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CASE STUDY

Times News

Client Overview- Times News

In 2010, the digital publishing world experienced a major change when Apple announced the launch of the iPad in the United Kingdom.

This caused a lot of excitement, and News Corp UK & Ireland Limited, which operates as News UK, was faced with a bold proposal.

Apple, a leader in consumer technology, suggested a collaboration to create custom iPad applications for two of News UK’s major publications: The Times and The Sun.

In an era of rapid digital transformation, crafting newspaper applications exclusively for the iPad was uncharted territory. But there was something complicating matters further: the

iPad’s operating system was still in its nascent stages, relying on beta software versions, adding complexity to the project. As such, the stage was set for a daunting endeavour to test the boundaries of innovation and collaboration.

To meet this monumental challenge head-on, News UK turned to Evangelist Apps, a dynamic player in the digital development arena.

Evangelist Apps quickly became an indispensable component of News UK’s digital team, embarking on a mission to conceptualise, design, build, and deliver iPad applications for The Times and The Sun within an astonishingly tight three-month timeframe.

Problem Statement

  • In the spring of 2010, as Apple prepared to launch its groundbreaking iPad in the UK, News Corp UK & Ireland Limited, operating under the name News UK, faced an ambitious proposition.
  • Apple, a pioneer in consumer technology, sought to collaborate with News UK to develop custom iPad applications for two of their prestigious publications: The Times and The Sun. This venture presented a formidable challenge for News UK's digital technology team.
  • The digital landscape was transforming rapidly, but building newspaper applications exclusively for the iPad was uncharted territory.
  • Complicating matters further, the iPad OS was in its infancy, relying on beta software versions that added a layer of complexity to the project. The stage was set for a daunting endeavour.

Solutions

  • Faced with this monumental task, News UK turned to Evangelist Apps, who became an integral part of their digital team. Evangelist Apps embarked on a mission to define, design, build, and deliver iPad applications for The Times and The Sun within an astonishing three-month timeframe.
  • Collaboration was crucial to success. Evangelist Apps worked closely with the digital publishing team at News UK and Apple developers stationed in Cupertino, Apple's headquarters. The ever-evolving beta software introduced daily challenges, requiring constant code base adjustments.
  • User feedback was not just valued but embraced. The design process was dynamic, with continuous updates to address user input. Agile methodologies infused every aspect of the development process, ensuring seamless teamwork across product owners, designers, developers, and testers.

Key Features : Pioneering the Future of Digital Publishing

  1. Seamless Integration:

    Evangelist Apps seamlessly integrated the iPad applications with evolving iPad OS versions, ensuring optimal performance.

  2. User-Centric Design:

    User feedback drove continuous design updates, resulting in an app that catered to readers’ evolving preferences.

  3. Agile Development:

    Agile methodologies facilitated collaboration across teams and the ability to adapt rapidly to changing requirements.

  4. Robust Testing:
    Rigorous testing under various conditions, including network latency and challenging environments, ensured the app’s reliability.

Results- Times News

  • The three-month journey was fraught with challenges, but the commitment of Evangelist Apps and their partners at News UK bore fruit. The quality iPad applications for The Times and The Sun were ready for download and testing by early adopters and beta testers.
  • By the time the iPad was available to the public in the UK, The Times had become one of the first digital publications to offer an iPad app.
  • The app's success resonated throughout the digital publishing community and earned the coveted position of the #1 app in the UK App Store's publications category.

Conclusion

Ultimately, News UK’s collaboration with Evangelist Apps in creating iPad applications for The Times and The Sun is a testament to their resilience and innovation in the face of technological challenges.

This case study exemplifies how a pioneering spirit, unwavering commitment to quality, and effective collaboration can lead to unparalleled success in the ever-evolving realm of digital publishing.

Evangelist Apps’ contributions have transformed digital publishing and set new standards for user experience and innovation in the industry.

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