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Bespoke Software Solutions for Your Business

4.8
7 reviews

Sparkbit is a software development company.

Sparkbit builds reliable custom-made backend systems, web & mobile applications that help companies around the world better their business.

The company offers assistance at all stages of the project, making sure that the final product is of the highest quality. Its experienced team consists of specialists in software design, development, testing, deployment and support. 

Software development is based on Agile practices supported by Continuous Delivery, which guarantees constant collaboration between software developers and clients.

What makes us stand out above the rest?

  • Agile approach combined with Continuous Delivery - to give clients constant access to the most recent version of the software
  • Communication - a team who listens and adapt to new requirements.
  • Quality - successful products with code that works.   
  • Technical expertise -  specialist team of back-end and front-end developers.
  • International projects -  clients from Europe and US.
  • Experience - core team with over 15 years of commercial experience.

 

Case Studies:

Fermi

OctoU

Patent Examination Support System

Happy Team Check

 

Contact us to discuss your project now.

 

READ MORE...
 
Undisclosed
 
$50 - $99 / hr
 
10 - 49
 Founded
2014
Show all +
Warsaw, Poland
headquarters
  • Sparkbit
    Wańkowicza 5/30
    Warsaw 02-796
    Poland

Portfolio

Key clients: 
  • OctoU,
  • Toolbox for HR,
  • CognitionConcept,
  • Edyt.

Investment Fund Management

Challenge:

Our client needed a platform for management of a next generation investment fund. The fund is denominated in tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, invests into other cryptocurrencies and was distributed through an ICO. The system should allow for configuration of the investment strategy, withdrawal of the funds to user’s blockchain wallet and displaying the current fund structure and user’s share value.

The system had to fulfill security-related regulations, thus the identity of the user had to be verified and the ownership of a blockchain wallet had to be confirmed.

 

Solution:

We have delivered a web-based platform that is integrated with the blockchain, external APIs with financial data and internal systems of the client.

We have also helped the client to identify and resolve some security issues in their initial requirements.

Timepot

Application to track and analyze time, tasks and profits.

 

Challange:

Timepot MVP released in January 2017, covered basic functionalities of the application – time tracking and reporting.

Having MVP already published we focused on building an advanced financial module that compares various projects’ profits. Its algorithm calculates monthly income and expenses of projects run in different paying models, several currencies with mixed employee’s wages.

 

Solution:

We delivered a beautifully designed and intuitive tool with powerful functionalities that gives the clients insights into their businesses.

The system’s backend in written in Java 8, Spring while frontend in Angular 4 and TypeScript. Timepot offers different access levels attached to specific functionalities of the system.

Its reporting module includes an advanced search engine.

 

Patent Examination Support System

System to Manage the Patent Granting Process within the Patent Office

Web Application

Challenge

Every year, patent examiners analyze more than 200 000 patent filings, which results in over 60 000 patents being granted to the applicants. The Patent Office needed to launch a holistic tool to improve and accelerate the granting process. Sparkbit collaborated to provide examiners with a central feature-rich workstation to examine patent applications.  

Solution

The system is designed to analyze, annotate and classify patent applications, collaborate on documents in real time and track the full history of all changes that have been made to the document. The system integrates within multiple other systems within the enterprise. We have built the system using Java 8, Spring Boot and Apache Camel on the backend and TypeScript, AngularJS 2.0 on the front end. We have also created a flexible and fully automated continuous...

Happy Team Check

Web Portal for Conducting  Flexible Employee Satisfaction Surveys

Web Application

Challenge

Happy Team Check co-founders knew exactly what they wanted - Saas platform that transposes employee satisfaction surveys used by companies like Facebook and Google and converts it into a great tool for small and medium enterprises.

Solution

Working in close collaboration with Happy Team Check we have developed a system that allows defining and conducting customized employee satisfaction surveys. It includes a database of predefined questions that were created and shared by HR experts. Yet, each client can define additional questions. Many types of questions are supported, such as free text, single and multiple choice or likert scale questions. The system helps with question selection depending on the company size, organizational structure and survey goals so each client can build the survey to gather exactly the data that he...

OctoU

System for analyzing user driving behavior 

Mobile Application & Analytics Platform

 

Challenge

A large Italian telematics company - sought to build a powerful mobile application to analyze driving behavior of users. Our challenge was to implement the criteria, based on which the system can monitor user driving behavior and put them into a seamless, user-friendly application. 

