who helps us with anything related to billing or customer service. 

How did you come to work with Mobidev?

I met their founder at a startup conference in Florida. The Mobidev team had a booth and were talking about some of their capabilities so I started to chat with some of them. I was impressed with what I heard and decided to work with them. We started out with a relatively modest scope of work to better understand their capabilities, but once we saw how skilled they were we ramped up into more development work.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Mobidev began in June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our app is not high volume because it is used to run our entire business, but since working with them our subscriber count has grown by 1000%. We could not run our business without the technology that Mobidev has created for us. It’s really the linchpin in our business model.

They bring all of the skills to the table. If we had to go hire all of these functions as a startup, it would never work. Working with Mobidev provided us with a level of flexibility. 

How did Mobidev perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is one of the areas Mobidev is outstanding in. Their communication is excellent. In general, they over-deliver on timelines and costs. Mobidev consistently exceeds our expectations. Their whole team is very responsive and works to maintain strong client relationships. It can be hard to find resources and partners that live up to what they promise, but Mobidev always does.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Mobidev is flexible and able to scale up and down dynamically. At times, we’ve had heavy development pushes where we needed to get a lot done quickly and they always adapt to those needs. We’ve also had times where we go into more of a maintenance mode. They’re always responsive to our questions, even when it’s on something the team isn’t actively working on at the time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they do a great job. They’re really solution-oriented, so even when they don’t have the answer for something in the moment they always get back to me with a workable solution. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As with any new client-partner relationship, a clear definition of scope is really important. Mobidev operates in two different ways, they can work with a fixed budget or with an ongoing scope. As a new client, we carved out a scope of work with a specific timeline and budget attached. They made that work. However, as our engagement has gone on, we’ve switched to an ongoing model. Understand what your needs are and pick the approach best suited for your business needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of MetroTables, a new digital platform that allows restaurants and diners to use dynamic pricing for specific tables.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MobiDev?

We wanted to create a web platform for the site. There was a business concept and some mock-ups of what we wanted to do, but we needed MobiDev to make it a reality.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MobiDev created a responsive website for mobile and web. They walked us through a design stage where they would use InVision to show us functionalities and the UX. Initially, they showed us site navigation and flow to see if we liked it and if it made sense. They continue to develop the site as the company scales and responds to feedback.

What is the team composition?

They provided front- and backend developers and a QA specialist. The backend developer implemented database functionality and handling messages and orders. The QA then tested the platform.

How did you come to work with MobiDev?

I initially started work with an offshore developer but was disappointed by a lack of communication and results. I searched around and discovered MobiDev at a tech startup event in New York and eventually hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started in September 2016 and is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can’t be happier. Initially, I was afraid the technology for this idea wouldn’t work, but that’s been the least of my worries. We currently have 20 restaurants in New York City with a few thousand users. If I am getting market feedback, they are able to implement high-quality solutions quickly.

How did MobiDev perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m very satisfied. There are no language problems and they are very communicative. They take your vision and gave better ideas and better ways to do it. The team is very constructive and consists of very nice people.

MobiDev is young, energetic, and professional and employs over 200 people. Thus, if they needed to get around a problem, there is someone available to fix it. With a smaller in-house team, if things get stuck, there’s no one to fix it. We didn’t have that issue. Some team members come to New York 2–3 times per year.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Compared to the previous company I worked with, they were very fast and very responsive. They were diligent and assigned developers as needed. However, they were also realistic. If I asked for something to be done in one week, they let me know if it couldn’t be done and told me why. They would not say yes and then drag me along for a few weeks.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. I worked with them on a time and materials contract rather than a fixed contract. They didn’t give a fixed price or binding estimate, and sometimes they’d go beyond that. Sometimes, they also gave a time estimate and went beyond that. But that's common in technology development. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would check to see if prices remain quite competitive. My other recommendation would be to take time to make sure of what company you want because it’s better to stick to the same company. If there’s a snag, you need to pay someone more money to fix the problem.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a data service company that provides solutions for the airline industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MobiDev?

