DigiDoc Viewer for Windows Phone – done!

In 2013, our AgileWorks team participated in the notorious Garage48 EMT Appmillionaire competition, where within 48 hours, we developed a Windows Phone application for viewing signed documents. The three intense days were both interesting and productive, earning us the runner-up award from Microsoft and quite a bit of attention. Our initial team name, DigiFail (we thought it was funny), was changed as the project progressed, and the new name, DigiDoc Viewer, was more fitting. Below is a summary of the event.

Why did you decide to participate?

Arni: "We decided to attend the event because we wanted to create something cool that would be useful to someone. Since we often lack time for side projects as a hobby, the Garage48 event provided enough motivation for this. Our proposed solution was the DigiDoc application for Windows Phone, as we had a personal need for it, and there was no similar solution yet. Although we had extensive experience in .NET development, we had not yet developed Windows Phone 8 applications, making it an interesting challenge."

Karel: "Our goal was to prove that our solution could work on the Windows Phone platform, and we succeeded. In 48 hours, we developed a functioning application for opening DigiDoc containers. Our achievement was also recognized by Microsoft, who rewarded us with a special prize. It was a great weekend, and we definitely want to participate in Garage48 events in the future."

What were the joys and difficulties?

Märt: "The time allocated for programming was very limited. If a technical problem didn’t get solved immediately, we had to quickly change plans. Normally, we could have read technical literature or consulted an expert, but at Garage48, we had to maintain the pace to have something to show at the next checkpoint. However, the fast pace was also what made the event exciting. It was like a sports competition."

What was the result?

Märt: "We managed to realize the idea within the given time frame. Of course, we would have liked to include even more features in our DigiDoc client, but 48 hours was clearly not enough. On the first evening, while creating our work plan, we accurately assessed our capabilities and immediately excluded all tasks that wouldn’t fit into the scope. I think we succeeded."

What was the emotion?

Märt: "It was a great event. The large number of active participants at Garage48 was very motivating. The days were long, and after the closing ceremony, there was a fair amount of fatigue. We wouldn't be able to do such a long, busy weekend again right away, but after some time—why not."

What's next?

Karel: "We plan to soon upload the completed application to the Windows Phone store for free use. Currently, the application is up and visible. In the future, we plan to add the ability to sign documents to the application."