Fresh off its first-ever acquisition, Iversoft Solutions has plans for massive growth in 2017. None of that will be possible, however, if the app development agency sticks to the tech status quo.
“A big thing for us is staying on top of experimental tech,” says Graeme Barlow, director of marketing for Iversoft.
Staying up on the latest wave of app and gaming technology has been important to Iversoft ever since its founder, Vicki Iverson, launched the company with Matt Strentse.
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In 2009, Iverson was just coming from Apple, and knew all of the specifications required to land a game on the newly-launched App Store, an asset that put Iversoft on the map in card game apps.
Today, the Ottawa-based company develops apps for clients in addition to maintaining its own portfolio of games and in-house products. Paying attention to emerging technology has continued to serve Iversoft well.
The company’s current multi-year contract, though currently under wraps, is a gaming project that “marries a whole bunch of concepts that are out there,” says Strentse.
One concept he can talk about is “beacon,” a smart-motion sensor that can provide real-time crowd and motion analytics, such as these developed by Estimote. Take sports arenas as an example.
If the Senators put beacons over the entrance to the washrooms at the Canadian Tire Centre, it could start a count of how many people go into the washroom.
A fan in his or her seat, then, could check the Canadian Tire Centre’s app, and see which washrooms are crowded and which are open for quick relief. You could do the same with food kiosks, and the arena’s kitchen could use that same data to know which kiosks are busiest and may need a resupply of food.
Iversoft is integrating several emerging technologies such as beacons and interactive touch panels in its products. As an example, the company is developing a standalone product for real estate agencies such as Ashcroft Homes that can give prospective buyers a data-driven tour of a model home.
“Casa” is a content management platform that can integrate real estate apps on a customer’s mobile device with a large touch panel screen. Interacting with Casa on the touch panel in a sales centre would let a potential buyer view and customize the layout and specifications of a new build, and then make modifications on their app as they tour.
There’s a potential for integrating beacons throughout the tour via Bluetooth to send relevant data to users’ mobile devices in each new room they enter.
For real estate firms, this interactive tour translates into a treasure trove of data about what rooms and options various demographics are most interested in.
Barlow says that products like these, in addition to their professional services and gaming portfolio, have given Iversoft a solid foundation on which to grow as well as the ability to play and experiment with technology and business models.
“For us, it’s a lot about diversifying revenue. Once you’re doing well in one category, let’s see how we can cross-invest and make sure we have multiple silos that are all profitable,” he says.
