Cimex awarded Directgov mobile contract

17 June 2009

Cimex has won a three year contract to supply Directgov mobile as a ‘managed service’ following a nine month pitch process against some of Europe’s leading mobile technology companies.

The new mobile appointment will enable Cimex to enhance the Directgov mobile channel and develop new services to meet the expectations of the iPhone generation.

Offering 360 degree mobile development, the project will involve mobile consultancy, design, application development and hosting and will be managed by Cimex’s in-house mobile development team.

Placing user experience at the heart of the design process, Cimex will be developing the new service following a diary study undertaken with real users to examine how they use the mobile web in their everyday lives. This will ultimately guide the development of ‘one button access to government’, ensuring future service meet user needs in an easy and intuitive fashion.

‘This is a great win for the team and marks a significant investment by Government into the mobile internet. The growth of the channel has been phenomenal in the past months. We look forward to working closely with Directgov to bring new services to the channel and improve the customer experience,’ said David Hockin, Corporate Director.

Cimex first began developing mobile services back in 2005, when it launched need2know, the government’s distanced channel for young people, on 02’s i-mode 3G platform.

Directgov and ‘one touch’ Government

Directgov, launched in April 2004, is a digital multi-channel service on web, TV and mobile phone. It provides citizens with access to information and services from across government. Directgov provides information on topics ranging from completing your driving test to parental leave to finding a job or a local NHS service.

The value of the mobile channel to Directgov is its ability to provide access to government services at any time from any location. An emerging trend is the decline of fixed line telephony, and therefore domestic broadband access, in urban areas. The mobile channel will enable government to reach the 87 per cent of the population who own an internet enabled mobile phone.

Driving mobile standards

Mobile development cycles need to be much faster than traditional ‘new media’, partly because of the sheer volume of new device launches, but also because of changes to the way operators charge for mobile data. To stay ahead of this blistering pace of change, Directgov mobile has moved rapidly from an article based WAP site to a sophisticated transactional portal.

Cimex provides the agility and assurance required for mobile developments. To win the Managed Services contract Cimex had to demonstrate:

• understanding of the value and purpose of mobile channels in the marketing mix
• expertise in mobile application design, development and operation
• project/contract management and team skills
• an ability to meet future technical requirements

We have identified the following key drivers of mobile web usage:

• Falling tariffs – operators are addressing the perception of cost for mobile data usage
• Beyond Twitter – new social applications will continue to expand users’ social networks
• Age is not a barrier – older users have been quick to adopt new technologies
• App stores – the ease with which users can download apps to their phones has revolutionized the mobile market

Directgov mobile is only just beginning.

Dedicated mobile team

Cimex has lowered the barriers to entry for many companies seeking to develop a mobile presence. Indeed, we’ve invested in people and technology so that you don’t have too.

One call is all it takes to ensure that your communications strategy includes that vital mobile component. Cimex offers:

• Consultancy
• Managed services
• Mobile brand and campaign microsites
• Mobile research
• Mobile App development

To find out more about our mobile services, please contact David Hockin, Corporate Director on 020 7324 7780.

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