The sky’s the limit for Enterprise Apps in New Zealand
Christchurch, 2 April 2014 - Smudge, New Zealand’s leading developer of custom apps for smartphones and tablets, has
completed Phase 1 of the SKY GO app for SKY. It’s the latest example in a growing trend of businesses designing bespoke
apps to improve customer engagement and satisfaction, and improve staff productivity through mobile devices.
Smudge’s New Zealand experience is on par with the US, where a new Mobility Index Report indicates custom enterprise app development grew at a rate of 55% from Q3 to Q4, with businesses increasingly
developing apps that drive new efficiencies, workflows and revenue streams. “There’s no question that enterprise mobile
app development is on the rise and the industry is at an inflection point,” said Maribel Lopez, founder of Lopez
Research LLC.
The debut of the first multi-touch smartphone in 2007 launched the mobile app revolution, and it gained momentum with
the introduction of the tablet in 2010. Today there are approximately 900,000 smartphones and over 100,000 tablets in
New Zealand and “BYOD” (bring your own device) has become a major theme for corporate IT departments challenged by
networking and security complexities. Now forward-thinking companies are embracing the technology and creating their own
custom apps, like the one Smudge has completed for SKY.
SKY GO gives SKY customers access to 10 live streamed channels through mobile devices and allows them the choice of
where they wish to view. SKY GO for Android will be available in the Google Play store later this month. It follows the
launch of the Apple iPhone/iPad version in December, which went straight to the top spot on the New Zealand App Store
with more than 87,000 downloads already. The collaboration with SKY builds on earlier success with the hugely popular
electronic programme guide (EPG) app developed by Smudge in 2011. This app allows users to browse SKY’s channel
schedules, send recordings to their MY SKY and set viewing reminders. In the future SKY is looking to add features like
video on demand, more live streamed channels and greater personalisation features to the SKY GO app.
SKY Senior Product Manager Alex Winter says, “SKY GO is a strategic priority for the company and one that is core to the
SKY brand and customer experience. With more than 70% of our customers owning a smartphone or tablet, we’ve had strong
customer interest in mobile access to SKY channels from sport to movies, children’s shows, news and other channels.
Smudge developed an app that is not just technically effective but also offers an outstanding user experience.”
Internal apps are the other major growth area, like the sales administration and support app that Smudge developed for
leading beverage manufacturer Frucor. The iPad app transformed the retail visit process from an order-taking exercise
into an interactive partnership, and Frucor credits the app with helping catapult them to the #1 position in a highly
competitive market.
“Apps can have a huge impact on the productivity of mobile staff – particularly those that need to conduct a structured
or repeatable process, such as a tradesperson who needs visibility into upcoming jobs or a health professional that
needs access to patient records,” says Reuben Bijl, Co-Founder and Director of Smudge. “Some of our clients have
achieved dramatic return on investment and avoided the complex software deployments and expensive licensing schemes of
the big global ERP and CRM players. We’ve also helped several businesses in reviewing their processes or customer
interactions in the context of modern devices, and articulating how those processes could be improved in an age of
always-on internet connectivity and location-based services.”
Smudge has also developed apps to improve the silent auction process for The Warehouse’s annual charity event and helped
promote the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards with the augmented reality app that made t-shirts play music.
About Smudge
Smudge is New Zealand’s leading developer of custom apps for multi-touch smartphones and tablets. Reuben Bijl and Toby Vincent
founded the company in 2008 when the technology was first emerging, and launched over 50 products (including the Sound
Grenade iPhone app, which peaked at 200,000 downloads daily) before turning their attention to helping New Zealand
businesses apply the technology.
Now in its sixth year, Smudge has amassed an impressive list of corporate clients including Vodafone, Coca Cola Amatil,
Sky TV, Yellow, Frucor, Flicks.co.nz, Stuff.co.nz/Fairfax, Air New Zealand and Dominion Breweries. They rely on Smudge’s custom development services to deliver outstanding user
experiences in everything from stocking outlets with cold beverages to watching television on-the-go. Smudge is now New
Zealand’s leading iOS and Android developer and its apps are used by an estimated half a million users every month.
ENDS