MSOFT

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Mikhailovsky Theater — an opera and ballet theater in St Petersburg, one of the most significant musical theaters in Russia

For what projects/services did your company hire MediaSoft.team?

We hired the agency to develop an internet portal for the theater with the functionality: posting information about performances, forming a calendar, showing an interactive map of the hall, booking and buying tickets, publishing news in the feed.

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

Initially, we turned to another agency for development, which in the end could not develop the declared product and went far beyond the initial time frame. On the recommendation of this agency, we contacted MediaSoft.

They quickly tackled the problem and the functionality was released on time. After that, we worked mainly with MediaSoft.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

"Mikhailovsky.ru is an internet portal that allows you to view information about performances and the theater's repertoire in a feed or calendar, choose convenient seats on an interactive map of the hall, book and buy tickets, read news about the life of the theater and contact support.

The MediaSoft team was faced with the task of redesigning the site using ready-made design layouts and integrating it with the ticket office and payment systems. The project team included backend and frontend developers, QA engineers and a manager from MediaSoft.

At the beginning of the work, we carried out an initial analysis with the MediaSoft manager, discussed the requirements and terms of reference. After that, the developers got down to work. When the beta version of the project was ready, testing specialists joined the team. Now MediaSoft provides support for the site as needed."

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

"At the first stages, we phoned the manager of MediaSoft, told in detail about the problem, deadlines and tasks. Then we proceeded to conclude contracts, and the developers of the agency began to work."

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

"In 2020, we held 176 performances despite the restrictions. The interactive map of the hall made it possible to safely select seats in the hall, to book and buy tickets, and the contact form with support made it possible to obtain information without resorting to personal contact.

Now the theater's website contains detailed information about 56 performances, for each of which it is possible to buy a ticket, and more than 500 materials in the news feed about the life of the theater."

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The MediaSoft team worked efficiently and we quickly found a common language, thanks to which all the necessary functionality of the products was developed efficiently and on time.

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

We were impressed by the involvement of the developers in the process, thanks to which they successfully implemented all the functionality on time. The team is always in touch and quickly resolved all freelance problems.

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

Great job! We wish the MediaSoft team to go forward and grow in order to take on the implementation of new ideas, for which we will some day turn to them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owlcat Games develops story-driven video games since 2016. The studio has released two critically acclaimed CRPGs Pathfinder: Kingmaker (2018) and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous (2021). I'm Head of Publishing at Owlcat Games

For what projects/services did your company hire MediaSoft.team?

The Studio needed to launch a pre-order web platform to let the players pre-purchase the game editions before the game is released. The task was to fully develop the platform backend, create a customizable and UX-friendly landing page, connect it with the Studio's forums and integrate it with the internal technical support service.

The team keeps supporting the platform and adding new features.

How did you select MediaSoft.team and what were the deciding factors?

MediaSoft's existing client has recommended the services to us.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The project consisted of three key components: 1. A landing page with game information and art assets, where the players can decide to pre-purchase the game. 2. A customizable platform where the players select the edition they would like to buy, add extra items to their purchase, and get the additional information on it; 3. Customers' accounts, where they can manage their purchases, get codes for digital rewards, add shipping addresses and other personal info we needed to complete their orders.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

We had created a brief for our partners describing the key features of the platform and walked through it with the account manager. MediaSoft allocated several engineers to form a team that would work on our project on a permanent basis.

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

The platform allowed us to process the needs of thousands of new customers.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The MediaSoft team's efficiency was astonishing. The developers were always in touch and were ready to dive in when any additional tasks appeared.

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

The team actually cared about what we wanted to create. The engineers were proactive and have proposed some creative solutions to some uncertain issues. The team was online 24/7 during key milestones of the project.

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

The execution is flawless, and the team has been our trusted partner ever since.

Please describe your company and your position there.

