Aussie ‘Gruntify’ takes mobile, cloud, geospatial tech to world
FROM a small pilot project, by securing one of Australia’s most successful transactions in the Middle East, Gruntify has catapulted itself from a small, innovative tasking and data management platform to an international disruptor of mobile, cloud and geospatial technologies.
CEO Jamie Leach recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Gruntify to provide maintenance and security software solutions for Duserve, the facilities management section of the Dubai Government. Duserve has been commissioned to help build and maintain Dubai South, one of the world’s largest satellite cities set to house one million residents, and home to the world’s largest airport.
Ms Leach said the opportunity was made possible after a trade agreement was signed on October 1 between Queensland Deputy Premier Jackie Trad and the executive chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South, Khalifa Al Zaffin.
“The alliance with Duserve opens doors for a long-standing partnership moving forward, rolling out services in the Middle East and Africa,” Ms Leach said.
Ms Leach said this was just the beginning for Gruntify, with the company set to become the global authority in data management and reporting.
“Early in 2014, GIS People, the powerhouse team behind Gruntify, won the Pilot Open Innovation Challenge, which was organised by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in collaboration with the Queensland Government,” Ms Leach said.
“We were tasked to develop a solution for the Department of Transport and Main Roads to tackle civic issues around its facilities. That winning solution evolved into the product we know today, now supporting government, utility and environment officers and auditors in the field, where users can snap and tap to submit a photo, their location and other details through an app-based interface, making laborious paperwork redundant.”
In the last 12 months the company’s staffing has grown 500 percent, from a team of four to 24, but it is 2017 that is earmarked to be the brand’s biggest year yet for the entrepreneurs.
“With this week’s Dubai South announcement opening a pathway into the greater Middle East, increasing our revenue and global expansion are both unquestionable outcomes for the business,” Ms Leach said.
On home soil, Gruntify has struck an enviable alliance with Microsoft, which has accelerated the opportunities for the Brisbane start-up.
Gruntify will make its debut in the $77 billion app industry when it unveils a more streamlined platform on the app store sold through Microsoft’s offering. This version widens the market for Gruntify, which until now, has focused on tailored solutions for business.
While the Middle East and United States were the focal point for Ms Leach, she said Gruntify was not short on opportunities with China, Japan, Canada, South America and the United Kingdom all expressing interest in the product.
“We have the best problem in business…we are growing too quick! Scaling up quickly enough is our biggest challenge, before emergent start-ups develop a similar product.”
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