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| The man behind one of the world's most successful apps | The man behind one of the world's most successful apps |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| "When I was eight years old I got my first computer. It was a Commodore 128. I was lucky enough to realise at that point what I was going to do with the rest of my life," says Michal Stencl. | "When I was eight years old I got my first computer. It was a Commodore 128. I was lucky enough to realise at that point what I was going to do with the rest of my life," says Michal Stencl. |
| "I wasn't playing games on the computer. I wanted to make products for people. So I started programming," the 35-year-old chief executive and co-founder of Slovakia's Sygic tells the BBC from a wicker armchair on the fifth floor of his Bratislava office. | "I wasn't playing games on the computer. I wanted to make products for people. So I started programming," the 35-year-old chief executive and co-founder of Slovakia's Sygic tells the BBC from a wicker armchair on the fifth floor of his Bratislava office. |
| "When I was 13, I decided to write an operating system. Everyone laughed at me, because it was such a big challenge," Michal continues, a wry smile forming on his lips. | "When I was 13, I decided to write an operating system. Everyone laughed at me, because it was such a big challenge," Michal continues, a wry smile forming on his lips. |
| Today, the joke is on them. That early programming experience helped Michal to build a GPS giant, with turnover in 2013 reaching $18m (£10.5m). | Today, the joke is on them. That early programming experience helped Michal to build a GPS giant, with turnover in 2013 reaching $18m (£10.5m). |
| Sygic has been installed on some 50 million phones, making it the world's most downloaded offline navigation app. | Sygic has been installed on some 50 million phones, making it the world's most downloaded offline navigation app. |
| By the end of 2014, Michal hopes, that number will have doubled. | By the end of 2014, Michal hopes, that number will have doubled. |
| 'First on the iPhone' | |
| By the time he was Michal had already written his own operating system called Qube OS - it led to job offers flooding in, including one from Silicon Valley. | |
| However, he turned them down, opting instead to stay in Slovakia to be with the woman who would later become his wife. | However, he turned them down, opting instead to stay in Slovakia to be with the woman who would later become his wife. |
| Early forays into gaming and wi-fi systems were successful, but the real breakthrough came in 2004, when he saw opportunity in the fledgling field of GPS navigation. | Early forays into gaming and wi-fi systems were successful, but the real breakthrough came in 2004, when he saw opportunity in the fledgling field of GPS navigation. |
| "I was looking for the next challenge. I felt that navigation might be the future. It was pretty difficult to start with, because I had no experience in that space, but that's what drove me," he says. | "I was looking for the next challenge. I felt that navigation might be the future. It was pretty difficult to start with, because I had no experience in that space, but that's what drove me," he says. |
| "I realised that to build something difficult is definitely your competitive advantage against the others." | "I realised that to build something difficult is definitely your competitive advantage against the others." |
| The early mobile navigation environment was chaotic and cutthroat, a dog-eat-dog world of competing operating systems, he adds. | The early mobile navigation environment was chaotic and cutthroat, a dog-eat-dog world of competing operating systems, he adds. |
| "When we started in 2004 there was Symbian, Linux, Windows Mobile - Maemo was the new flagship of Nokia - then iPhone and then Android. | "When we started in 2004 there was Symbian, Linux, Windows Mobile - Maemo was the new flagship of Nokia - then iPhone and then Android. |
| "Nobody knew who was going to win the market. Our advantage was that we'd designed the whole app to be operating-system independent. | "Nobody knew who was going to win the market. Our advantage was that we'd designed the whole app to be operating-system independent. |
| "The design we'd done previously - to create a multi-platform engine - helped us to be the first navigation app that was available on the new generation of smartphones. | "The design we'd done previously - to create a multi-platform engine - helped us to be the first navigation app that was available on the new generation of smartphones. |
| "We were the first on the iPhone, and the second on Android." | "We were the first on the iPhone, and the second on Android." |
| Future connectivity | Future connectivity |
