Program-Ace

I am the CEO of Program-Ace, a research & development company based in Kharkiv, Ukraine. My company was founded in 1992, and has over 100 staff members working in over half a dozen departments. Our business has 3 divisions, each with their own niches and services: Program-Ace (software development), 3D-Ace (2D/3D art and design), and Game-Ace (game development).

Currently my role in the company is to be a guiding light, charting new vectors of development, business plans, and policies for the business. I work closely with heads of departments to deliver on the projects that our company undertakes and encourage further growth of the business.

When Program-Ace was founded in 1992, it was intended to be a graphic design studio and publishing house, and functioned in this capacity. However, over time, our expertise grew and moved on to software development. We started with making graphic modules, games, and web applications, and gradually expanded to building proprietary software and solutions for AR, VR, MR, and a range of other promising fields.

Our business model primarily relies on outsourcing, though we also conduct internal development to advance our R&D and create reference products.

Our business appeals to clients because working with us, they do not need to find specialists in several places. We have all of the specialists necessary to compose a complete team and house it under one roof, from artists to developers.

Furthermore, our broad expertise and long history on the market give us a leg up over most competitors. Our developers are well-versed in building software for a variety of industries and niche specifications.

One of our biggest strengths is certainly our team of Unity specialists, which is one of the largest on the market. Unity is increasingly gaining prominence not only as a game engine, but also as a great resource for enterprise applications. With official certification and years of experience, our specialists know Unity like very few others.

On top of that, we have an assigned Project Manager associated with all company departments and capable of structuring the development process from conceptualization to release.

The majority of our clients come from the following industries:
Gaming & Entertainment, Education, HealthCare, Media Production, Retail, Manufacturing, Automotive.
 

In regards to returning customers, they make up a substantial portion of our total client base. While some of these customers turn to us for the development of new applications, others stay with us for support with their existing apps.
 

Businesses often need to improve existing products with new solutions, and find it convenient to stick with us for these changes, since we are already familiar with the logic of the application and our team is capable of applying virtually any technology available on the market. We cooperate with many such companies regularly and act as their technology partners.
 

Furthermore, we even have clients that we have worked for over 10 years, with projects that require continuous support. They are well aware of the fact that we are the only ones capable of supporting products of such magnitude.

We consider and evaluate the following parameters when coming up with a time frame:
-          The complexity of the app functions
-          The amount of content and features, and their complexity
-          The business logic behind the app
-          Integration of external services
-          The difficulty of implementing the desired design

Every project is different and has different requirements, so there is no general rule in this regard. Nevertheless, there is a tendency of the back-end taking longer in most cases, especially when business logic is implemented.

We focus a lot more on the stages of planning and building architecture. While code is being written, we also create reliable, scalable, and secure systems that will allow the service to operate smoothly even as its complexity and user base grows. This approach is ingrained into our company processes and work methodology.

Customarily, we consider the following parameters for selection:
-          Budget (which determines the feasibility of a native or cross-platform app)
-          Timeframes
-          Customer needs
 
In many cases, the customer still needs to release something for most platforms, as nearly all countries have platform segmentation (in the context of B2C). The question that comes up here is whether to build 2 native applications (one for each platform) or one cross-platform app. We also take into account time frames and budget. Thus, if a client has a limited budget but still wants to release on several platforms, we will suggest a cross-platform application based on Unity or React Native instead of separate native apps.

When a customer approaches us with an idea for a native app but is unsure of which platform to use, our business analysis department comes to the rescue. They analyze the idea and the functionality required, and then provide guidance on the best platform to choose based on desired features (e.g. choosing iOS for its strength in speech recognition and voice assistance). The team will also analyze the optimal conditions for launching the application (including country, target audience, app category).

Since the idea is formulated at this point, it means that the customer wants to create an MVP or prototype. We often suggest Unity for the development of these things, but are also fully capable of building on any other platform (Unreal Engine, Vuforia, ARKit, etc.).

When it comes to the choice between Android or iOS, we recommend that customers choose both. If they want to limit the app to one platform, we just suggest the one that best fits the features they want to implement and the audience they want to target.

In regards to Native or Hybrid, we recommend native for applications with complex features and requiring strong performance. Nevertheless, not all clients want to invest in expensive native apps or even need complex features, so hybrid apps are best for them. These are more affordable and great for simple apps without HD graphics or intensive performance needs.

We look at the following factors before we make any cost estimates:
●    The complexity of the app functionality
●    Whether the app is native, hybrid, or cross-platform
●    Which platforms the app will be developed for
●    Required features and technologies
●    Design peculiarities
●    The complexity of the business logic and what the app will integrate with (such as API).
●    Plans for future development and scaling of the app (must be known for architecture choices)

Our company is quite flexible when it comes to pricing models, as we understand that all projects cannot be billed in the same way. Furthermore, our services can be provided on a project basis or through team extension.

Traditionally, when a client approaches us with an idea for an application, we suggest creating an SRS for them, after which it will be possible to provide a fixed price for the project.

Our supported pricing models are:
●    Fixed price
●    Time & material 
●    Dedicated team
●    Mixed model

Ordinarily, we accept projects that we have evaluated with a total price of over $5K. In some cases, clients approach us with requests to create MVPs, which traditionally carry a small budget, yet we may accept in light of the projects’ potential for development in the future. We do not work with individuals, so our clients include startups and enterprise companies.

The price range of our mobile development projects in 2019 ranged from $5K-$80K.

Before the selection of a business model, we suggest that the client answer the following questions:

1.    Which problem does the application solve and how?
2.    How is the application unique, and why will users want to pay full price for it?
3.    Will the business model allow implementing additional paid content into the application?
4.    Are there plans to provide permanent support for the application and add new content in the future?

Based on the answers, application type, business logic, and other factors, we offer one of the following models:

1.    A free app with advertisements
This model makes it easy to attract a large user base, making it perfect for games and apps with quick interactions.

2.    A paid app
This model is most suitable for unique services with an established reputation, and brings in the most stable revenue.

3.    A free-to-play app with optional microtransactions
Users appreciate the ability to select which additional services they want to pay for, and this is most suitable for games and apps with advanced and costly supplemental features.

4.    A freemium app (free gameplay with a paywall)
The freemium model allows users to try out the service before paying for a full version. If the application is good, its owners should enjoy stable revenue.

5.    A subscription-based app
Subscriptions also allow for trying out a service, with revenue climbing steadily as more users sign on with time.