At Distimo we work a lot with developers who use our free analytics tool Distimo Monitor. Some are large, others are very small. One of the users that has been around for some time now is SPB Software, and we decided to ask them some questions that could give other developers insight into their company. We hope it’s helpful, read on!
All questions are answered by Olga Steidl, Vice President, SPB Software
Twitter style introduction on the company
SPB Software is a global company developing mobile solutions for mobile device manufacturers, mobile carriers, smartphone and tablet end users.
Facts & Figures
- Number of Employees: 100+
- In business: Since 1999
- SPB has developed more than 50 applications
- Platforms SPB has the apps for: Android, Symbian, iOS, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, webOS, Maemo, bada, Windows Phone 7
- 25+ OEM/Carriers are SPB partners
- SPB UI solution, SPB Mobile Shell, was the #1 best-selling mobile application world-wide in 2007, 2008, 2009
- SPB mobile TV solution SPB TV by the moment has reached 7+ million users worldwide
Tell us something about your team
It usually takes us a long time to find the right person to match SPB team. And it helps to keep the best people who really are the fans of their job and of what SPB creates. Everyone in our team has installed and uses SPB apps on his/her device. And we believe that only the team of people who really love what they do can create the best-in-class products.
What was your biggest success so far and why?
SPB Mobile Shell is a successor of the SPB Software product line. It became the best-selling application for Windows Mobile and Symbian platforms. Three weeks after its official release SPB Shell 3D for Android has reached 50000 downloads and made $750,000. SPB provided that people are ready to pay for the product when it makes their smartphones significantly better. Users want to have the great mobile device which has lots of useful functions and is concurrently very easy to manipulate. They want to have an eye-candy device that can be personalized to show their individuality. And they are ready to pay for the application if it meets these requirements.
What could developers learn from your recent success with Shell 3D?
If you are a good developer who wants to create a great product, almost everything is possible.
What do you like most about Monitor and what should Distimo add?
It’s always nice to see everyday sales improvement of the app sales. The most important feature for us as a multiplatform technology developer is cross-platform appstore comparison.
What data do you use to steer your business?
In general it’s users feedback but also such quantity data like number of apps bought per user, average application price and number of devices available on the market.
How do you monetize your applications? Any advice for other developers?
SPB licenses its applications to OEMs and carriers and sells them for end users via app stores and SPB website. We also use the ad-based model in our SPB TV solution: it allows showing image ads and video pre- and post-rolls while the channel is buffering.
Many people say that Google Checkout is a great barrier for users to pay for apps on Android. What’s your view, especially considering Shell 3D?
We don’t see any invincible obstacles to selling the applications via Google Checkout. There are some inconveniences such as 15 minutes trial period on Android Market. However in general this way to sell the apps is very convenient. We have proved it with the success of SPB Shell 3D.
If you could change one thing in the current mobile market, what would that be?
If we see something that requires changes SPB uses it as an opportunity to create new products and solutions.
Road ahead: what are your plans for the coming year?
SPB aims to make its technologies more functional, easy to use and customizable, increase their usability. Users’ requirements change very quickly and SPB needs to improve its products and services all the time to meet the highest demands.
Borbala Bakonyi