Solution

We developed a feature-rich app that allows users to measure their driving skills. The system is based on heterogeneous data, such as real-time GPS data, weather and road conditions, traffic congestion, speed limits or drivers' lifestyle information. Each users’ trip is assigned a score that describes how safely the user was driving.The algorithm detects hazardous events - speed limit violations, harsh acceleration, braking, and cornering. The application contains social features, such as commenting and liking friends'...

Fermi

System to Automatize Recruitment Process

Web Application

Challenge

Sparkbit works with Toolbox for HR to create a user-friendly platform to keep and track data of candidates and campaigns within the system.The goal of the project was to provide recruiters with an easy time-saving tool. This application would eventually remove the need for spreadsheets and cut down on the flow of documents in the office.

Solution


Fermi supports customizable workflows and tracking of everything that happens during a recruitment process. It facilitates overview of the candidate's number during each stage and control recruiters’ appointments. Fermi includes an advanced search engine. Recruiters are able to filter data by candidate, campaigns and recruitment process stage.

Reviews

4.8
7 reviews
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Trading Platform Development for Fintech Firm

"We have very specific guidelines for the platform, but they implemented it as we requested."

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4.5

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Dec. 2017 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Sparkbit built the MVP of a trading platform using Java 8, Spring Boot, and MySQL. They also integrated Ethereum wallets and multiple REST APIs. 

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
London, United Kingdom
Technical Advisor, Fintech Company
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Although the platform needed to meet rigid specifications, Sparkbit developed a comprehensive development plan and met every requested deadline. The agency's affordable pricing, responsive communication, and advanced programming capabilities kept the project on schedule. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the tech adviser at a software company. We’re developing algorithms for trading on different exchanges.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkbit?

We wanted a company from central Europe so they’d be in the same time zone. We also wanted a company with backend Java programming experience. They needed to commit to our deadlines.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We collaborated with Sparkbit to build a platform. They proposed Java 8, Spring Boot, MySQL, and Angular 5. We integrated Ethereum wallets and REST APIs for data exchange.

The first phase for the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) lasted a month. We’re in the second phase and are still testing the final product.

What is the team composition?

They have one project manager who was also a programmer. There’s one backend developer, a full stack developer, and one frontend developer. Our designs cooperated with their designer. Our backend programmers cooperated with their backend programmer.

How did you come to work with Sparkbit?

We found them on Clutch. We didn’t have any specific requirements, so we were open to proposals. We checked which companies proposed Java and they set priority over the others.

How much have you invested with them?

$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their feedback is quick, and they’re very responsive. Our bug checks took longer than anticipated, but we finished them. We’re very satisfied with their implementation.

How did Sparkbit perform from a project management standpoint?

They proposed a Gantt chart objectives for each time interval. We kept to that for the first stage, but the second stage was more complicated. It was harder to stick with the schedule. We mostly communicated by email. We shared and modified our proposals on Google Docs, where they could check them in real time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have very specific guidelines for the platform, but they implemented it as we requested, which was surprising. They have been responsive during the programming and development processes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their responsiveness to bugs and fixing of issues wasn’t so good. Final product testing could be improved.

4.5
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They met all deadlines during the first part of our design. 
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They were the cheapest one and still met all our requirements.
  • 4.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

App Development for Telematics Company

“They stood out in terms of product management and architecture.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
Feb. 2017 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Sparkbit developed and integrated a complex driving style assessment (telematics; UBI) system. They also developed an iOS and Android app that monitors and records drivers' behavior.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Warsaw, Poland
Piotr Kujawa
Founder, Bacca Sp. z o.o
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Sparkbit introduced features and provided suggestions that reduced the system’s battery consumption. Their technically adept team worked well in an agile environment, delivering promptly and offering an impressive level of scalability. Their team leadership was active throughout.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Bacca. We’ve been operating in the financial area and helping people pay for insurance for the last eight years. We’re a leader in the Polish premium finance and insurtech market and are introducing a lot of fintech innovations in insurance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkbit?

We decided we needed to respond to the insurance market’s current telematics trends—specifically automotive insurance.