InFin.Money is a service for business financial accounting. The main task of InFin is to free the entrepreneur from the routine of maintaining financial accounting and provide access to analytics for making management decisions. My position in the product is project manager. I track that the following features are implemented in the product:

- Projection of forecasts of the company's financial position;

- Warning about the threat of a cash gap;

- Conclusion of the profitability of individual projects or lines of business;

- Output of reports to control regular expenses (rent, salary, etc.);

- Ability to track the timeliness of payments from counterparties.

For what projects/services did your company hire MediaSoft.team?

Design, development, testing, and support of the beta version of the website and mobile application for the product.

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

We have known the agency for many years, so when we started launching the product, we immediately turned to MediaSoft for development.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

InFin.money is a financial accounting service for businesses. With the help of it, entrepreneurs can track important business indicators, keep records, and make management decisions using their smartphone or laptop.

First, me and the MediaSoft team conducted an initial analysis and studied the functionality of alternative services. Then we started developing a beta version of the website and mobile application. Gradually, the project expanded, so over time, we added a QA specialist to the product team.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

During the first stages, we contacted the MediaSoft manager to tell him more about the tasks. Then we proceeded to conclude contracts.

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

Since the launch of the product, 182 users have registered in the system, they created more than 18,000 transactions in total. Now the team is finalizing the functionality of the service and preparing for the release of a new version.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The MediaSoft team worked effectively. The developers were always in touch and quickly got involved in the work if any additional tasks appeared.

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

We were impressed by the developers's involvement in the process. They successfully implemented functionality for which the requirements were initially undefined, quickly solved all the problems that appeared, and always stayed in touch

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

Everything's perfect! We wish to maintain the high quality of products.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

ZdravCity is an online service provided by my company, CV PROTEK, which allows consumers to order medicines directly from distributors, then pay and receive the medicines from local drugstores.

We offer pharmacies the opportunity to take advantage of online sales while offering buyers a wider range of the leading Russian distributor of pharmacological goods. We offer 13,000 high-quality line times. Connection to our service allows drugstores to expand their offers considerably, increase their number of clients, and own income without additional promotional costs.

I am a project manager at CV PROTEK.

What challenge were you trying to address with MediaSoft?

We needed to develop the instrument of interaction between the different sides of the platform, including the communication of internal business processes. We also needed to develop a mobile app that would be able to become a single point of entry to the world of online drugstores for our buyers.

What was the scope of their involvement?

MediaSoft developed a high-load web service based on Bitrix, CMS [content management system], and ORACLE solutions.

They made the UI/UX design and developed the software. We continue to work together to improve our service because we constantly have new partners and bases of pharmacological goods.

MediaSoft also developed special APIs for integration with the ZdravCity mobile app, which provides the main support for mobile app functionalities such as ordering goods at any time, viewing goods “of the day”, the profile of the nearest pharmacy with their work schedule, complete descriptions and instructions for medicines and their accompanying goods, and search medicines by name. We have many plans for a future cooperation.

How did you come to work with MediaSoft?

MediaSoft was recommended to us, and we liked their portfolio of projects.

How much have you invested with MediaSoft?

The project has cost between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve focused on both time and material measurements of the engagement, so this model doesn't give a full estimate of the work. However, we began to work with MediaSoft team in the autumn of 2012, and we continue to cooperate.

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

ZdravCity became the most popular service for the order and delivery of pharmaceutical goods in Russia. Since its launch, PROTEK’s partner base has been growing in a geometrical progression.

How did MediaSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

MediaSoft always observes their deadlines. The team works on projects and reports the results to us every month.

What did you find most impressive about MediaSoft?

MediaSoft is highly responsive and delivers a high quality of work.

Are there any areas MediaSoft could improve?

I have nothing to add here.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We run large conferences devoted to information technologies and development. I am the project coordinator.

What challenge were you trying to address with MediaSoft?