We hired MobiDev to perform app research and develop advanced solutions with AR and VR kits, as well as other complex technology. We want our products to differentiate us in the market by reflecting the latest industry trends.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve been working with MobiDev for over three years. They develop our Android and iOS products and help us provide mobile solutions for our clients.

What is the team composition?

We have worked with about 10 team members at once, scaling up or down as needed.

How did you come to work with MobiDev?

We met at a mobile development conference where we found that their expertise matched our business challenges. We were looking for a team that could efficiently deliver custom solutions at a reasonable price.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost is over $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working together for over three years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The MobiDev team has received external development awards in response to their work, including recognition for the UX of their solutions. Also, our customers who use their solutions have expressed positive feedback.

How did MobiDev perform from a project management standpoint?

The project managers I've worked with have used a very disciplined approach, driving the team to produce quality results. The team holds daily stand-up meetings and weekly review sessions.

Their organized management style is supported by excellent communication skills. In particular, the team excels at giving and soliciting feedback. Their ability to communicate with our developers in Russian and Ukrainian has been an asset. They’ve used Asana, Jira, Slack, and Skype to communicate and manage the project process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

MobiDev quickly adapted to the rhythm of our company. They’re a professional team with a depth of talent, making it easy for them to respond to our needs. The team is excellent at scaling their members in response to shifting requirements. They have also been able to develop solutions that effectively engage with our large volume of users.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they are close to an ideal partner. They bring a lot of talent, and their work has only improved as our professional relationship has developed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’ll be important for the client and the team to develop an understanding of the project requirements through regular meetings. Their capabilities will allow them to quickly adapt to what the project requires.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Project Petrucci LLC, one of the largest classical music websites online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MobiDev?

We wanted a mobile app to go with our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a PDF Viewer. We needed them to replicate features from a website that has been around for 12 years. They had to work with the existing website as well just getting the data off of it. Then we had to deal with subscriptions, charging the user, and how to get it approved with Apple and Google.

Then there’s the social aspect to the Android and iOS apps they developed. They developed features so users could share stuff with other people in life in real time. Users could comment on a document in real time.

The iOS app is the latest Swift, PDFKit, and Core Data. On the Android side, it’s more varied because there’s more third-party stuff. They used Kotlin as opposed to Java. Their developer suggested a big database for the app, which turned out to be pretty important.

What is the team composition?

We started out with a team of two people and now there’s eight people. There’s a designer on the team who is really good. We also worked with a project manager.

How did you come to work with MobiDev?

After looking around on different freelance sites and doing lots of interviews, it was clear to me that MobiDev knew how to get things going. They already had a plan the first time I talked to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re getting rave reviews on the Android app for how fast and how smooth everything is. We also have great ratings on the App Store. I get emails from customers saying how great the app is and how much better it is over the website. Now it’s up to us to promote the app. There are so many more features we’re planning. It’s going to be ongoing for a long time.

They delivered excellent quality work. The database their developer suggested turned out to be a really good choice. I wouldn’t have gone for it since it’s pretty new, but it turned out to be really fast.

How did MobiDev perform from a project management standpoint?

We have an effective communication system. They send me their questions daily. I respond in the afternoon or evening and they look at my notes the next morning. We have calls twice a week with the team. If there’s something that’s faster to explain over Skype, we do that. There has never been a problem. We can send them notes and they’ll get it very early our time and they’ll look into it.

Compared to most other apps I’ve seen, ours is more complex. We had to go through lots of notes, design meetings, and decisions. They kept up with it. Their project manager is extremely organized. By now, I’ve probably sent them over 1,000 pages of notes and he still keeps track of everything I say. I’ve been looking on their tracker and we’re up to more than 5,000 which includes bugs and other requests combined.

They’re the best at mobile development. They’ve got the entire process down and the tools. The iOS and Android teams seem to communicate really well. I never have to repeat anything I said before. The Android folks got the stuff from the iOS folks and that worked well.

