Cellular One of East Central Illinois Selects ‘Apkudo Approved’ to Perfect Their Pre-Launch Android Devices
June 6, 2013
apkudo
Apkudo to Test User Experience of all Cellular One Android Devices
June 6, 2013 – Baltimore, MD – Apkudo, the Android innovation company, today announced that Cellular One of East Central Illinois, a wireless carrier providing excellent coverage to 11 counties in Illinois, has chosen the Apkudo Approved program for objectively analyzing the user experience of their pre-release Android devices. Apkudo will help Cellular One standardize, stabilize and overall make a better user experience on their Android devices.
The new partnership gives Cellular One the opportunity to leverage independent, trusted, third party data to help plan, develop, launch, and maintain successful Android devices for their consumers. The Apkudo Approved program enables carriers and device manufacturers to analyze and understand the user experience of their devices, in the context of other devices, throughout the device lifecycle.
“We are proud to work with Cellular One of East Central Illinois to analyze the user experience of their pre-launch Android devices,” said Josh Matthews, Co-founder and CEO of Apkudo. “We look forward to helping Cellular One launch devices that provide the best possible user experience to their customers.”
“The Apkudo Approved program brings greater breadth and depth than our current device testing capabilities,” said Cassy Carter, CEO/GM of Cellular One of East Central Illinois. “With Apkudo, our customers will get a device that fits their specific needs and provides a consistent, smooth user experience. Apkudo Approved is not only a necessity for Android device testing, but we’re making it a requirement to ensure we’re giving our customers the best user experience possible.”
A privately-owned company founded in 1991, Cellular One is the only wireless provider dedicated exclusively to providing quality nationwide cellular and internet service to the residents of Clark, Edgar, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Jasper, Lawrence, Richland and Vermilion counties in East Central Illinois.
Regional carrier Cincinnati Bell was faced with a problem: Customers were returning too many Android devices, and operating costs were slowly rising as a result.
With smartphone penetration moving past the mass market and into the laggard category, many are getting their first taste of smartphones on free and lower-power Android devices, and they’re not thrilled. The core reason for customer device returns at Cincinnati Bell was poor user experience.
Cincinnati Bell Saved $500,000.00 Using Objective User Experience Data to Reduce Android Device Returns
May 29, 2013
apkudo
Cincinnati Bell Saved $500,000.00 Using Objective User Experience Data to Reduce Android Device Returns
May 29, 2013 – Baltimore, MD – Apkudo, the Android innovation company, today announced the release of a case study with wireless carrier Cincinnati Bell discussing how their use of the Apkudo Approved program on one of their Android devices saved the company at least half a million dollars in device return associated costs over the course of a year. Apkudo Approved objectively analyzes the user experience of a carrier’s Android devices, generating millions of data points against potential user and app scenarios allowing carriers to better understand, standardize, stabilize and create a better user experience. Cincinnati Bell has since mandated that all of their Android devices must now complete the Apkudo Approved program before release to consumers.
Android is a huge opportunity for wireless carriers, having shipped in 75% of smartphones sold in Q1 2013. With hundreds of makes and models released yearly, Android gives consumers unprecedented choice and represents a critical element in a regional carrier’s growth strategy. Android can also bring frustration to carriers when releasing these devices. Cincinnati Bell was no exception, having experienced the difficulty of releasing these complex devices with mixed results.
In order to reduce the dreaded ‘no trouble found’ device returns (associated as poor user experience) Cincinnati Bell enlisted the help of Apkudo to analyze the user experience of one of their high-tier Android devices. The Apkudo Approved program uncovered a number of key user experience issues, allowing Cincinnati Bell to present objective, third-party to the OEM to assist in mitigating the issues before the device’s release. After the device was launched Cincinnati Bell calculated at least a $500,000.00 savings from potential device return-associated costs over the course of a year for this one device, then moved to mandate that all devices will be Apkudo Approved to realize similar savings. Cincinnati Bell saved time and money while making their customers happy.
To learn more about how Apkudo Approved helped Cincinnati Bell mitigate issues early and save half a million dollars, please download the case study:
https://www.apkudo.com/customers.html
About Apkudo
An Android user experience innovation company, Apkudo is pioneering analysis technologies that deeply and holistically test pre-release Android devices against millions of different possible use-cases and activities to discover bugs and refine the user interface and experience, taking devices from bad to good, and good to great. Apkudo works with many of the world’s largest device manufacturers, including Samsung, Sony, HTC, and LG, and carriers such as MetroPCS, Cricket and Cincinnati Bell.
Apkudo is headquartered in Baltimore, MD. The Apkudo team includes deep research expertise with the Android operating system including optimization, usability and performance testing, and is focused on helping the ecosystem deliver the best possible user experience to Android device owners. Learn more at http://www.apkudo.com and email hello@apkudo.com for additional information.
Apkudo CEO Josh Matthews sat down with Pimm Fox on Bloomberg Television’s “Taking Stock” yesterday to discuss the app economy and how Apkudo enables Android developers, OEMs, and carriers to optimizing the Android OS experience. See what Josh had to say!
How Do You Define an App? Part 1
How Do You Define an App? Part 2
Thanks to everyone who tuned in to watch Josh on “Taking Stock!”
Apkudo is on a path of rapid expansion and with that comes the need for fresh new talent! With the growth of Apkudo Approved we needed to find a few key people to fill holes in our roster. Over the next few weeks you’ll get to meet a couple of those dazzlingly fresh faces.
Meet our newest Lab Tech, Wyatt!
First up is Apkudo’s newest Lab Technician, Wyatt Kund! We sat Wyatt down and asked him a few questions. Then we made him wear this sweet Lab coat, which he now rocks on a daily. Looking good, Wyatt. Looking good.
1) What is your earliest computing or internet memory?
Probably watching my older brother playing video games.
2) What was your favorite NES game?
Megaman 2. I can still play that game for hours.
3) If you could be any superhero, who would you be?
Batman, sorry Mom and Dad.
4) What excites you most about the future of technology?
Miniaturization. In my pocket I have a computer more powerful than a supercomputer that would have taken up a warehouse just a few decades ago. That’s amazing! How long before a computer as powerful as the one at CERN is in my pocket, what doors could it open up? I can’t say for sure, but I can’t wait to find out.
5) Do you sleep with your socks on?
WHAT!? NO! Do people do that?
Editor’s note: Yes. Yes they do.
6) What software or websites couldn’t you live without?
Google. I have a lot of inane questions, and they seem to have all the answers.
7) If you could have a beer with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
I would have to say Carl Sagan. He’s been a hero of mine ever since I watched Cosmos. The way he talked about everything completely changed my perspective on the world. It’s a shame he left us so soon, and the opportunity to pick his brain would be priceless to me.
8) Do you want fries with that?
Yes, but I probably won’t eat them. I always intend to, but rarely have the room.
9) If you could go on an all expense paid vacation to anywhere, where would you go and why?
Hawaii. Just once I’d like to see clear blue water. I’ve gotten so used to the color of the bay that I think all the pictures of clean water is some sort of complex hoax.
10) Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or 1 horse-sized duck?
No brainer, 100 duck sized horses. A horse- sized duck just seems too dangerous.
Wyatt’s love for CyanogenMod and inquisitive nature about how Android works immediately set him apart. Once he expressed his love for Magic: The Gathering, well, he all but locked up the position. Please help us in welcoming Wyatt to the Apkudo team!
