Last Thursday, MTN Business hosted its annual App of the Year awards at The Venue at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg. One of the judges for the event was none other than our own editor and publisher, Toby Shapshak. The awards seek to showcase locally developed applications that have made a positive and lasting impact on businesses and consumers during the last year. The overall winner for 2014 was insurance claim application, LIVE Inspect.
LIVE Inspect is a short-term insurance app that enables effective inspections on vehicles. Using the app, insurers can automatically assess damage to vehicles, take pictures of it, and submit the claim for processing. The app was developed by Lightstone Auto in association with CustomApp.
Software development company Byte Orbit took the prize for Best Android Consumer App with MyBelongings, a personal asset-management application that includes analytics and a recommendations engine. The app allows users to keep track of information about assets they own, like price, warranty and date of purchase.
Byte Orbit makes another novel app called Impress Me, which allows would-be employees to submit short video motivations explaining why they should be considered for a particular position to potential employers. In doing so, it enables employers to form an impression of potential candidates and determine which of them would be most suitable for a position before setting up interviews.
Winner of the iOS Enterprise App category for 2014 is SyncMobile from iSync Solutions. The iPad app is aimed at the fashion industry and allows sales reps to browse catalogs, create line-sheets and make wholesale sales on the run. SyncMobile can integrate into various ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems, which means reps can automatically capture sales orders using the app rather than having to manually capture them on site.
The inaugural MTN Business Consumer Choice Award was awarded to mobile payments app Zapper, which also won Best App for Microsoft Platform for the Windows Phone version of its application. Zapper enables consumers to pay for goods and services in participating retailers by scanning a QR code and entering the amount they wish to pay. The app stores the consumer’s card details, removing the need to hand over the card to transact.
The other award winners are:
- Best iOS Consumer App – SuperSport
- Best iOS Enterprise App – SyncMobile
- Best Android Consumer App – MyBelongings
- Best Android Enterprise App – LIVE Inspect
- Best use of Microsoft Cloud Services App – VIGO
- Best App for Microsoft Platform – Zapper
- Best Garage Developer App – Rea Vaya
- Most Innovative App – Wildlife Tracker