| But the GPS "ecosystem", as he calls it, is still a complex environment, divided into three distinct but sometimes overlapping worlds - personal sat-nav devices like TomTom and Garmin, smartphone apps like Google Navigate and Waze and finally the built-in navigation systems found in expensive cars. | |
| "We believe that ultimately this eco-system will consolidate and merge." | "We believe that ultimately this eco-system will consolidate and merge." |
| TomTom and Garmin devices are already on the way out, and instead you should expect to see greater connectivity between your phone and your car, he argues. | TomTom and Garmin devices are already on the way out, and instead you should expect to see greater connectivity between your phone and your car, he argues. |
| "On one hand, smartphones are going to be your personal device, where you're going to plan your route. | "On one hand, smartphones are going to be your personal device, where you're going to plan your route. |
| "But they'll use your car's sensors, its loudspeakers and its dashboard screen to navigate you," he explains. | "But they'll use your car's sensors, its loudspeakers and its dashboard screen to navigate you," he explains. |
| Sygic already offers a glimpse of that future connectivity. Its head-up display projects your route from your smartphone onto the windscreen at night. | Sygic already offers a glimpse of that future connectivity. Its head-up display projects your route from your smartphone onto the windscreen at night. |
| But for now, Michal is primarily concerned with maintaining Sygic's market dominance as dozens of new navigation apps, paid and free, crowd Google Play and the App Store. | But for now, Michal is primarily concerned with maintaining Sygic's market dominance as dozens of new navigation apps, paid and free, crowd Google Play and the App Store. |
| From tasters to paying customers | From tasters to paying customers |
| At present Sygic offers users a free taster of the app's premium version for seven days. | At present Sygic offers users a free taster of the app's premium version for seven days. |
| This includes 3D maps with a shimmering graphic interface, turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation, speed-limit warnings and a junction view with lane indicator arrows for tricky intersections. | This includes 3D maps with a shimmering graphic interface, turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation, speed-limit warnings and a junction view with lane indicator arrows for tricky intersections. |
| After seven days the app reverts to a free version, which people can use indefinitely but without the bells and whistles - no lane guidance, no turn-by-turn instructions and no 3D. | After seven days the app reverts to a free version, which people can use indefinitely but without the bells and whistles - no lane guidance, no turn-by-turn instructions and no 3D. |
| The idea is that users will then pay to revert to the premium version depending on the coverage they want. | The idea is that users will then pay to revert to the premium version depending on the coverage they want. |
| Sygic is coy about how many trial users become premium users. But the firm now employs over 110 people and Michal has a Porsche in the company garage. | Sygic is coy about how many trial users become premium users. But the firm now employs over 110 people and Michal has a Porsche in the company garage. |
| "I bought it for the kids," he says, somewhat unconvincingly. | "I bought it for the kids," he says, somewhat unconvincingly. |
| Sygic's diversifying too. Special apps are already available for trucks and taxis - and bicycle navigation is currently in development. | Sygic's diversifying too. Special apps are already available for trucks and taxis - and bicycle navigation is currently in development. |
| Outside the world of vehicles, Sygic's family locator offers what the company describes as "real-time tracking of your family members", allowing a parent to follow their child's progress to school, or a spouse as they walk to the shops. | Outside the world of vehicles, Sygic's family locator offers what the company describes as "real-time tracking of your family members", allowing a parent to follow their child's progress to school, or a spouse as they walk to the shops. |
| It sounds rather sinister. But perhaps it is inevitable as all of us become online, all the time. | It sounds rather sinister. But perhaps it is inevitable as all of us become online, all the time. |
| "I believe the future is in saving time. Technology should save you time. That's why navigation is so popular," Michal says. | "I believe the future is in saving time. Technology should save you time. That's why navigation is so popular," Michal says. |
| "If you work out how to save your customers more time in things they use on a daily or hourly basis, you're going to win that market." | "If you work out how to save your customers more time in things they use on a daily or hourly basis, you're going to win that market." |