Everybody that I’ve worked with has been very professional. They know what they’re doing. They get things done.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really took on the project on as their own. They take pride in the project, which makes a very big difference.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Stay connected and get their opinions. Don’t try to force them to do things without having discussed everything. They make their thoughts known. I found over time, there’s a balance between asserting what you want and really trying to understand where they’re coming from.

They have their boots on the ground and they know the code. Sometimes the code wants to go a certain way that you don’t realize until you really have a good conversation with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product manager for an online education company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MobiDev?

We engaged MobiDev to develop the front- and backend of an application. We wanted to movie from a web-based solution to an app with a smooth and high-performing UI/UX.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We first created a design with MobiDev based on our initial ideas, and we leveraged existing content from the original site. Their team then advised us on how to set up our database while leveraging some existing infrastructure. We worked with a backend developer to define the logic behind users feeds. MobiDev helped us figure out the mechanics and timing behind our content posting and notifications—a detailed and intensive process.

After that, their team tested each feature extensively. They then set up environments for tests, staging, and production so we could run a final level of end-user testing. Everything worked as intended, and every feature was tested extensively twice. Finally, we pushed the app live.

The app is only for iOS devices at the moment. It serves two user groups, each with a specific set of features, notifications, post types, content, pictures, text, and more. MobiDev used JavaScript to create a web component, and we host our servers on AWS.
 
What is the team composition?

MobiDev has assigned us one front- and one backend developer, a project manager, and a QA tester. A second backend developer and frontend developer have come in at points to provide more help. The team comprises 5–8 people at a given time.
 
How did you come to work with MobiDev?

We posted an RFP on Upwork and received responses from several vendors. After whittling down the list based on our requirements and research into each firm, we felt that MobiDev gave the best offer. The team had an excellent reputation on the site with many hours logged and positive feedback from all of their clients. Also, as a bigger house, they offered more resources than a one-person development team.
 
How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $200,000–$400,000 so far
 
What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with MobiDev in August 2017, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has received positive reviews from customers, who have praised its smooth UI/UX and top-notch front- and backend. The professionalism of the build reflects a more established company than ours, which has impressed both potential customers and investors. 

MobiDev has delivered a high-quality product that exceeds our expectations. The team frequently suggests alternate solutions and ways to improve our practices and approach. 
 
How did MobiDev perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager is on top of all tasks. They always provide updates for our daily standup calls and notify us when they can’t deliver within an expected timeframe. We can reach out to them for requests and questions at any time as well.

The team hasn’t missed a deadline yet. Any members who temporarily step out are replaced by other resources who integrate seamlessly into the project. They are always responsive even on days with no active development, and they help walk me through each feature and how to use it before building. We organize development work through Jira’s ticketing system, which helps us keep track of extensive requirements and work against tight deadlines

What did you find most impressive about them?

MobiDev has assigned us multiple resources to work on our account. Working with a sizable, well-managed team has translated into rapid, high-quality development. Each team member has in-depth knowledge and a top-notch skill set. They are flexible and willing to work on weekends to make urgent deadlines. We appreciate their thorough testing processes, which require minimum checks and management on our end. They also are constantly thinking of ways to improve our approach and our final product. MobiDev is our first-choice development partner for any new requirements that arise.
 
Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve done an outstanding job so far.
 
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Be upfront about your requirements. Having a clear vision from the start will allow MobiDev to deliver the best solution possible to meet your needs. They are accommodating, flexible, and quick to learn.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former co-founder, CTO, and VP of engineering of GrowthHackers, Inc., a growth marketing application and community.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MobiDev?

We needed additional software engineers to help our onshore team handle a multi-faceted development for our flagship product, the GrowthHackers.com community.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GrowthHackers, Inc. consists of resources, tools, and a community for companies that are in the growth stage. As such, our system helps both manage and ignite growth. We needed Ruby on Rails expertise, but at the time our two assigned MobiDev engineers were PHP developers. We gave them resources, assignments, and exercises in order to get them up to speed with Ruby and Ruby on Rails. Within 3–4 weeks, they became competent and confident Ruby on Rails engineers. They learned fast and started making essential contributions to development milestones.

