Software Development

Code

We develop digital products and applications for all common operating systems right through to hardware solutions. We are also experienced with blockchain based implementations. An application usually consists of a front end and a back end. Both are connected to each other via interfaces. Progress is visible very early on based on test releases. At the end of the development phase or a sprint, a beta release is put together, which contains the agreed functionalities and non-functional requirements.

Customised software

As a partner for digitalisation and software development, we have a lot of knowledge, the corresponding resources with all necessary skills, and many years of experience in the development of customised software. This enables us to optimally address your needs, to offer hands-on advice and support in all functional and also non-functional questions, and to realise a project customised for you, both technologically and methodically, which is based on the requirements and framework conditions. 

Problem solver

The starting position is often a problem and is a need of the customer/target group. The aim is to derive the relevant software functions and possible solutions from this. This generally happens within the framework of so-called requirements workshops in which the epics, features and user stories are derived based on the desired customer journey. These user stories (requirements as seen from the point of view of the end user) are then presented in a story map and prioritised. As soon as the scope of the project is clearly defined, we draw up detailed technical specifications, on the basis of which we are able to estimate our expenses/efforts and thus timings and costs. Once a project goes into development, following the design and concept phase, the developers are in constant exchange with each other as well as with the project managers, the design team, our testers/quality managers and of course also the customer.

Software introduction, technical implementation and on-going operation

We support the customer in distributing the applications to their end users – whether via the App Store to the whole world or to a specific group with the in-house product Updraft. 

In our hosting team, we look after and maintain on-going infrastructure such as back-end servers. With our support helpdesk, we’re ready to tackle all customer queries and any stumbling blocks. 

And, after all, we advise the customer on how their project or product can be developed further for next release, so that the software is long-lasting and the user experience can be continuously improved. 

Programming language and technology

The knowledge of each member of the team is as unique as the person themselves. In the team as a whole, we mostly use the predominant and trusted technologies per platform such as Swift/Objective C for iOS, Kotlin/Java for Android, C#/.NET in back end and vue.js in web front end. We are also familiar with the most common smart contract programming languages of blockchain technology such as Solidity and Vyper for Ethereum.

But we also work with other technologies when this is desired and is technically feasible. Thus, we also develop cross-platform projects with Flutter and Unity for instance. Another example could be the enhancement of a blockchain client based on Golang, Python or Rust.

New technologies and trends

Because of our natural curiosity and our interest in our work, we are always up to date when it comes to technologies and trends. We like to experiment and when a new update or tool is introduced, we’re among the first to download it to try out its capabilities. We visit the major industry events to discuss there with other software-development experts and exchange ideas in global forums. 

Even better software thanks to user surveys 

We recommend that our customers survey important target groups/user groups on function, design and usability and to incorporate these findings in the development. We’ve provided more information on our services in the area of user research in the “User Research” section.  

We also insist on continuous improvement in the way we develop software. To this end, we continually inform ourselves about new developments in the areas of quality management and testing and take a critical look at our processes. We have all the competencies common in the industry, such as unit and integration, code reviews and continuous integration/continuous deployment. We also have the knowledge and the best contacts to conduct smart contract security audits.

Interaction of design, usability and technology

A good end product relies on harmonious communication. For this reason, the developers at Apps with love work directly with the design team so that any discrepancies between the concept and technical solution can be spotted and immediately and can be eliminated. A good end-user experience can be achieved only with the optimal interaction between design, usability and technology. To this end, the development team is also involved in the design phase and contributes to the conceptualisation of the solution. 

We build on many years of experience with the most varied of projects and customers, so we are able to address individual needs and advise customers on the advantages and disadvantages of a decision. By doing so, we can find the ideal solution for all parties together. 

Security and data privacy in the software development

Security is an omnipresent topic in software development. General measures such as HTTPS encryption may no longer be enough, depending on the sensitivity of a project. In this area, we offer our customers comprehensive protection to the highest level and from one source. We offer support in compliance-related topics such as the data Privacy Act DSG-CH, GDPR or ISO27001.

Our technical and organisational measures ensure confidentiality, integrity, availability and resilience of data, systems and services on a permanent basis. The persons entrusted with the processing of personal data are obligated to maintain privacy and are subject to a duty of confidentiality. Access to documentation, source code, systems, customer data, databases, backups, etc. is possible only with the corresponding and required authorisation (“Principle of least privilege”). Additional measures include secure coding guidelines, the use of encryption technologies, regular security audits and penetration tests, 24/7 monitoring of the systems or redundancies in the hosting infrastructure. For blockchain based projects we also use our own nodes for the deployment.