Chris Balcer serves as the Director of Technology Innovation at Superconnect, which focuses on developing tools that enhance workplace efficiency through innovative technologies. Founded in 2012, Superconnect aims to create user-friendly applications that integrate seamlessly with existing corporate systems while supporting modern work styles. Their flagship product offers a mobile corporate directory with features like smart search, real-time availability, and customizable user experiences across platforms.

2. About me & SuperConnect
Chris Balcer
Director of Technology Innovation at SuperConnect
• Microsoft technologies background
• Worked with Android, iOS, C#,C++, … the list
goes on…
• Prior experience: Arthur Andersen, Hitachi
Consulting, HubbardOne, William Blair &
Company, Slalom Consulting
SuperConnect
• Division of Slalom, LLC
• Founded by Dave Cutler, Jordan Fladell &
Garret Carlson April 2, 2012
• First product roll out in BETA July 19, 2012
BACKGROUND

3. The vision of SUPERCONNECT is to
create innovative tools for employees
that enable them to get their work
done more effectively and efficiently
by supporting the new work styles of
today including mobility, gamification,
social computing and more.
WORK. BETTER.
SUPERCONNECT VISION

4. Designing for cross
platform applications
Visual Design & User Experience design arch
• Must be appealing and brand-able
• K.I.S.S. – Must be easy to use
Application Architecture
• Scalable
• Cost-effective
Data Flow & Volume
• Amount of data that needs to be moved / viewed
Security
• Make use of existing security mechanisms used by
customers
data security
BUILD IT RIGHT

5. Connections: world’s smartest
mobile corporate directory
1. SmartSearch – type-ahead search of contacts
across company-specified fields
2. SmartConnect – real-time availability and
“behavioral presence” intelligently determines
best way to connect
3. SmartSchedule – schedule meetings with
multiple people based on calendar availability
• Built on an enterprise class, multi-tenant cloud platform
• Native apps for iOS and Android; mobile web for other device
• “No code” configuration of data, presentation, and branding
• Integration with Active Directory, Exchange, SharePoint,
LinkedIn and Twitter
CONNECTIONS: OUR FIRST PRODUCT

6. The BLANK Slate
BRANDABILITY
Be smart, keep it simple
• User experience on each device
differs in some way
• 80 / 20 rule
LOWEST COST / MAINTENANCE
Push it up the chain
• Application power resides on the server
• Massage / cleanse images before going mobile
CUSTOMIZABLE DATA / UI
Templating helps where customers cannot
• Designer-defined templates for components
• Data driven population
VISUAL DESIGN & UX

7. Does a square ever fit
into a round hole?
BRANDABILITY
Design once, apply everywhere
• iOS & Android native applications
• Mobile Web
• Windows 8? Windows Phone 7/ 8?
LOWEST COST / MAINTENANCE
Develop once, deploy everywhere
• PhoneGap
• Appcelerator Titanium
• Mobile Web for ALL?
CUSTOMIZABLE DATA / UI
Ultimate flexibility, make it all dynamic
• Data driven UI
• User experience across platforms
• Big data decisions & SQLite
APPLICATION ARCHITECTURE

8. To the Cloud
Scale & Expand
• Use cloud computing for scale at low cost –
Windows Azure
• Services help for scale & expansion
Recover & Maintain
• Push recovery and maintenance to companies
that do just that
recover scale available expand
Cost Effective
• Quick prototypes cost effective maintain perform
• Fast fail
• Helps with sales to be able to set up demos
APPLICATION ARCHITECTURE

9. BIG DATA in a little world
… or device
Search is pretty important
• Data structure : tall tables
• Indexing
Corporate Directory to device
• Huge clients = huge directories
• Images plus data
No guaranteed connection
• Mobile / wireless carrier networks are not
reliable
• Connections can be dropped / throttled
Multi-tenancy
• Handled on the data / services tier
DATA FLOW & VOLUME

10. Transmitted JSON Committed to All data pushed / Data loaded into
files tenant databases synched using web SQLite DB on
service tier devices
Customer Data
sources
DATA FLOW

11. Large corporations =
Extensive security
Human resource data
• Most data is not public – and cannot be
Utilize corporate security policies
• AD / ADFS
• System integrations – calendars, directory,
presence
Tenant & User Management
• Simple management through admin console
• Internal
• Customer-facing
SECURITY

12. CONNECTIONS DEMO

13. QUESTIONS