We needed to create a website for our conferences. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

MediaSoft made the website from scratch. It had to include a full web service for the organizers’ communication—with each other and with 2,500 participants from across Russia. MediaSoft created the UI/UX design and developed all functionalities, including management of the database for participants and speakers. Another feature is the ability to easily access and update the timing, programs, and other content of the website. MediaSoft has developed web services which allow our managers to work with the website easily. For us, this included placement and management of the conference agenda, lists of speakers, and conference materials. It also included information for external audiences such as photos and videos. The site is able to handle participant and speaker registration and process these details internally. Additionally, the site showcases information on our partners and sponsors as well as information for the press. MediaSoft provided technical support throughout the full process of preparing and holding our conference.

How did you come to work with MediaSoft?

Some of MediaSoft’s specialists were speakers in our previous conferences and we were partially familiar with their team.

How much have you invested with MediaSoft?

We paid between $10,000 and $50,000 for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with MediaSoft from April to October 2016. We plan to continue working with the MediaSoft team.

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

We haven't received any complaints regarding the registration form and obtaining tickets. These processes are automatically performed by the system with user data. All internal and external functionalities work in both web-based and mobile versions. The most difficult piece was the integration of a participants’ database and the registration form on a forum. This integration needed to be developed on a very short timeline, and the MediaSoft team successfully coped with this task.

How did MediaSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

MediaSoft was reasonable. They responded quickly and are always ready to help. All tasks were completed within the deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about MediaSoft?

MediaSoft’s experience and professional competency are their selling points.

Are there any areas MediaSoft could improve?

Everything was good. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a project manager of Zdravcity, an online service that allows final consumers to order medicines directly from the distributor. After payment, customers can get the medicine from the nearest drugstore. Our company offers products from the Protek group of companies, a leading Russian distributor of pharmaceuticals. Customers can choose from 13,000 high-quality items online. Zdravcity gives pharmacies an opportunity to take advantage of online sales, allowing them to considerably expand their inventory. With our services, drugstores can get more clients and more income without additional costs for promotion.

What challenge were you trying to address with MediaSoft Mobile?

We were looking for help with developing a mobile app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

MediaSoft developed our app for Android and iOS. Our product allows anyone to select and order pharmacological goods with a few clicks on a mobile phone. The app displays the order of goods at any time and allows users to view items of the day. With it, customers can find the nearest pharmacy and know when it is open for business. The app also shows complete product information, instructions for taking each medicine, and any accompanying items. You can also search medicines by name, MNN, or the manufacturer.

How did you come to work with MediaSoft Mobile?

Our partners recommended them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve paid approximately $75,000 for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in the autumn of 2016. We’ve worked on a time-and-material contract, which doesn't involve a full preliminary estimate. 

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

Our iOS and Android apps are already published and they work successfully. I can't give exact data, but the number of downloads grows with each update. We are very happy about this.

How did MediaSoft Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team does tasks and reports results every month. They always meet our agreed timeframes. We have planned updates monthly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed by their speed and stability.

Are there any areas they could improve?

None.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a project manager at CarPrice.ru, which is the best service in Russia for buying and selling used cars. Used car buying is a long and risky process for both buyer and seller, often involving many meetings, vast amounts of time, and even the possibility of theft. CarPrice.ru makes this process simple, clear, and safe.

What challenge were you trying to address with MediaSoft Mobile?

We needed someone to design a mobile app that would facilitate the buying and selling of used cars through CarPrice. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

MediaSoft designed an app, called Autosniper, that can help ordinary people sell their cars through CarPrice. The idea is simple. Any user can upload a photo of the car on sale, along with information about both the car and the seller. After the car is sold through CarPrice, the user receives the sale price of the car.

How much have you invested with them?

The app was developed in only two weeks, and the cost of development was about $5,000.

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

Twenty-four cars were sold within the first month using the app. Working with MediaSoft, we will continue to improve and develop the service. We are delighted to have their mobile developers as our dedicated project team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We are very satisfied with MediaSoft. They delivered consistent quality and were very easy to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I can't think of anything we would do differently.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Gifto is a startup. The primary goal of our application is to help users make gifts as a group. Usually, it is a problem for a group to give a gift – to choose a gift and collect money. Our application solves this problem. We provide a group chat to discuss the gift, and users can pay for their part of the gift right in this chat. After all this, the gift will be delivered to the address of the person the gift was for.

