Press releases

__Stockholm, Sweden, 15 November 2017 – __ Fast-growing Swedish fashion brand House of Dagmar has today officially launched its new mobile app on the App Store and Google Play. Available to download for free, the new app is powered by mobile retail app specialists Ombori. House of Dagmar and Ombori have teamed up to create an app that goes further than simply allowing people to make purchases - customers have the opportunity to be part of the decision-making process and engage with House of Dagmar’s social community that offers inspiration and style tips. The launch comes after Ombori presented the app’s concept at a recent fashion tech Hackathon hosted by Microsoft. The challenge was for concepts to be built with integrations to Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Dynamics platform. Ombori’s unique technology enables retailers with an online presence the opportunity to create a fully functioning and optimised mobile app within 48-hours. The result is retailers gaining an established presence on the app stores and customers being able to access their favourite brands quickly and easily. House of Dagmar is a Swedish fashion house based in Stockholm, run jointly by three sisters Karin Söderlind, Kristina Tjäder and Sofia Wallenstam. The collections are characterised by expressive knitwear as well as progressive & sensual design. The brand mission is to create sustainable collections and to empower women. House of Dagmar has a global presence too. Its lines are sold on Orchard Mile in the US and also available at Net-a-Porter. So, what exactly will House of Dagmar’s new app allow shoppers to do? - RETAIL THERAPY - intuitively search and discover House of Dagmar’s clothing lines and purchase from within the app within seconds - GET INSPIRED - the app’s Pinterest-style layout offers inspiration for new outfits, interior design and much more - TAILOR-MADE - app provides a more personalised service and tailor made offers for customers - JOIN THE DAGMAR COMMUNITY - discuss new products and offer style tips and advice to fellow shoppers. Unsure about whether the latest coat will fit well? The House of Dagmar’s interactive community will help - SOCIAL - social integration which allows House of Dagmar to invite customers to the store to discuss ideas and gather feedback - BE PART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS - through the app House of Dagmar is able to invite its customers to discuss business development, share inspiration tips and news - LOOK AND FEEL - the new app is beautifully designed, slick and intuitive to use “Since Stockholm Fashion Week, the response of the fashion community to our new app has been incredible. The Ombori team has been hard at work testing and optimising the app, and we’re really excited for it now to be available for our customers and followers to experience,” said Karin Söderlind, CEO, House of Dagmar. “Our customers are very important to us and we value their feedback, so an app that brought us closer to them was a no brainer for us.” “Working with the House of Dagmar and Microsoft teams to build this new app has been an absolute pleasure. House of Dagmar is a brand that is constantly seeking news ways to better engage with their customers and followers, and we believe the app we’ve developed will do that and more,” added Andreas Hassellöf, founder of Ombori. “With our work on this project, we’ve shown once more how effective our technology can be for retail brands around the world that are looking to deliver an enhanced experience to their customers through their smartphones.” “It’s exciting to be part of House of Dagmar’s digital journey, from the fashion tech hackathon this summer to a launched product. This app-based community built on Microsoft technology is a first-of- its kind. By introducing a tool like this, House of Dagmar takes a leading position in fashion tech by inviting their customers to play a central part and become a collaborative partner in their digital transformation,” said Johanna Snickars, Communications Lead, Microsoft Sweden. The app is available to download for free from the [App Store](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/house-of-dagmar-women-fashion/id1305680524?mt=8) and [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.gridapp.houseofdagmar). For more information about House of Dagmar, please visit [www.houseofdagmar.com](http://www.houseofdagmar.com) For more information about Ombori, please visit [www.ombori.com](https://www.ombori.com)

Mobile app developer Ombori today announced a second addition to its set of open source tools. The React Native Search API module gives developers a general React Native interface to interact with the iOS Search API, Core Spotlight. “This API underpins what I call the web-app spiral,” explained CEO Andreas Hassellöf. “This is a software-driven marketing technique where your Web site and your mobile app help each other to grow. The spiral helps you acquire new customers on both platforms and also gives you an SEO and ASO boost. Your Web users are encouraged to download your app using tools like the Ombori App Banner, which we released as open source last week. Then, if your app and Web site are properly linked together, the more people use your app, the higher you will rank in searches on both the Web and in the app stores. That in turn drives more customers to your Web site, who you can then convert to app users, and so on.” “Open source is definitely a key part of our overall strategy,” said Ombori Interface Lead Gustaf Zetterlund. “It helps us tap into a wider community of highly skilled developers, and enables our team to innovate and improve our tools at a more rapid pace.”

