Though they might be nearly 5,000 miles away from the action in Sao Paulo, Boston companies are getting into the 2014 FIFA World Cup big time. We already know that one firm accurately predicted the soccer tourney’s winner in 2010 and is willing to write a $10,000 check to someone who does the same this year. Another Cambridge company is letting you watch the matches on any device you choose – and is probably making millions off the traffic boost. And now, enterprise app maker Mendix is getting involved by helping others cast their bets on the World Cup.
A few weeks before the games began, a consultant at the company decided to create a pooling app to keep track of the winners and losers of the global soccer showdown. The pool starting circling around Mendix’s Seaport office, and soon spread to its offices around the world in Capetown, Rotterdam and London.
A total of 644 participants are actively partaking in Mendix’s pool, which is now available for all to enjoy. Users can scout out teams, view upcoming matches and peep predications.
But the pooling app is just one the many playful, personal apps that the Mendix team has cooked up over the years.
“Mendix employees have also used it to build numerous apps for internal and personal purposes, from pricing engines and contract management to Super Bowl squares and tic-tac-toe,” said Eric Peters, a marketing manager in Mendix’s Boston headquarters, who was involved in the World Cup app project. “The World Cup app started as a personal project for some of our futbol-loving developers. The beauty of Mendix is that it only took them a couple of days to build and share a first version.”
You can check out Mendix’s pooling app here. But first, catch up on all that’s happened in the World Cup here.
