The MTN Business App of the Year awards is a springboard for innovative developers and sharp solutions; this strength of the platform created by the awards is demonstrated by the recent acquisition of last year’s overall winner by Standard Bank. FireID’s Snapscan – a mobile-based, QR code-enabled payment system – was launched nationally, in conjunction with the blue chip financial institution, in late May 2014 with just over 10 000 merchants – formal and informal – now signed on.
FireID’s Kobus Ehlers says the awards are a great opportunity for developers to showcase their innovative products, and helped them to bring new merchants into the ecosystem for SnapScan. “Since these awards are considered to be the pre-eminent platform for recognising quality South African apps, it was a great honour for us to win this award. As a relatively new product, winning gave us great exposure and increased awareness about our app,” says Ehlers.
Their success really speaks to the core idea of the awards – to promote and celebrate locally developed apps that innovate and solve real world problems for users. In this way, recognition from the country’s premier app awards can help developers gain market share and respect for their sharp ideas, to stand out in a crowded industry.
Entries for the awards close on Monday 7 July, leaving developers less than a week to put forward their apps (developed within the last 12 months) for consideration in the following categories:
- Best iOS App – Enterprise
- Best iOS App – Consumer
- Best Android App – Consumer
- Best Android App – Enterprise
- Best App use of Microsoft Cloud Services
- Best App for the Microsoft Platform
- Best Garage Developer App
- Most Innovative App
An overall App of the Year will also be chosen by the judging panel from entries across the categories.
Entries will be adjudicated by an independent panel of judges boasting expertise and experience the fields of technology and media. The 2014 judging panel consists of technology journalist and editor of Stuff magazine Toby Shapshak; veteran 702 broadcaster and self-described geek Aki Anastasiou; Net1 Mobile Solutions and Mobile Monday South Africa’s Jonathan Hoehler; the editor of Destiny Man Magazine editor Kojo Baffoe; and Pinnacle Africa’s Max Stone.
The App of the Year Awards will culminate in an awards ceremony on 14 August at The Venue, Melrose Arch in Johannesburg.
