A Midlands technology firm has been awarded a £10,000 innovation grant by Coventry University.
iPointlive was awarded the money in recognition of its Mobile Employee Monitoring smartphone app. The developers say that the software is one of the first fully-automated software apps on the market to turn GPS-enabled smartphones into employee monitoring devices.
Solihull-based iPointlive, received the match-funded grant through the university’s Innovation Networks. The project, which has helped more than 300 businesses to date, assists firms and individuals with ideas.
iPointlive’s Mobile Employee Monitoring delivers real-time tracking and monitoring solutions via employees’ mobile phones, turning the devices into tracking and productivity tools that function whether staff are travelling via company or private vehicle, public transport or on foot. All information is delivered in real-time, allowing an up-to-date overall business picture to be delivered via an internet-based reporting suite.
The software makes the need for manual timesheets and mileage claims obsolete – eliminating discrepancies and exaggerated claims that often come with them, says the firm.
iPointlive director, Steve Cole, said: “It’s been great working with Innovation Networks and it’s fantastic news that we have been awarded the grant. We have lots of exciting plans to further develop our technology to ensure we are leading the field in mobile employee monitoring and management – and the Innovation Networks grant will help us achieve this.”
The way the funding is awarded means that Innovation Networks will match iPointlive’s spending on product development and collaboration, up to the value of £10,000.
Mr Cole said: “We have been working closely with another Solihull-based firm, The IT Interface, which has helped us to develop our operating platform and app. The match-funding will allow us to work on introducing additional elements of the product sooner than we had originally planned.”
Innovation Networks project manager, Judy Lambourne, said: “We have had a number of applications for funding from regional companies which are working to apply recent developments in information and communication technology to develop useful applications, which businesses can use to bring greater efficiency to their operations at a low cost. iPointlive is doing exactly this. ”
The grant follows the firm being shortlisted for a national award by a specialist trade publication. iPointlive is up against 49 other firms in the Tomorrow’s FM Awards, after being selected as one of the Editor’s Picks. People are being invited to vote for their favourite shortlisted firm or product.
Online voting is open until March 28. To cast your vote, visit www.ipointlive.co.uk
