Rendezblu Case Study

Customer: RendezBlu
Project Type: Social Networking mobile application

Product Overview

RendezBlu.com is a social network that allows members to “meet” other members in the immediate area using only a mobile device. Profiles are gathered by running the Rendezblu mobile application via Bluetooth and are uploaded to the user’s Rendezblu online page. Unlike other social networks, which can build artificial links, RendezBlu only connects people with those within a 10 metre radius who also have the application running on their device. This filter increases the likelihood that those contacts added to a user’s network will share common tastes or interests and visit the same bars/cinemas/clubs etc.

“I couldn’t have developed the application without Penrillian’s help, knowledge, creativity and consultative approach." Mike Tsivouras, CEO of RendezBlu

The application enables members to identify those in the area also looking for a date or someone to flirt with without having to physically approach them. The application is free for users and is aimed at 18-30 year olds.

The Challenge

RendezBlu was keen to develop a mobile application for its online social networking site but was unsure how to go about it or whether the technology
existed to make it a reality. The team wanted something that would work across all handsets, operating systems and mobile portals. Rendezblu
commissioned Penrillian to develop a cost-effective mobile application that would enable their users to access the service on the move and identify other Rendezblu members within range.

Objectives

- To develop a mobile application that is easy to use.
- To develop a mobile platform that will work on Windows Mobile and Symbian OS.
- To get a cost-effective product out to market quickly.

Method Deployed

The Penrillian team worked closely with Rendezblu, providing technical, creative and commercial advice on the proposed product. Using its experience of the market and technical expertise, Penrillian suggested simplifying the product. This ensured the product would work more effectively, cost less to create and deploy, and be commercially available more quickly.

With Penrillian’s ongoing consultation, the application planned was streamlined to increase profitability. “To maximise success we needed to make Rendezblu available for the most popular smartphone operating systems. This meant developing the application both for Symbian OS and Windows Mobile platforms.

We had to think outside the box to ensure we could develop a product that would give users the same experience on different devices”,commented Paul Gueinn, Software Developer at Penrillian.

A number of challenges arose during the development phase, which includes: One of the main technical challenges was ensuring the Bluetooth communication between phones worked correctly. This applied both to phones running the same operating system but also phones running different operating systems. A test website had to be developed before the application could be launched, to ensure that the contacts obtained via Bluetooth would be logged on a user’s profile.

A new version of Symbian phones was launched while Penrillian was developing the application. It had to ensure that the application that was developed also supported later versions of the Symbian OS. This involved changing the architecture to ensure future operating systems would support the client.

The team had to work closely with Symbian during the third-party test phase and ensure that Symbian signed off on the application. After identifying a bug in the Symbian OS, the team ran through a series of proof points that proved the application was safe. Mike Tsivouras, Rendezblu’s CEO, appreciated Penrillian’s consultative approach. He comments: “I needed a strong technical team capable of delivering the software I had in mind with the features I wanted. There is no way we would have been able to make this idea come to life if it hadn’t been for them making me compromise on the complexity of the product. I wouldn’t have been able to develop the product within my budget without Penrillian’s advice.”

Results

The whole process, from brief to commercial deployment, took approximately three months and involved a partnership approach from Penrillian, drawing on their understanding of the social networking industry, their understanding of cross platform development and their vast experience of the mobile industry.

Rendezblu has started an online marketing campaign to increase awareness of the application and obtain user traction. Tsivouras comments: “Once the application has had proven success, we are likely to look at developing an application for other platforms, including the iPhone.”