coComment Tracks 22 Million Online Conversations with Ciklum

KIEV, Ukraine – 06 November 2008 – In the age of Web 2.0, being an active participant in online discussions is what it’s all about. Web denizens need a way to make it easier to find conversations, follow the leading commenters and discover what’s hot in the online dialogue.

Enter coComment, a Swiss startup company that allows users to track, organize, compile and update comment-based conversations that take place on the Web – from blogs and newspapers to social networks.

Working with Ciklum, an IT outsourcing company that specializes in nearshore software development in Ukraine, coComment has utilized Ciklum’s unique blend of technical expertise, human resources and administrative efficiencies in outsourcing to focus on building its core product and business and get to market quickly.

With the support of a well-established organization behind them, coComment has been able to grow and thrive. Ciklum’s transparency and flexible, scalable business model offers coComment cost-effective access to the stability and expertise that it needs to move forward in a competitive IT environment. The company is now tracking more than 22 million conversations from more than 280,000 sites, with additional sites added every day.

“coComment’s primary goal was to build its technology and engineering team quickly. However, the skills they needed were in short supply,” said Torben Majgaard, Ciklum’s founder and CEO. “Ciklum answered this need with a team of skilled specialists that handles all IT development and provides an environment for this emerging company to perfect its product and move to market quickly with less risk and minimal investment.”

coComment is the first and most popular comment tracking service that allows users to track conversations across any site, independent of coComment’s integration with the site. While coComment creators worked on this concept, Ciklum handled the software development process and allowed the company to start managing, powering and researching conversations online quickly.

Unlike the traditional IT outsourcing model of project-based services, Ciklum creates dedicated teams for emerging technology companies around the world, either in Ciklum’s offices in Ukraine or on-site at the client’s location. This scalable, flexible and seamless work environment connects coComment directly to employees.

“We wanted a relationship where our team at Ciklum worked for us and were completely focused on coComment’s goals,” said Matt Colebourne, CEO, coComment. “Ciklum follows a different outsourcing model based on teams, rather than projects. Ciklum’s coComment team goes beyond the rigid structure of old school IT outsourcing companies and gives us a new generation of workers that are in direct communication with us without any interference.”

In addition to software development, coComment needed a company that could manage all of its administrative and operational issues. Ciklum offers administrative efficiencies in outsourcing by alleviating the administrative headaches of setting up legal entities, understanding local taxes, finding and contracting for office space and any of the other myriad issues that detract attention from coComment’s core business.

Finally, Ciklum provides coComment with end-to-end comprehensive human resources management. Beginning with recruitment of the development team through staff retention and motivation, Ciklum gives coComment’s team access to education and training programs, including a program manager’s program. In addition, Ciklum’s knowledge sharing and social activities foster a profitable and productive work environment.

“Ciklum is the most professional of the companies we approached, responding comprehensively and rapidly,” said Colebourne. “Their HR team in particular, works very hard to develop the right team for our needs and gives us great guidance. The result is that we have a true administrative, human resources and technology partner that has made it easy for us to work with our team in Ciklum and deliver a great product.”