Telematics is a term for user-based insurance where the user’s style determines payments in order for them to get cheaper third-party liability insurance. Premiums are higher for riskier drivers than safe ones or those who don’t drive often. The market doesn’t exist in Poland, but the demand for solutions and services will grow rapidly within next 3 years. This scheme already exists across significant markets like the U.S., UK and Italy, and specifically targets young drivers. We decided to be the first ones in our region to develop this kind of advanced system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We approached Sparkbit to develop a full-scale telematics system. We asked them to set up and connect our backend with third-party suppliers of maps, weather systems, and other components that play a role in a driver’s rating. It’s important to track a driver’s adherence to speed limits during normal conditions, through bad weather, and at night. The system gathers road traffic data along with other information and includes both in the rating.

In addition to the backend, Sparkbit also developed an Android and iOS app that tracks driver behavior. It leverages devices’ gyroscopes, accelerometers, and compasses in order to determine if the phone is in the car or not. It can tell the difference between walking, riding a bike, being on a bus, or driving a car. The app turns itself on based on the smartphone’s sensors rather than depending on the user to do so. It can detect sudden breaking and general behavior on the road in comparison to other drivers.

My company has experience with technology implementations, but this type of system is not part of our core business. Sparkbit took over the whole development process and project management, app and web design, development of the desktop version, and AWS implementation. We only provided sponsorship and general guidance.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with up to seven people from their team for mobile, Windows desktop development, and backend integrations. Three of those members worked with us on a full-time basis throughout the project. I was in contact with Sparkbit’s CEO and project manager on a daily basis.

How did you come to work with Sparkbit?

We’re both located in Warsaw, Poland and they happened to have some experience with the crucial aspects of telematics solutions. They knew a lot about needed backend system and the algorithms we required within it. Sparkbit had worked on similar projects for large insurance companies around the world. They’d also worked on a patent execution platform for the E.U. We knew they would be able to conduct the whole project based on all of these factors.

Other local software houses were not able deliver on required quality and time. We considered companies from other countries, but they were too expensive and far away. This was a specialized project with a short timeline, so management would be too difficult for us. We needed to work with a local partner in order to check that the project was going well.

How much have you invested with them?

The overall cost of their work so far has been around 1 million Polish zloty ($300,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2017. The development took nine months to complete and we launched in November 2017. Customers of the platform were given access in December. Having a good experience we’ve recently launched a separate project with Sparkbit.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Insurers began testing our solution in December 2017, but we don’t have a lot of users yet.

The apps successfully manage high battery consumption since they’re constantly gathering data from sensors. We’ve had to balance the data’s precision and when the trip logging should begin (e.g., within the first seconds of a trip, within the first minute). Sparkbit made a lot of self-invented adjustments and upgrades to reduce battery consumption.

Many of valuable features and ideas were implemented during the minimum viable product phase. The first version has been great. Sparkbit also help in production setting up on Amazon cloud.

How did Sparkbit perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered on time for all platforms. Sparkbit’s project managers and co-founder were very active. Once a week we discussed arising issues and developments.

They provided standard reporting and organized meetings when we needed to make new decisions. The process wasn’t information-heavy, but it was valuable for us as project sponsors. Control and our perception of the ongoing work were great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Finding major IT development companies able to work on products like ours in an agile environment isn’t easy, but Sparkbit was able to deliver. They have top-tier staff with excellent academic and business backgrounds, including architects and designers who are familiar with different development technologies.

They stood out in terms of product management and architecture, making big solutions scalable. It wasn’t a case of creating the system infrastructure, but of optimizing the process and determining why something was important.

The final product was functional and done at a reasonable cost for us. The system has high demands at its peak due to the large amount of data it has to process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. Our money was well spent.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Web Platform Dev for HR Software Company

"They’ve taken a product ownership role and are good sparring partners for us."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
2015 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Sparkbit created a custom ATS web platform to streamline candidate management, drafting a full scope and executing it with diverse coding skills. The team continues to add features when needed. 

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Warsaw, Poland
Marcin Smolinski
CEO, Toolbox for HR
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Since Sparkbit joined the workflow, all requested features have arrived on time and ready-to-use. Their attractive price point, ability to suggest wise alternatives, and personal commitment to the engagement’s success consistently impress.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a recruitment company helping technology startups grow their teams with good software engineers, DevOps, UI [user interface] designers, and so on. I am the CEO and founder of the company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkbit?

We process approximately 1,000 candidate applications per week, and we had a problem with the parsing, searching, and management of this data. We were looking to buy a license for an ATS [applicant tracking system] for managing candidate relationships on an ongoing basis. None of the systems available on the market met our requirements, so we asked Sparkbit to build one for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Even though we recruit software engineers, we’re not a technology organization ourselves. We had to describe our business challenge to Sparkbit, and we also pointed them towards a couple of systems that we found to be useful. During the next stage, Sparkbit drafted a scope for our web-based system and built it using Scala, Java, PostgreSQL, and some JavaScript.