Ombori today released its app install banner, formerly known as Bruce, as Open Source. The Ombori App Banner is a platform-neutral, user-friendly tool that drives app installs from a Web site or mobile Web site. In its first two months, the tool has been shown to increase app installs over 10x compared to proprietary alternatives such as the Apple Smart App Banner. It can be installed on a site in just a few minutes, and is fully adaptive to the user’s device and browser, whether they’re using a phone, tablet, or a desktop. “We decided to open source the Ombori App Banner for two reasons,” said Ombori Interface Lead Gustaf Zetterlund. “First, the more people who use it, the more we’re helping the overall app market grow. That creates demand for services like ours. And second, we want to see what improvements other people can make to the app banner. I’m sure there will be plenty of things we didn’t think of that will improve the UX even further. I’m a huge believer in the open source community and what we can achieve by working together.” “I’m really excited by this development,” said CEO Andreas Hassellöf. “We’re already seeing people downloading and using our app banner, and we’re all looking forward to seeing how far this will go.”

Mobile commerce app developer Ombori today announced that its flagship product line will henceforth be known as Ombori Grid. This is part of a strategic re-evaluation of its services and represents a widening of its planned product offerings. Ombori’s app development tool, PresenceKit, will be incorporated into Grid. “Our initial products were targeted at performing one specific task within the m-commerce sector,” explained Ombori CEO Andreas Hassellöf. “PresenceKit was designed to convert Web sites to native apps, fast and efficiently. But that’s only one part of what we offer our customers. We also work with them to increase app installs, explore emerging commerce platforms, optimize the UX, and ultimately drive customer engagement, repeat business and revenue. Our objective is to make them competitive in a fast changing world. We’re as much about sales and marketing as we are about technology, and we have a wide range of tools at our disposal. It therefore made sense to think of all those tools as part of a single integrated product suite that can fulfil many different functions depending on each client’s needs. Grid represents this concept much more clearly.” Hassellöf also stressed that Grid is enabling Ombori to widen its target user base. “PresenceKit was optimized for m-commerce use, but Grid is much more flexible and can be deployed by companies in many different market sectors, including financial institutions.”

Mobile app developer Ombori today unveiled a new tool designed to increase app downloads from a client’s Web site. Codenamed Bruce, the banner is easy to install, and fully adaptive to the customer’s device, whether it’s a desktop, laptop, phone or tablet, and it supports iOS, Android, Windows and Mac OS. In initial trials with pilot sites across the Nordic region, the banner has been shown to increase app downloads by up to 20x. Ombori CEO Andreas Hassellöf emphasized the importance of the tool as part of the company’s overall m-commerce success strategy. “Our clients need to be able to get their customers using apps as well as mobile Web, but this isn’t always easy. Other app banners only work on specific platforms or browsers - Apple’s banner only works on Safari, but what if the customer is viewing the website in Facebook or is using Chrome? Our clients need a platform-neutral solution. In addition, when a user is on their computer, a link to the app store isn’t useful. Bruce bridges this problem in a simple, user-friendly way. Desktop users can receive an app store link in a text message, then they can follow up and get the app when it’s more convenient.” By using tools such as Bruce to increase app installs, Ombori aims to increase customer loyalty and drive sales for its clients. “All the data shows that app users are different to mobile Web users,” said Hassellöf. “They’re more engaged, they do more repeat business, and they spend more. They’re basically your VIPs. In addition, once you can offer an omnichannel experience, where users can switch seamlessly between devices, using both apps and Web as appropriate, they’re much happier and much more likely to recommend you to their friends.”

Mobile app developer Ombori has bolstered its team significantly with the appointment of Rui Tian as Chief Operating Officer. Tian has enjoyed a globe-spanning career, with roles in Beijing, Tokyo, Silicon Valley and Zagreb before ending up in Stockholm. Most recently, he spent nine years at Ericsson, where he was Operative Product Owner, with a strong focus on research and development. He is a highly skilled leader in IT and communications with a successful track record of working closely with both stakeholders and management, improving long term strategic planning and promoting continuous improvements at every opportunity. “Ombori is a place filled with enthusiasm, passion, and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Tian. “I knew some of the people before I joined, and I knew this was a team I could bond with and love working with. There are always new challenges at Ombori every day because we’re growing so rapidly: this gives me a perfect opportunity to try new things, extend to new territories and take on new assignments.” “Rui is an absolute powerhouse,” said CEO Andreas Hassellöf. “He’s 100% committed to achieving operational excellence, and to making sure we always deliver on time and to the quality standards our customers expect. I’m really happy to be working alongside him and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do with the Ombori team.”

