To tighten purse strings, software maker moves office to rural backwater
Most companies have been devote harm's way as a result of the ongoing pandemic, but an area software and mobile program developer stands to benefit from the new normal.
Advanced Apps Bangladesh Ltd (AAPBD) had a plan to relocate their returning office to a distant haor spot in distant future but due to the Covid-19 they happen to be fast-tracking the project.
"We had an idea to shift the office to your village in Sunamganj, which is normally 185 kilometres northeast of Dhaka, and the pandemic possesses compelled us to move fast," explained Md Shafiul Alam Biplob, ceo of AAPBD.
The company mostly may make mobile applications for four countries -- the united states, the united kingdom, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia -- therefore far developed about 400 applications.
"All the industry leaders and policymakers speak about decentralisation but none moves right out of the city," he said.
The program company has been operating in Mirpur DOHS in the administrative centre for the last couple of years. However, it bought a one-acre territory in a village named Ahmedpur of Dharmapasha in Sunamganj district to consider its whole back office there.
Although village is located in Sunamganj district, all their regular communication is done through Netrokona.
Biplob includes a family-go agro business-Advanced Agro Farm Bangladesh-found in the village and found in a sudden decision he is relocating his business office there.
"Our workload possesses increased found in the Covid-19 time. Nonetheless it was very tough for us to interact as our developers live in several places," he added. "Expense is also a factor."
Biplob faced several gigantic challenges to make the plan job: he previously to convince his colleagues and lay an extended fibre cable for internet.
To get internet connection, Biplob contacted Telecom Minister Mustafa Jabbar, who also hails from the same region.
The minister asked state-owned Bangladesh Telecommunication Enterprise Ltd to greatly help Biplob. However, the entrepreneur got to buy a huge three-and-a-half-kilometre-very long fibre cable and consider the duty to maintain it.
Staving off all the headwinds, the AAPBD began functioning via the backwater office recently following the telecom minister inaugurated a 50 Mbps-strong internet connection in Dharmapasha.
Securing a stable electricity connection was as well a challenge meant for the company as 4 to five hours of load-shedding is normally a commonplace in the region.
So, the company arranged solar powered energy and generators also, Biplob said, pointing to the intention of growing their office as an exclusive hi-tech park.
"I thought it would be tough to convince our developers but surprisingly the vast majority of them were ready to go there to are in a remote control place," explained Biplob, who won the foundation Outsourcing Award in 2013 and Startup Award in 2015.
AAPBD as well manages rented houses because of their developers within their village and is currently likely to build their own dormitory.
The AAPBD has already shifted half of its 50 employees there and hopes it'll complete relocating the whole office by December. Just the marketing workforce will stay in Dhaka.
Biplob said they are now working with banking application and growing wallets for just two state-owned banks and toll collection program for bridges.
For the last couple of years, the AAPBD team has been faring well although the business's performance was not up to the mark previous year when it had been able to generate $300,000 in overseas earnings.
Just lately, the AAPBD got some fresh work orders from its US buyers, he added.
The business was incepted in Mymensingh in '09 2009 but due to poor internet quality in the district town, its office was later moved to Dhaka.