Sparkbit built a business enterprise system encompassing all the logic from candidate acquisition to the management of those candidates, collecting feedback at different stages of the process.

Our team size depended on the phase of the project. We initially worked with one resource from Sparkbit and increased our budget to a maximum of three. After the main part of the application was deployed, we scaled back to one person.

How did you come to work with Sparkbit?

One of their founders was recommended to me by both the university where he got his PhD and by one of my former colleagues, who is a senior engineering manager at Google. We did consider other providers, interviewing five or six.

How much have you invested with Sparkbit?

The cost of Sparkbit’s work has been $200,000, more or less.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Sparkbit in Q2 of 2015. The major part of the project was accomplished in Q4 of 2016. We continue to add new features to the platform using Sparkbit.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was engaged in the early stages, but I’m currently hands-off in terms of product development. Nonetheless, it’s still a matter of me and my team submitting requests for features, and we continue to monitor the work done around the product. The only measurable outcome I can provide is that the features we’re requesting arrive two to four weeks later, and we can start using them.

I do not have the technical capabilities to verify the work directly, but I’ve heard praises from my team about the functionalities developed by Sparkbit, so I can’t complain.

We are measuring the cost of acquiring one candidate on a daily basis. We have seen a reduction of 25% in that cost since we’ve implemented the system.

How did Sparkbit perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a weekly 30- to 60-minute sync-up with the person responsible for developing our system. We’re pretty much up-to-date with what is happening, what the next steps are, and what roadblocks are happening. We use Trello as a project management system.

What did you find most impressive about Sparkbit?

Our biggest fear was getting a coding monkey that developed whatever we required without questioning it. We wanted people who could think in the broader sense, and Sparkbit didn’t fail us in this regard. They’ve taken a product ownership role and are good sparring partners for us.

I haven’t met the entire team, so I couldn’t comment overall. The five or six people I’ve met, out of Sparkbit’s 12-person team, were extremely well-educated. They graduated from top-tier universities and are extremely strong in their field.

Are there any areas Sparkbit could improve?

If we had any real concerns, we would have definitely moved the work to another vendor. My only comment is that we haven’t developed all the features we wanted, but this comes more from us not spending more money. 

5.0
Overall Score They come to our Christmas parties regularly.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    We spend a lot of money on Sparkbit’s services, but our system was delivered at a reasonable cost.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    We got what we asked for. Any exceptions were due to Sparkbit finding a better alternative.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I already referred Sparkbit to a friend who became their client.

UI Projects for Business Process Consulting Firm

"If they promise something, they will really come through."

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4.5

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
2012 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

SparkBit redesigned a user interface to reduce bounce rate and simplify the user’s experience. They also collaborated on a separate project, a case management system.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Netherlands
Jan Verbeek
CEO, CognitionConcept
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

SparkBit applied their technical expertise to understanding complex specifications. They worked around the clock to deliver quality products; they offered valuable insights to optimize the solution.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of CognitionConcept, located in The Netherlands. We’ve been doing projects with a dynamic case management system. We’ve been working with Sparkbit on several projects, one of which was for the European Patent Office, and another was for Metronic.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkbit?

We were doing a project for Metronic that was all about the way legal documents were handled online. Different people were responsible for those legal documents, and they all had to be signed-off; there were a lot of rounds of approval to go through. There was a lot of work, and the way it was first implemented had a very high click rate. It took people too long to go through all of it. We wanted to change the user interface to make it more user-friendly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the Metronic project, Sparkbit changed the existing user interface to make it more user-friendly and give it a lower bounce rate. We discussed various solutions with Sparkbit; they’re good advisors on how best to change the user interface. We followed their advice, and they implemented the changes they had proposed. So in essence, they created the redesign and handled the development work.

We also worked with Sparkbit on a project for the European Patent Office. It’s a multi-layered application. There’s a UI layer that is being built by the client, and a separate business layer, the dynamic case management system, which is what we are building. Hooking those two up gives the complete application.

How did you come to work with Sparkbit?

We’ve been in a tender with the European Patent Office. That office asked us to work together with Sparkbit to deliver the final product.

How much have you invested with Sparkbit?