Ombori’s Sweden headquarters is moving to new premises, effective from today. “With our Stockholm team expanding rapidly, we needed to find somewhere else fast,” explained CEO Andreas Hassellöf. “The new office means we can all get together in the same room, and we still have some space for future expansion. It’s going to be disruptive for a few days, but it’s better to do it now rather than wait another month or two when we will have even more people and equipment to move.” Customer services are not expected to be impacted by the move.

Mobile app developer Ombori has selected British PR company Mustard PR to represent them worldwide. Founded in 2000, London-based Mustard creates PR campaigns for companies ranging from start-ups to major global corporations. Their prestigious client list covers consumer technology, mobile & B2B markets and includes well-known companies such as British Telecom, Square Enix, Kodak and Ministry of Sound. “I’m excited to be working with Ombori,” said Mustard consultant Dan Walsh. “Their products have real potential, and I’m looking forward to helping them build their worldwide profile and get their brand noticed throughout Europe, the USA, Asia, and everywhere else.” CEO Andreas Hassellöf added, “We looked at a lot of alternatives before we decided on Mustard. They can give us the global exposure we need and they really took the time to understand our business and our products. We’re not just buying a service from them, we’re building a partnership that can take us all the way to success.”

Mobile commerce app developer Ombori continues to make key partnerships in the Nordic countries. Its latest high profile client is Norwegian startup Marked.no, who specialize in online grocery sales. The recently founded company delivers both fresh produce and ready-made meals, and has a focus on ecological sustainability and environmental responsibility. “This is a perfect opportunity for PresenceKit,” said Ombori CEO Andreas Hassellöf. “The client needed to get their apps up and running fast, and we were able to offer them a fast, no-hassle solution.”

Mobile commerce app developer Ombori continues to expand its highly talented team with the appointment of Gustaf Zetterlund as Interface Lead. Zetterlund was previously part of the design team at Nordnet Bank, where his role was to serve as an interface between design and development. As a champion of Nordnet’s Open Source UI kit, he focused on ways to help developers build software faster by not having to be concerned with design details. He also focused on streamlining development and reinforcing the brand identity through his strong emphasis on consistency and identifying reusable patterns. “I’m really excited to deploy our new platform that will be able to build apps better, faster and cheaper than anything else out there,” added Zetterlund. “This is a great team, filled with fantastic people, and I’m looking forward to being part of that as it grows. I believe wholeheartedly in the product but above all else, I believe in us.” CEO Andreas Hassellöf commented, “Gustaf is an extraordinary talent, and we’re proud to have him on the team. He brings with him a unique attitude to design, combining solid production expertise, ruthless analysis, and great creativity. He’s always reminding us that every design decision has to be backed with logic and data. This gives us great confidence in everything we’re doing.”

Mobile commerce app developer Ombori has launched its second live deployment of its flagship product, PresenceKit. Mekonomen Group are the leading automotive spare-parts chain in the Nordic region, with over 300 stores and 2,000 workshops. With annual revenues in excess of SEK 1.45 bn (approx $164m), Mekonomen is one of the best known retailers in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. “Signing Mekonomen reinforces our commitment to providing top quality solutions for large-scale enterprise customers,” said Ombori CEO Andreas Hassellöf. “Our primary focus at this time is on securing high profile, top-tier clients with over SEK 1bn annual revenue. These are the companies who most need to make the transition to being fully online. Whether they are primarily e-commerce companies or bricks and mortar retailers, they need to embrace mobile fast. Traditional app development cycles are too slow and costly, so they need to find ways to develop and deploy apps faster. That’s where we come in with our highly specialized app creation software. PresenceKit allows them to get into the app stores literally within days. For retailers facing stiff competition from giants like Amazon, that’s a big deal.”

Mobile commerce app developer Ombori is proud to announce the first deployment of its flagship product, PresenceKit. The company’s first client is Lekmer, the largest online store for children in the Nordic countries, with a focus on baby products, children’s clothes, toys, and children’s furnishings. Lekmer AB is part of the Qliro Group, one of the leading e-commerce specialists in the Nordic region. In 2015, Qliro generated over SEK 5bn (approx $567m) in revenue. “Using PresenceKit enables Lekmer to shift from a Web-based operation to a fully online operation,” said Ombori CEO Andreas Hassellöf. “Our technology meant that we could create and deploy native apps for them on both iOS and Android quickly and cost-effectively, which means that they are now able to take maximum advantage of mobile devices. For us, it’s a big confidence booster that a company such as Lekmer has chosen to go with Ombori instead of relying on a tried and trusted traditional app development approach. The speed with which we can deliver fully tested apps was important to them, and our pricing structure, based on revenue share rather than an up front cost, reduced their risk still further.” Hassellöf added that the company expects to announce further high profile customers shortly.