Business info - issue 144

businessinfomag.uk magazine 12 APP UPDATE Everyone’s a winner Live polling app company Vevox has launched an anonymous workplace quizzing tool to help businesses boost engagement during meetings and gauge knowledge/awareness levels without exposing participants to the risk of shame and embarrassment in front of colleagues. In a recent survey by Vevox, 35% of employees said they had been publicly embarrassed during a workplace quiz. The free addition to the Vevox employee engagement platform enables presenters to ask questions and show anonymised results instantly on a big screen. Each individual’s own score is sent to an app on their mobile or computer so that they can see how they are doing. Vevox MD Peter Eyre said: “One of the great benefits for meeting organisers when using this feature is that not only is it great for gauging understanding but it’s great fun. With many already suffering Zoom/video call fatigue in the current climate, we’ve seen huge uptake for online team building ‘pub quizzes’.” www.vevox.com Free wellbeing app The Better App Company describes its Better App for iOS and Android as the world’s first app to assess and track a user’s mental health and wellbeing. Created by the team behind the Better Stop Suicide app, it includes an emotional needs check, which produces a trackable wellbeing score; tools to encourage talking and exercising; audio to calm the mind through simple breathing exercises; and the ability to connect directly with a therapist. The free version of the app also includes a 7-day trial of the premium plan, which offers additional ‘Life made better’ audios and ‘Better sleep’ audios, with weekly added content written and recorded by mental health experts. The Better App Company also offers a white-label option that allows businesses with more than 500 employees to provide the app under their own branding. [email protected] Best ever user experience Sign In App describes Version 4.0 of its iPad- based visitor management solution as its biggest advance to date, thanks to multiple new features, improved accessibility and more options for customisation. Incorporating many of the extra features introduced since version 3.0 was released at the beginning of 2018, version 4.0 also streamlines code to support a roadmap of future developments. Amongst 20 new features available now are video messages, message documents, video welcome screens, new evacuation reports and support for multiple sites. In addition, there are more options for customising the ‘sign in’ experience, such as support for videos to promote your brand or share important site information, and improved usability, with larger and heavier fonts, clearer buttons and audio feedback, including spoken messages. An optional new sign in experience takes this even further with larger custom fields and more accessibility options including button and font sizing. signinapp.com APP UPDATE Low-code, quick turnaround A low-code app development platform has enabledWorcestershire County Council to design, develop and deploy new apps in record time, as part of its response to the COVID-19 crisis. Over a two-week period, four developers from the council’s Digital Delivery Team used the OutSystems platform to produce five new apps in record time, with some taking less than 24 hours to create. New apps include the Community Response app, introduced as part of the council’s Here 2 Help programme, which matches volunteers with requests for help from vulnerable residents and provides a channel for uploading ID and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) documentation. The other new apps were all for internal use by the council and its employees. These include an Absence from work due to coronavirus app; an Existing medical condition declaration app; a Volunteer redeployment app for uncovering skills employees might have outside their current roles for redeployment purposes; and a Previous care experience app for finding staff with previous care experience who could help out should additional capacity be needed. In addition, the Digital Delivery Team has developed two apps to support the Coronavirus testing program inWorcestershire andWarwickshire, including a Coronavirus testing app, which enables eligible non-NHS staff to request tests and the council to coordinate booking slots, and a Coronavirus test results app for submitting results. Both apps will be used byWorcestershire County Council,Warwickshire County Council and partners, including the police, fire service and schools. Worcestershire County Council’s six- strong team of developers has been using the OutSystems platform for five years. Digital Delivery Team Manager Jo Hilditch said: “We’ve worked with OutSystems for a number of years, and its platform has allowed our developers to work in an incredibly agile way.” www.outsystems.com n In response to COVID-19, OutSystems is taking its no-cost Low-Code School for developers online. Running from June 15 to June 26, the two-week online training programme will provide 20 developers with free training and certification on the OutSystems platform. Now on its 11th intake, the Low-Code School has already trained and certified more than 200 developers across Europe. OutSystems expects its ecosystem to generate more than 5,000 new jobs in 2020, around 700 of which will be in the UK. www.outsystems.com/events/low-code-school/