For the Metronic project, it was about €13,000 [approx. $14,000]. The Patent Office project is in the millions, but that office is paying Sparkbit directly.

What is the status of this engagement?

The first project began in 2012, and we continue to work together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Metronic only wanted to take the product into production with the improved user interface, so that project was crucial. Sparkbit was able to understand it in one go. They had a good overview of what was expected from them. They could easily see where things were wrong, and the areas they didn’t have to pay any attention to. There were a number of cycles, so it was very important that they could make a quick determination whether something was okay.

How did Sparkbit perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m very satisfied with them. They are reliable. If they say they will be ready by a certain time, they are, even if they have to work day and night. They’re easy to work with, and they have good technical expertise. They come up with their own ideas if they think it can be done in a better way.

What did you find most impressive about Sparkbit?

If they promise something, they will really come through. They have a very good technical expertise. If they don’t have it, they’ll make sure they get it in a short period of time. They come up with their own ideas and make suggestions to improve the quality of the solution. They are very quality-driven, yet it’s still easy to work with them.

Are there any areas Sparkbit could improve?

They’re very development-focused, and they could sometimes be a bit more commercial and customer-focused.

4.5
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They don’t charge the rates you see in Western Europe. You get good quality for your money.
  • 4.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    They deliver good quality up to expectations in the agreed upon timeframe.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I just did.

Ongoing Dev for Document Reviewing Software

"Sparkbit shines both in their flexibility and ease of working with them and in their technical abilities."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Confidential
 
Apr. 2015 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Sparkbit conducts software development and implementation for a highly specialized internet app, meeting the frontend and backend needs of enterprise-level government entities.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
San Francisco Bay Area
Rocky Kahn
CEO, Edyt
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The team successfully deployed the software currently used by a major government customer. Sparkbit’s customizable deliverables adeptly balance complicated tech requirements, professional aesthetics, and evolving end-user demands. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Edyt, a San Francisco Bay Area software firm providing enterprise web software which can be further customized for customers. We are initially working with the European patent office and other offices worldwide to provide electronic dossier support, facilitating how the patent grant process works on the patent office side. We have a separate business supporting applicants for preparation and prosecution—preparing the patent applications, submitting them, working through the series of communications for sending something to the patent office, receiving a response, and responding to it through a grant or refusal. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkbit?

We have a complex subject domain. The patent grant process is not for the weak of heart. There is an endless amount of information to be aware of that materially affects requirements, implementation, and customer interaction. Also, the application itself is a complex, rich internet app. It’s a browser standard, and its amount of information is high, along with the degree of aesthetics, ergonomics, accessibility, and eventual responsiveness that will be requested. These two areas are challenging: the domain (understanding the context) and the actual web application. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sparkbit is primarily an implementation team, so they’re not providing full service (e.g. bringing them in, eliciting requirements, building an application, and managing it). Perhaps Sparkbit does that for other customers, but we are using them for the implementation phase. We elicit requirements and develop designs, and then pass things over to Sparkbit for implementation. Due to the complexity of the context and implementation, this phase itself is quite complex and requires a discerning development shop that’s able to take the initiative, have an excellent client-facing ability for raising clarification requests, and deal with technical issues that arise. Sparkbit does this admirably.

On the backend, we are using the Spring Framework. Previously, we used Python, and I believe Sparkbit worked with that as well. On the frontend, we are using JavaScript with the Angular 2 framework, and they seem very capable with that. They are able to deal with database issues, although we have mostly left that to a system integrator. They have excellent continuous integration tooling capabilities.

How did you come to work with Sparkbit?

I was introduced to them through someone at my company, but we have used a variety of development shops before. Sparkbit shines both in their flexibility and ease of working with them and in their technical abilities. Other shops usually do one or the other but not both. Sparkbit is exceptional in this regard.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began in April 2015. The project is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Enterprise software for government entities, especially large bureaucratic ones, is known to be challenging. As someone who has lived and breathed these challenges since 2010, I suggest that these challenges shouldn’t be underestimated by people who haven’t worked in this field. Despite these challenges, Sparkbit has helped us deploy the software currently used at our government customer. That is rare and exceptional.

How did Sparkbit perform from a project management standpoint?

We run our own project management. However, due to time zones and Sparkbit’s ability to self-manage, they provide their own project management for the engineering subdomain. Our project management spans the entire project, including requirements, product design, and engineering. Their project management focuses on the engineering, working closely with our project management. It works very well. They work with JIRA and other project management tools.