What is team composition?

We started working with 2–3 people and then expanded to a team of 10–12 including a project manager to coordinate our efforts. I was able to talk to whoever I needed, including individual contributors, regarding technical details as well as to senior management for budgeting and growth projections. They are a highly professional organization and a pleasure to work with. I have even remained friends with many of the people I worked with or met in person during this engagement.

How did you come to work with MobiDev?

MobiDev was recommended to me by another of their very satisfied long-term customers, who happened to be a dear friend of my family. I also researched them on Elance (now Upwork) and found that they were one of the top vendors there. Their professionalism and technical ability seemed to exceed that of our previous offshore team. While MobiDev is somewhat more expensive, their team-based approach, attention to project management, and deep understanding of the development process made it worthwhile.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent between $50,000–$100,000. I don’t remember exactly, but it was a significant commitment on our part, both financially and in terms of our product development strategy.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them on this project from 2014–2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We reached milestones without delays, and everything was done according to specifications. Users were taking advantage of the product's features as they were being added continuously through regular sprints. MobiDev had a QA team and project management resources assigned to us that ensured we reached our product and delivery goals at high standards and on time.

How did MobiDev perform from a project management standpoint?

They provide robust, formalized practices and take project management seriously. I had weekly meetings with the project manager to review personnel, deliverables, any input I had, and future goals. A different weekly meeting allowed me to interact with our leads and several key individual contributors.

We communicated over Skype and Google Hangouts, while relying on Jira for issue tracking. MobiDev had access to our Jira account and certain AWS keys so they could work according to their time zone. Their teams blended well with our full-time product and engineering teams and were proactive and keen to point out things they knew we could improve together so as to provide a greater value to our users.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The executives I met were very impressive. What their CEO and team have been able to achieve, while staying humble and thoughtful, is nothing short of outstanding. We paid only for what they worked on, and we were not overcharged for anything. MobiDev as a company is invested in the technology community, participating in conferences, giving presentations, and sending their engineers to international competitions. Working with MobiDev was a material competitive advantage for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I cannot think of anything in particular. I feel that I had more to learn from them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

One thing we did that proved to be effective in hindsight is we started with only a two-person engineering team, while also allowing for project management resources in our initial budget. I can recommend this approach to others, because it will help the MobiDev team to build autonomy and also provide peace of mind to the hiring company. Project management might seem like an unnecessarily large percentage of the overhead initially, but for us, this investment proved to be worthwhile later on when we expanded our team under the auspices of MobiDev.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of product management for itnetX, an IT service provider company. We do consultancy and system integration for Microsoft datacenter platforms in Switzerland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MobiDev?

We’ve been developing a software product that allows customer to have a self-service experience for ordering IT services, and we needed a partner to augment our internal team. We reached the capacity limits for our own resources and needed more developers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MobiDev collaborates with our in-house team to build our product, using Angular 5 for the frontend and .NET languages for the backend. The program uses the latest cloud technologies for Microsoft, such as microservice architectures and Service Fabric. They also provide quality assurance testing and some project management.

What is the team composition?

They have a developer, QA engineer, and project manager.

How did you come to work with MobiDev?

We found them on Upwork. We posted our project and got dozens of responses. We wanted a company, not individuals, because we knew we may need to expand the team later. MobiDev made a good first impression, and they were a fair price, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in April 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Software development isn’t our main skill, so they’re a great supplement to our internal team. They challenge us in a good way and help make the best products possible.

How did MobiDev perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re professional and integrate well with our existing team, providing lots of open and honest feedback. We mainly communicate via Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Azure DevOps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They respond quickly to resource requests, usually fulfilling our need within 10 business days.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. At the beginning, it took a while to figure out how to work with one another, but the cooperation is perfect now.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Don't always look at price. They weren’t the cheapest option, but that’s not always the best way to pick a partner.