New challenges, new solutions

Citizens, businesses, and governments around the world are still struggling to adapt to the corona pandemic. Each country has taken its own approach to the situation, but a common obstacle for all has been communication. With corona measures varying from one day to the next, from one province to another, keeping all residents well informed is no easy task. Particularly for those who don’t speak the language and aren’t as socially integrated to local news and events.

Throughout 2020, local authorities released new covid measures in Dutch first and provided translated versions as quickly as possible, though sometimes not quick enough. By the time translations were ready, measures were already changing and other less accurate translations had also popped up from various sources. This created a constant ‘catch-up’ scenario for both local government and non-native speakers. Something had to be done! And not only for the covid outbreak, but also for future crisis scenarios that would demand fast, effective, universally accessible communication.

AGII corona app Crisis Information Translated All screens

A new tool in translation

But how do you communicate new regulations, many of which change on a weekly or even daily basis, to a population of different cultures, habits, and languages? With low-code, obviously! What better solution than a mobile app, built with an easy-to-iterate coding platform and designed with user-friendliness top of mind.

What’s more, an app that uses intelligent technologies to provide immediate translations in over 18 languages, which are then proof-read and approved by appropriate sources without creating any delay for end-users. We had a particularly fun time mirroring the app’s content for languages which read right to left such as Arabic. The resulting app provides the latest news on local regulations, restrictions, and vaccination strategies, playing a vital role in the fight against covid-19.

The Flemish government opted for Apvine primarily for our speedy turn-around time (less than 8 weeks from design to delivery!), user-centred approach, and intuitive development system. “We’ve never built an app before.” says Matthias D’eigens, program manager at the Agency. “That’s why low-code is so fantastic, even less technically-trained people can make a contribution and easily keep track of the project’s progress.”

"A good idea, a handful of mockups, a reliable partner and support from above are sometimes enough to achieve results in the short term."
Ellen Coopman - spokesperson for the Integration and Civic Integration Agency

Corona and the demand for digitalization

The global outbreak of covid-19 has brought new technologies to the forefront for many businesses and consumers. A lot of organisations have decided to explore new applications, putting strain on the already short supply of skilled developers. The result? More and more companies are turning to low-code as it offers a faster time-to-market and a more flexible and inclusive development process. Platforms like Mendix can turn out web and mobile applications ten times faster than traditional development without the need for specific coding-language experience.

Just another little reminder that the future is low-code!


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