The fact that we have relocated to Salmon Arm is likely not news to anyone. What may be news, however, is that we are still alive, well, and doing business. While no longer living in Revelstoke I am never far away and come winter you can expect to see a fair bit of me shredding the pow at RMR, assuming you can keep up .

Now to the topic of the day. This blog has become, shall I say, neglected. This post is an opportunity for me to update everyone on how things are going and to reassure anyone who is concerned, Rev Software is still open for business and here to support all of our existing clients.

Since moving I have been shockingly busy with my new gig as Technical Project Manager with Bawtree Software Contracting. Bawtree Software is, at least according to my research, the only real iPhone & iPad development company in the Shuswap and I am incredibly proud to be able to work with them. We are creating some truly amazing apps for companies all over the world, both big and small. If you have an App idea I encourage you to reach out, you can call myself using the number on this site or you can head over to the Bawtree Software website and contact us directly.

That’s Bawtree Software, now how about Rev Software? Here at Rev Software things have been pretty quiet for the last little bit. We have been keeping busy working with existing clients like Adventure Touring RV Rentals, Revelstoke Welcoming Committee, The Roxy Theatre, Alpenrose Bed & Breakfast, the Crescendo and the Canadian Avalanche Centre. Our latest website project was the Welcome to Revelstoke website which went live way back in June. I can’t promise we will be taking on any new websites in the near future but we will continue to provide web services and consulting to the businesses of Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, and the Shuswap. If you think you have an interesting project or a challenging web/IT problem give us a shout, we can always find time for a good challenge.

I hope everyone back in Revelstoke is doing well, and I can’t say how greatfull I am for all of the support and business the community provided us over the last few years. While no longer a true Revelstokian I like to think that Revelstoke becomes a piece of you that you never truly let go.

See you on the slopes!

It must be fall in Revelstoke, the leaves are falling, the peaks are dusted with snow, and the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce has hosted its annual Business Excellence Awards dinner. This years list was chock full of deserving candidates, and I am proud to say that  four Rev Software clients (The Revelstoke Current, Alpenrose B&B, Roxy Theatre (coming soon), and the Crescendo) were nominated for awards and out of those nominated two of them managed to win! In the category of Tourism and Hospitality the Alpenrose Bed & Breakfast took top honours and in the coveted Entrepreneurial category the Crescendo triumphed over a field filled with tough competitors.

I am very proud of all of this years nominees, I couldn’t have picked a better list of deserving local businesses. I hope this year will allow me to work with more enthusiastic entrepreneurs in their pursuit of business excellence. Congratulations to all of this years winners and nominees.

It is always interesting and exciting doing something that you have never done before. When Elvira of Crescendo Retail contacted Rev Software about designing and building their website and e-store it was a great opportunity to really demonstrate our creativity and programming prowess.

When designing and building this web store it was the nature of the products being sold that presented the most challenges. See, selling oils, vinegars, and spices by weight and volume in different containers, or in no containers at all, over the internet is not something most shopping carts and out-of-the-box solutions can handle. This niche market requires something unique, something custom, a solution that can help customers to find the products they want and purchase them in an easy, intuitive, and attractive manor. We are confident that this is that solution.

For us building the web store for Crescendo meant re-imagining the shopping experience. We researched, and white boarded, and thought hard to come up with ways to reproduce the natural and effective shopping experience you get from walking into a Crescendo store and here is what we came up with:

1. Visual: walking into a Crescendo location you are immediately treated to a feast for the eyes, oaken barrels, spices you can see and smell, and a soft and inviting Mediterranean colour scheme. For the web store we matched this by using super high resolution and high contrast images of the base ingredients to really make the different varieties of oils and vinegars “pop”, we had macro photos taken of all the herbs and spices so you could see them as if you were there, and finally we took the mediterranean colour scheme and expanded it with warm and appealing background images.
2. Selection Process: when you are buying an oil or vinegar in a Crescendo shop you first select your liquid, then you are able to select from a wide variety of containers. Your container selection determines the amount of liquid you purchase as well as adding a decorative quality to the purchase. For the web store we built an intuitive system that guides you through this very same process of first selecting a liquid and then selecting the desired container, all the while keeping you apprised of the final price and amount of product being ordered.
3. Information: when you are in a Crescendo shop you will never be overwhelmed by information, but you also will never leave without knowing all of the important information about your product, how to care for it, and how to use it. This same philosphy was applied to the website through the subtle use of info buttons for the products description, origin, acidity and other important information, the FAQ page for answers to common questions, and the Recipes section for all sorts of amazing ways to use Crescendo products to make amazing meals.

So by identifying these, and other, essential features of shopping Crescendo and ensuring they were preserved in the web store we at Rev Software hope that customers find their experience online as pleasant as their experience in store. Well maybe not quite since we can’t offer samples online .

This website and the accompanying web store is our largest and most important web development to date. It is our opportunity to showcase what we are capable of. We encourage all of our readers, and anyone who enjoys amazing food products and fantastic service to head over to Crescendo Canada’s Web Store.

I only hope people enjoy shopping Crescendo online as much as we enjoyed building it. I would also like to extend a very big thank you to Elvira and Daniel of Crescendo Retail for providing our small company the opportunity to create this website.

Rev Software is proud to present the release of the first phase of our latest project, the Crescendo Canada website. The Crescendo brand represents the home of Oil, Vinegar, Spice, and flavours from around the world. For those who like to cook and haven’t been into the Crescendo shop in Revelstoke, I invite you to go and sample the difference that quality makes.

The Crescendo Canada website was commissioned by local Revelstoke proprietors Daniel and Elvira Brunner and will be the home of not only the Revelstoke franchise, but of all future Crescendo franchises across Canada. The Crescendo project  presented many unique challenges that had to be overcome and we hope you will agree that the end result is as beautiful as it is functional.

The Crescendo Canada by Rev Software Ltd.

I am very excited to be working with Daniel and Elvira on this project and am proud to announce the completion of the first phase. The website features a fully custom content management system that is allowing Elvira to edit, create, and update the websites content as often as she has time. Check in often to see the new recipes, or to find out the latest news & events.

Be sure to check back in June when we release the second phase of the project, which will include both French and English, as well as a full e-commerce store, allowing loyal Crescendo customers to order their favorite products from anywhere, anytime.

With final approval coming in and development of our first app already underway Rev Software is now Revelstoke’s only Apple approved iPhone/iPad development company. This designation provides Rev Software with the unique ability to help the businesses of Revelstoke take advantage of these revolutionary devices.

Why should your business care?

1. With more than 43 million units sold the iPhone is one of the best selling mobile platform in history, giving applications developed on iPhone the largest market of potential customers;
2. Revelstoke is a tourist destination and more and more people are making their choices based on their mobile phone. Already many consumers use apps like Yelp to help you choose a restaurant based on customer reviews, Google maps to locate businesses by type and category close to their location, apps like Order Pizza that allow you to order (yes I said order) pizza straight from your phone… etc.
3. The iPhone/iPad platform can open an entirely new market for your business as well as providing an excellent avenue to engage your existing customers.

It’s simple, people want access to information wherever they are and making your company accessible via the iPhone platform is just another great way to reach out to your customers.

So call, click, or Skype us and find out how we can turn your great ideas into the next big iPhone/iPad app.