HipLink (formerly known as Semotus Solutions) is a publicly traded company in the Wireless Software space. Its flagship product is a wireless alerting platform. It pushes out alerts via multiple channels (Pager, SMS, Email, Voicemail etc.) on all major cellular networks in the US based on events generated by monitoring systems – which typically indicate equipment failure or warnings. Another product, ExpandBeyond, enables network and database administrators to remotely administer their systems from Blackberry and other wireless PDAs.
The Problem and the Folio3 Solution
HipLink needed to reduce its development costs, so that it could focus its resources more on sales and marketing, product strategy and onsite customer support. With an established customer base of hundreds of clients, including some of the best known brands across the US (including AT&T, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, AOL Time Warner), HipLink needed a partner it could rely on to deliver major feature upgrades for its core products and customized solutions for its customers.
Folio3 provided HipLink with a team of half a dozen talented software developers, three quality assurance personnel and a project manager, who quickly took over the existing code base and within a few months started delivering major new features. In addition to core software development, Folio3’s graphic designers redesigned the company’s website, and produced much of the company’s new marketing collateral, such as product brochures and new customer case studies.
HipLink has been a Folio3 customer for over 3 years.
Technologies Used
Microsoft Visual C++ (Hiplink), Java (J2EE) (Expand Beyond), Blackberry client development, Palm client development, Microsoft TTS, ScanSoft Telecom RealSpeak and Intel D/41JCT-LS Dialogic Voice Board. Protocols such as TAP Dial-up, TAP Leased Line, SNPP, SMTP, HTTP, MHTTP, DTMF, GSM, WCTP, SMPP, BES, UCP.
Development Methodology Used
Folio3’s offshore team started with using the traditional waterfall model of development, with detailed specification documents for both the technical and functional design. Microsoft Project was extensively used for project management.
After a year, the team experimented with Agile Development, and after an uncertain start, chose this as the development methodology. Target Process is used to manage the project details and specifications.
