Iosys Web Technologies Ltd is playing a key role in the development of a brand-new online platform designed to help improve mental health and physical wellbeing.
The Windermere tech' firm is working with Every Run Counts, a London-based digital start-up, to develop a platform that rewards members every time they go for a run or a walk.
As a free-to-use platform, Every Run Counts encourages people to get outside and enjoy an activity, whether that’s walking the dog or competing in a half marathon. As well as prizes, the platform rewards members with RunCoin, a fun virtual token which can be banked and turned into charity donations. The platform also lists thousands of running and walking events across the UK.
CEO and co-founder Jeff Hunt conceived the idea after rediscovering his love of running in the great outdoors. And finding the right web developer was integral to Jeff’s plan for Every Run Counts; he had a clear idea of who and what he was looking for. He said: “In my financial services career, I saw so many costly, large technology projects being over designed, over engineered and going over budget – with many failing to deliver the desired outcome. For Every Run Counts, we needed a web developer with whom we could work directly; someone who understood the brief, worked cost-effectively, and could make things happen.”
However, many firms Jeff first approached wanted to go down a traditional storyboarding route – usually ‘with a sizeable fee attached.' Through industry contacts Jeff was introduced to Craig Johnson, Managing Director of Iosys, who with sister company EventEntry, had undertaken numerous projects for clients in the running and events sector.
Jeff added: "It was apparent from our first meeting that Craig knew his stuff inside out. I wasn't dealing with a sales rep who would come back with lots of random thoughts and designs from creatives. He would be undertaking the development work himself and was happy to do so from a fluid but detailed spec.”
By working with Iosys and not a larger development house, we were taking a bit of a punt. But Craig quickly demonstrated that Iosys had the capabilities to deliver such a complex and demanding project, not only meeting but exceeding our exacting requirements.”
Following a successful soft launch in January 2023, the platform has seen constant new releases including minor tweaks through to major functionality changes. It now has more than 5,000 members and is receiving over 50,000 page impressions per day.
Jeff added: "Membership numbers are quite small, but the amount of user engagement is staggering. At this learning and developing stage we're focusing on fine tuning functionality and giving members the best experience possible. Once you start to scale up, it's difficult to target the mass market and fine tune both at the same time.”
Craig said: "To allow the platform to evolve, we have built it out from a modular base. Since work first started in November 2021, it has been developed as a series of integrated features, all of which are continually refined.
It's a genuine pleasure to work closely with Every Run Counts and be involved in such a rewarding project that will make a real difference to people's lives. We're delighted that Jeff and his team saw that we shared their vision and had faith in our ability to deliver.”
Since winning this contract, Iosys has expanded its development team to meet a growing demand for its web-app software design and development services.
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