Graduate creates Wessex Internet customer app

Blandford based internet service provider, Wessex Internet, has just launched a new customer app designed and created by Ted Lucas-Rowe, from Pimperne, Blandford Forum who recently completed his Masters in Computer Science at the University of Birmingham.

With the customer at the heart of the mobile app’s creation, Wessex Internet customers are able to manage their accounts, check their bills, see how much data they have used, access help information and contact Wessex Internet’s customer support team directly in the app.

Now available to all Wessex Internet customers to download through the Google Play or Apple App stores, the app went through thorough customer research prior to launch and Ted is constantly working to improve it further. His current focus being adding a biometric login (ideal for people who constantly forget passwords!).

Ted started teaching himself computer science at home before studying for his Masters at the University of Birmingham. During this one-year course, Ted was required to produce a final project, which he titled ‘Development of a Cross-Platform Mobile Application for Customer Support.’ This was just the first step in the creation of the new Wessex Internet app.

Ted approached Wessex Internet’s CEO Hector Gibson Fleming about developing a specific Wessex Internet customer app for his project. Although Ted had created another app for his studies previously, this would be his first major commercial project. Given Wessex Internet’s size this was an excellent opportunity for Ted to gain insight to all areas of app development. The resulting app helped earn Ted a distinction in his Masters.

From inception in July 2021, it took approximately eight months to fully develop the app before releasing it to an initial test group in February 2022. “We could have released the app a lot sooner than this however we wanted to ensure that is had a strong feature set before fully releasing it so that our customers had the best possible experience.” Ted explained.

“Building the Wessex Internet app has been an incredible opportunity for a graduate software developer. It has allowed me to enhance my skills across a wide range of development areas from building a user interface, to setting up servers. Wessex Internet has given me the support and freedom I need to fuel my career ambitions,” added Ted.

“At Wessex Internet we’re passionate about both providing an excellent customer experience and offering high tech careers right here in the Dorset countryside, so when Ted, a local computer science student approached us about building an app to improve our customer service, we were really keen to work with him,” explained Hector Gibson Fleming, Wessex Internet’s CEO.

Upon graduation in September 2021 Ted came on board as a full time and permanent member of the Wessex Internet team and the company is excited to support him in his professional growth.

“We were very impressed with the app he produced for his project and we’re delighted that he has now joined us full time and we have been able to work with him to refine and release the app for our customers. We now have a wide range of software engineering projects that he can further develop his skills on,” added Hector Gibson Fleming.

Wessex Internet is growing fast with plans to rapidly expand its workforce in the next 12 months, including offering apprenticeships and trainee roles to help local people start new careers in the telecommunications sector. Details of all current vacancies can be found here.