7:20am Wednesday 15th July 2009
THE Apple iPhone has had thousands of applications written for it since its launch two years ago, ranging from the really useful to the plain daft.
And creating these applications — like the pointless iShaver, which makes the phone sound like an electric shaver when rubbed — is usually the preserve of computer nerds.
But one Horwich-based IT company has found itself providing for the really useful category and showing that business can benefit from a sensible approach to applications.
MDB Consulting, in Victoria Road, wrote the software for Defaqto, an independent financial data collection company, which helps users compare and contrast financial products side by side on the iPhone’s touch screen.
The application, called Defaqto Compare, allows iPhone users access to the UK’s largest financial product comparison database.
They can compare more than 30,000 products from 1,000 providers, with more than 115,000 items updated each day, covering life, pensions, investments and general insurance.
It allows users to select two financial products, such as car insurance or current accounts, view them side by side and compare a range of features and benefits via a simple traffic light system.
The application is on sale at £1.19 and is one of many thousands which have been written for the revolutionary iPhone.
Founded by Martin Bell in 2004, MDB Consulting comprises of a team of consultants, developers and project managers skilled in web development, mobile solutions, bespoke software development and business intelligence.
Mr Bell said: “With the rise in popularity of the iPhone in the UK, coupled with the desire for consumers to get the best deals, developing an application that catered for people’s needs was a must.”
Kenn Herskind, chief executive of Defaqto, said: “MDB focused on creating a user-friendly and intuitive application that enables users to quickly compare financial products with minimum effort.
“We chose to work with MDB due to their track record in delivering technical expertise whilst always remaining focused on the business need.”
As far as it knows, MDB Consulting is one of the few companies which have dipped their toe into the applications market usually dominated by computer nerds.
It feels there could be a market for many useful applications which could generate revenues.
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