What did you find most impressive about Sparkbit?

They have a wonderful mix of competence and collaboration. Although most government IT projects are relatively simple at the technical level, Sparkbit can also address more challenging requirements. That headroom is very important for our company since we tend to do more challenging enterprise government IT projects—especially in the standard web software domain—in which they excel.

Are there any areas Sparkbit could improve?

They are a small company and have a limited ability to respond to rapid increases or pulses in resource requests. This is understandable, given their size. We’d prefer to have the quality and ease of working with them that we’ve experienced, rather than the elastic resource availability we’ve experienced at some larger providers that usually lack the ease of working with them or technical prowess.

5.0
Overall Score We’re ecstatic to be working with them. For government software, where years of pain are the norm, it’s good to have a partner who’s resolute and keeps a positive, professional, and pragmatic approach to engineering as we navigate difficult clients.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    Government software is rife with customer-driven scope creeping and agile requirements within fixed-priced scheduled contracts. Sparkbit does a great job navigating and accommodating this dynamic relationship in terms of schedule.
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They’re not cheap, but they’re excellent. We find them well worth their cost. Others who don’t require their excellence could find more economical options elsewhere. For what we are trying to do, they are very well worth it.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    We haven’t yet experienced a better team. We love them. We know that there are better teams, but it’s hard not to put them at the top.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    If this wouldn’t affect their availability to us in the future, then I would refer them.

Mobile Dev for Insurance Telematics Company

"They met all the plans we had put together, and the quality of the product was very good."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Mar. 2016 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Sparkbit expanded a telematics insurer’s mobile app based on a specific client’s requirements. The product includes user validation, detection and recording of driving events, and an explanatory metric. 

The Reviewer
 
201-500 Employees
 
London, United Kingdom
Sr. Manager, Telematics Insurance Firm
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The app functions well in production with no apparent bugs. Sparkbit’s team asked proactive questions and gave factual explanations of the product’s complexity to ensure timely roll out. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our firm provides services to automotive insurance companies. We provide information regarding an insured person’s driving behavior and habits, which the insurance company can then use in decision-making processes. I’m a senior program manager and worked on this specific project from the very beginning. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkbit?

We needed to develop an app to provide a new technological solution to our customer. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an initial app to start off and specific client requirements to be incorporated into the app. So, the work consisted of adapting requirements to an existing app.

Sparkbit was involved from the very beginning. Once we had the requirements from our customer, they provided the implementation plan. They identified the potential issues we would encounter, and they helped in defining a plausible roll-out schedule based on those issues. We were able to define a plan that satisfied the client’s needs, both in terms of roll-out and overall product development that allowed proper project review. We delivered a prototype and validated most of the requirements.

Like all projects, we did have issues on our end, and the client changed some of their requirements, but we ended up meeting the final deadline. We released the app, and now the app is being rolled out into other areas.

This is a closed app requiring user validation and other security requirements. Once the user logs into the app, it detects and records driving events. Based on the recorded information, we can provide a trip score, which is then used by the insurance company to apply a specific discount.

I don’t have the total number of resources used by Sparkbit. I can say that there were times we needed additional resources, and they were added. For our project, their resources were applied very well.

How did you come to work with Sparkbit?

We had another partner working with us who brought Sparkbit into the project. Sparkbit had done this kind of development before. They had experience working with smartphone technology. It was the first time we were approaching this kind of project.

How much have you invested with Sparkbit?

We spend around $100,000 a year with Sparkbit.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together at the end of March 2016, and the collaboration is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is pretty tricky because every smartphone has different sensors and interprets data in a different manner. We had to share this with end users through discussions, explaining why it behaves certain ways on their phones. Our client was satisfied with the results and the explanation we gave behind the logic. For me, it was very important that Sparkbit provided a metric that allowed us to explain the product to the client and end users. There was a lot of trial and error, but the result is an app that is reflecting the overall requirements.

How did Sparkbit perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve met their deadlines. We haven’t had any issues. They tended to ask for more development time but always delivered ahead of schedule. We used Jira, Skype, and email to communicate. We did a lot of daily calls at the beginning, but fewer as the project went on.

What did you find most impressive about Sparkbit?

They’re very professional and very open in discussions about potential issues. They’re also very forward-thinking. They could see potential issues with the requirements and didn’t hesitate to express concerns. This approach was appreciated by my client. I’m very satisfied with our collaboration.

