November 25, 2013 – Baltimore, MD – Apkudo, the device quality assurance company, today announced the acquisition of Blue Potato, an innovative wireless device testing and certification company headquartered in San Diego, California.

Blue Potato currently provides technical expertise and testing services to help OEMs/ODMs and wireless operators bring their devices to market more quickly by leveraging their knowledge of North American lab approvals to navigate the end-to-end approval process. Its cost effective approach in providing functional device testing as a managed service allows OEMs and wireless operators to focus their efforts and resources on other critical areas.

The acquisition combines Blue Potato’s innovation in traditional testing and certification of all devices with Apkudo’s innovation in user experience testing and optimization. “The fit couldn’t be better,” stated Josh Matthews, Apkudo Co-Founder and CEO. “The joining of these two innovative companies greatly expands our offering and now allows an approach to traditional testing through the lens of experience testing.”

Apkudo Approved, a comprehensive user experience analytics suite, helps wireless operators and device manufacturers ensure the successful launch of their devices. An Apkudo Approved device provides a consistent, reliable, and well-characterized user experience.

“Device interoperability, testing and certification are constant challenges, especially for OEMs entering the U.S. market,” stated Stan Scheufler, COO of Blue Potato. “We are excited to join the Apkudo team, who share the same core principals of making it easier for OEMs and wireless operators of all sizes to offer the latest devices and deliver the best possible user experience to their subscribers.”

Josh Matthews with RCR’s Jeff Mucci at CCA’s Annual Convention last week

Pressy to test with Apkudo 

September 17, 2013 – Baltimore, MD – Apkudo, the Android innovation company, today announced the launch of Apkudo Approved for Accessories. The program – an extension of Apkudo Approved device analysis – will test pre- and post-market accessories in the context of Android devices to provide wireless operators, distributors, and retailers a comprehensive experience assessment above and beyond the limited testing done today. This analysis will expose likely areas of consumer satisfaction and dissatisfaction, providing the data to identify poor experience risks prior to approval to carry, stock, and sell.

Apkudo Approved for Accessories will cover everything ranging from screen protectors, covers and cases to new wearable technology like smart watches and other innovative accessories entering the market. Every accessory has the potential to dramatically impact the user experience of a device – even accessories as simple as carrying cases and screen protectors, which for example can alter the display, touch screen, and audio experience. Because Apkudo already deeply characterizes the experience of Android devices before launch, they are uniquely positioned to assess how accessories modify those experiences.

In conjunction with the launch of Apkudo Approved for Accessories, Pressy – the Almighty Android Button! has teamed with Apkudo to test the experience of their new plug-in accessory for Android devices. Pressy is a perfect example of pairing the innovation the Android platform allows with the smart solutions Apkudo is providing. Pressy, a button that lets you perform any action on your Android smartphone with a click, is currently funding on Kickstarter to mass produce http://kck.st/12MV2Jj.

“We are excited to work with Apkudo to characterize the performance and experience of Pressy over the hundreds of Android devices in the marketplace,” said Nimrod Back, Co-founder of Pressy. “The open and free Android ecosystem has provided us the environment in which to innovate and Apkudo will help us overcome the challenges naturally inherent in that environment.”

“Because accessories have the ability to change the device experience, it’s important to consider the impact an accessory has on a device rather than approving on specs and price alone,” said Josh Matthews, CEO of Apkudo.

“With Apkudo Approved for Accessories, wireless operators, distributors and retailers can improve customer satisfaction, reduce returns, and optimize accessory portfolios. Apple has ‘Made for iPhone’, and now Android has Apkudo Approved for Accessories.”

With smartphone penetration moving past the mass market and into the laggard category, many are getting their first taste of smartphones on free and lower-power Android devices, and they’re not thrilled. The core reason for customer device returns at Cincinnati Bell was poor user experience.

Continue reading…

Apkudo wants to address fragmentation by becoming the gold standard of smartphone hardware and software testing

Ever wonder why not all carriers release their mobile devices at the same time? Or how about Android updates? While Google is now at version 4.2.2, some smartphones are still getting updates older than this one. It all boils down to carrier testing and certification. Carriers that have the resources would require testing whether devices meet their specifications — in terms of performance and compliance with their specific needs. This is also the reason why manufacturers have to release separate updates for each carrier.

But testing does not come easy. According to Apkudo, it’s usually normal for tier 1 carriers to have the resources to run a battery of tests before declaring a device or update fit for their needs. Everyone else might not have the clout nor the resources to do so. This testing can be outsourced, however, which is exactly what a startup called Apkudo is doing. Apkudo aims to become the gold standard of device and application testing, so that developers and carriers do not have to waste their time and resources in doing the testing themselves. Keep reading…

Apkudo Wants to Handle Android Fragmentation so Carriers and Developers Don’t Have To

Baltimore-based Apkudo is debuting its “Apkudo Approved” program this week, extending its existing work with making sure that Android apps and devices perform well for consumers. The company has positioned itself in a growth market, to act as a layer both between developers and devices, and between devices and carriers, to help both parties deal with the fractured and often maze-like landscape of the Android hardware market. Keep reading…

Fragmentation Fix: Apkudo on how it plans to make Android developers’ lives a little easier

And for free, too

Fragmentation has been an albatross around the figurative neck of Android for years now.

Although the increasing popularity of certain Nexus devices has helped to some extent, the problem remains a pertinent one for mobile game developers operating on the platform.

It’s an issue that Apkudo is looking to solve, both for developers and OEMs. Keep reading..

How the ‘Little Guy’ Wireless Carriers are Battling AT&T and Verizon

Just off the top of your head, how many U.S. mobile network operators can you name? Four? Six?

There are more than thirty, according to the CTIA, and if you named fewer than eight, you probably didn’t name any third-tier regional carriers, the real “little guys” of the mobile communications biz. They have smaller networks, smaller subscriber bases, and a hard time competing against top-tier behemoths that sport the newest and hottest devices.

Today, a new weapon for these “little guys” has emerged from a laboratory in the Broom Factory in Baltimore‘s Canton neighborhood. Its name is Apkudo Approved, and it is a heavy-duty Android UX test for pre-release Android devices. Keep reading…