I am the project manager.

What challenge were you trying to address with MediaSoft Mobile?

We needed to create a usable application. The most difficult part was to connect the app to e-commerce.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Integration with e-shopping was the most difficult part. We used dedicated business logic in our apps on Xamarin, and the middleware is written in Java. A lot of communication was required between the different parts of the whole system.

How did you come to work with MediaSoft Mobile?

They were very familiar with technologies based on Xamarin. They offered a good price and flexible terms.

How much have you invested with them?

The development took about one year. We used agile project management, so I can't say exactly how much we paid for this project. Right now, we are paying about $2,000 to $3,000 per month.

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

We've just started, so I have not as yet seen any business results. All I can say is that it works.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We did occasionally run into misunderstandings, but MediaSoft solved all problems quickly and efficiently, which is something that sets them apart from other IT companies I've worked with in the past.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It might have been better to choose another technology. Xamarin is massive and requires a lot of time to make changes.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the chief editor of a publication for digital production and digital marketing in the Russian market. Our primary audience is senior executives, programmers, and designers working in this market who want to develop websites and mobile apps as well as engage in promotion and contextual advertising.

What challenge were you trying to address with MediaSoft Mobile? 

The growth of the mobile audience today does not leave any room for error, and we had to find a convenient way to read all the relevant publications on mobile devices. The competition in the media market is growing and, as representatives of a digital magazine, we must be able to keep up to date with changing technologies. Mobile applications today have become simply a necessity.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our portal has a long history and, through the years, we have accumulated thousands of articles that we can't afford to lose. Therefore, since we are on the server side, we connected our portal by writing an API [application programming interface] for content delivery to mobile applications. The applications were written in native languages, such as Objective-C and Java. For graphics, we followed the guidelines of each operating system while maintaining the corporate identity of our company.

How did you come to work with MediaSoft Mobile?

We know the development market very well. We had no doubts about their competence as they are well known in the Russian market, and they offered us favorable conditions for working together at a price we could afford.

How much have you invested with them?

The development took two months, and we have been working on a fixed cost basis, which was about $10,000 for both platforms.

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

We launched a beta version for a limited number of users to gather feedback and improve our application. We plan on a more general launch sometime in the future. The reviews have been very positive, and we think that we have reached our goals.

How did MediaSoft Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

MediaSoft's people are very responsive and flexible. Also, during the development process, they came up with a number of new ideas that improved the app greatly. Working together, we found ways to accomplish what we needed to do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really can't say anything negative. Everything was pretty much normal for this kind of software development.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

1UL.ru is the main news portal of the city of Ulyanovsk, Russia. We are one of the leading mass media companies of our region. I am the chief executive officer.

What challenge were you trying to address with MediaSoft?

They helped us to develop the news portal with an internal system of control for content and advertising. They also developed a user authorization system and several useful widgets. These tasks were executed in order to solve a problem with loading.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The MediaSoft team developed the project from scratch. In addition to the development, they also worked on a UI/UX design that met our needs. They were able to develop the necessary functionality for the user. Currently, the MediaSoft team carries out technical support of the website.

How did you come to work with MediaSoft?

One of our partners recommended MediaSoft to us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began to work with MediaSoft approximately in May 2013, and our cooperation still continues. Our work with MediaSoft is based on the time and materials model, which includes constant development and improvements.

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

I can't give exact data, but the portal is one of the most readable ones in our region. The portal was developed well, and we constantly update it for technical functionality and loading speeds.

How did MediaSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

MediaSoft always kept to deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about MediaSoft?

MediaSoft is responsive to our needs and delivers high-quality service.

Are there any areas MediaSoft could improve?

No.