Are there any areas Sparkbit could improve?

We had some superficial issues, but nothing that was critical to the project. They were always very present and forward-thinking, which compensates for any minor issues we had.

5.0
Overall Score They really met our expectations. I think they also went a bit overboard for us. We developed a good relationship, which is important. They were very helpful when we had issues. I think the experience was very fruitful for both of us.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They did not miss a single deadline during the project.
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They’re a bit expensive. They’re good, and they’re worth the money.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    They met all the plans we had put together, and the quality of the product was very good.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I highly recommend them.

Backend App Development for Mobile App Agency

"Sparkbit was flexible in finding the competency in its own organization, without being asked."

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4.5

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.5
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
July 2014 - Aug. 2015
Project summary: 

Sparkbit provided backend development for the clients of a large mobile development company. The company outsourced their backend work to Sparkbit for an iOS and Andriod app that tracks users driving habits.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Milan, Italy
Francesco Gobello
Mobile Strategist, iLabora
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

With over 300,000 downloads from iOS and Andriod users, Sparkbit's backend work has been used successfully with over 80,000 registered users. Sparkbit's ability to cover any development task required, as well as their self-sufficiency, made them stand out as a developer.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

iLabora is an Italian company based in Milan, leading the development of applications for smartphones, tablets, and mobile platforms in general. Our customers are based all over Europe, but our main partner is OctoTelematics, the company for which we are using Sparkbit.

What is your position?

I am the chief executive officer of the company. The company was started in 2011, but my experience goes back to the last 10 years. I started working for Accenture in Milan, directing the mobile office. I started my own company in order to capitalize on my experience. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Sparkbit?

We are focused on mobile development, particularly frontend. When OctoTelematics asked us for a complete solution, because we are not as skilled in terms of backend tasks, I decided to work with Sparkbit. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Sparkbit has provided the entire backend development for our client's iOS and Android consumer application. We have used many resources from their team on a monthly basis for a multitude of tasks.

The application is meant for tracking the driving habits of its users. Our client specializes in automotive telematics, producing black boxes for cars. Almost every car in the world has a component which has been built by OctoTelematics since their clients are companies like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes. They decided to enter the consumer market with an application called Octo U, which uses smartphones for automatically tracking people's trips, without the need for human intervention. Its algorithm auto-starts and auto-stops the recorded trip, after which everything is computed on the backend side. Sparkbit has developed the full backend portion of the app, including the mathematics involved.

Our frontend sends raw GPS data to the backend, based on which there are multiple calculations being performed, coming up with a result in the form of a score. It depends on a number of factors like weather, traffic, and events like hard acceleration, hard braking, cornering, speeding, and so on.

We started by using one developer from Sparkbit, Michal Kreglewski himself, and ultimately reached up to 5 resources, depending on the task.

How did you come to work with Sparkbit?

I had worked with Sparkbit's principal, Michal Kreglewski, in Milan on a project for General Electric before he started his own company. I trusted him completely, so I decided to ask for help on the backend part of our application. Sparkbit has grown a lot since that time.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We've had a number of invoices so far, so it would be difficult to say. Sparkbit’s work had a cost of around $50,000 in the first year. In 2017, it will be around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Sparkbit in July 2014. The app went live in August 2015. I have been very satisfied with Sparkbit, so I'm not considering working with other companies in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The app has reached 300,000 downloads on iOS and Android combined, with around 80,000 registered users. OctoTelematics is a big company, so they had the power to market the app. The quality of the app is good.

How did Sparkbit perform from a project management standpoint?

Sparkbit was professional and accurate in this regard. We've used the Agile methodology to manage the project from our own side. I'm sure that Sparkbit has project management resources on their own side as well since they've often pushed us to respect deadlines and meet requirements.

What distinguishes Sparkbit from other providers?

The main thing to note about Sparkbit is the team's flexibility. They are able to cover any kind of task we provide. We had some issues with the app's mathematics; everything on the backend is done through an algorithm which provides live analysis of the user data. Instead of asking us to provide specialists for this part, Sparkbit was flexible in finding the competency in its own organization, without being asked. They are self-sufficient in providing complete results.

Is there anything Sparkbit could have improved or done differently?

Empathy is an improvement point. We are an Italian company, while Sparkbit is based in Eastern Europe. They are a professional group, and I am friends with Michal, but the other members are not as direct as him. 

4.5
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.5 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer