The year 2023 was eventful both for Feelment and globally. Having recovered from the aftermath of the pandemic, life started to look brighter, and we were able to turn our focus back to growth, development, and the future. So, what did we actually do? In this post, you'll find our updates and the most important events of the past year.
Despite the world's unpleasant upheavals, the current year brought a lot of good. The pace was relentless: "It's been a time of action, and there has been a lot happening all the time. Of my years in the company, I would say this has been the busiest," summarizes Juulianna, familiar to many from our customer service. Momentum also fueled development because what could be more satisfying than improving the customer experience?
“We are extremely grateful for our active customers who have provided numerous excellent ideas for development. We are particularly pleased with the feedback we have received. Feedback on technical support has been especially gratifying," says our CEO Kalervo.
Throughout the year, many positive things happened; customer numbers grew, the application improved, and we made, among other things, a distribution agreement with Viaplay. There were also happy news on a personal level as Jussi and Juulianna from the Pello office welcomed an addition to their family. Positive excitement is still in the air as we await the birth of Hanna's (Helsinki office) Christmas baby.
Development is an investment in the future, and that's why it's one of the cornerstones of our business. Throughout the year, we joyfully collaborated on development work with Sebitti Oy, a coding company and one of Feelment's longstanding partners. Kalervo from our team even had the opportunity to visit Sebitti this year and shared a bit about our collaboration in their introduction video. But what tangible results did we achieve from the development table?
The most significant individual step in development was the design and release of the highly demanded and popular iOS platform. The Feelment version for this platform has been long-awaited, and this year, we were able to celebrate its release. With the iOS version, Feelment now covers all the most popular and largest platforms.
Another important update was the introduction of Feelment's messaging center, which had been under consideration for quite some time. The messaging center allows us to deliver important announcements promptly to our users. Noteworthy releases in terms of development also included the web player developed for My Feelment and the television control system (blackbox).
In addition to these, improvements have been made to background systems, and a lot of work has been done on the so-called "invisible matters." Oh, and let's not forget, we also launched our revamped website earlier this year.
"A lot has been accomplished in a year, despite the hustle. We've received good feedback, which always warms the heart. Keep sending more great development ideas for us to consider in the future!" cheers Jussi about our development efforts.
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In the spring of 2023, the Melplay team reached out to our CEO Kalervo for a business meeting. At that time, Kalervo was unaware of the nature of the meeting, but it soon became clear that Melplay's karaoke system was facing challenges due to aging. Maintaining the system was labor-intensive, and the Melplay team dreamt of transitioning into retirement.
"Feelment has been a long-time partner of Melplay, so it was natural that the karaoke business was offered to us," Kalervo explains.
In April 2023, Melplay's karaoke business transitioned to Feelment, marking one of the most significant and employment-intensive events of the year. The initial announcement was understandably shocking for Melplay users, and the communication about it fell short:
"We received a lot of new information along the way, making communication challenging. Additionally, there were some unpleasant challenges in transferring the customer registry. Thank you to all of our customers for your understanding and, especially, for sharing information forward. Collaboration indeed has great strength," summarizes Iina from Feelment's marketing.
After the initial challenges, the situation turned positive, and we have received a lot of positive feedback. The majority of customers transitioned to using Feelment, and for those who wanted to continue using the Melplayer device, we provided permanent activations. This sets a good foundation as we move forward towards the upcoming karaoke year.
As the year changes, it's a good time to glimpse into the prospects of the upcoming year. It would be naive to overlook the societal challenges that have affected us all in recent years; electricity prices have been a topic of discussion, costs have risen, and labor shortages have been felt. However, there is a belief in a better future, and glimpses of light have been experienced in the growth of tourism and a lively holiday season.
Feelment is kicking off 2024 with a positive outlook: "We approach the next year with a positive attitude as always. Development will continue, and there will be improvements to all platforms. Overall, the service is getting better," says Kalervo. Next year will be a celebratory one for Feelment as Viihdeväylä Oy celebrates its 40th anniversary. Despite the festive atmosphere, there's no intention to stand still:
"Next year, we will focus on improving the user experience of My Feelment and the Windows version. The iOS version will be further developed, and there will be improvements to the Android version. Work will also be done on the background systems to ensure continued reliability," says Jussi from Feelment's development team.
At the end of a busy year, it's time to calm down and enjoy the Christmas season. Our technical support will continue to serve you as usual every day from 9 am to 11 pm. This Christmas, Miikka from our team will be answering calls.
How does Feelment's technical support work in practice? Read more on our blog:
👉 Feelment - Technical Support On The Go