PDF editing application Flexcil plans cross expansion between iPhone and Android

The annotation application PDF Flexcil will launch next year an Android version backed by its strong fan base in the iOS field and the growing demand for educational applications, says its co-founder.

"Some of our users are asking for our launch schedule to decide whether to buy the iPad or an Android device," said Park Ji-hoon, Flexcil's co-founder and chief operating officer, in an interview with ZDNet. "I think we managed to build a dedicated fan base and we want to meet that demand with an extension to Android as soon as possible."

Flexcil, which aims to become an educational solution for academics and students, was launched in April 2017. It allows to download PDF files via an application. The user can scribble notes, highlight text with the help of a stylus or his fingers, and "drag and drop" text into a separate notebook. Users can also use gestures as shortcuts instead of clicking multiple buttons. The goal was to bring out the best in analog and digital education.

Since then, he has secured 200,000 users. As of August 18, it had 60,000 active users per month and was used on average 60 minutes per day. The application is available in a free version and a paid version of $ 8.99. He added templates and backup features, as well as a rule interface and an ability to draw a straight line this year.

The biggest blow for the company followed Apple's offer to have Flexcil installed on iPads in more than 500 Apple Stores in 24 countries, which took effect at the end of March. He was chosen among Apps We Love in the category of promotional apps from China's App Store in July.

Stylus uses a booster

To challenge the dominance of the iPad, companies like Samsung Electronics and Microsoft are launching tablets as professional tools for creating content, often with a stylus. Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Tab S4 armed with its S-Pen, while the Apple Pencil aimed at iPad users.

"Until now, tablets could not clearly differentiate between smartphones and laptops, so it was more of a" good "device for content consumption," Park said. "Thus, Apple, Samsung and Microsoft are actively expanding the stylus application and positioning their tablets as content creation tools.This will expand the education market, reduce its barrier of entry and help create an ecosystem . Park.

As tablet prices are falling further and they are further deployed in the education sector, the COO has indicated that Flexcil has a ready-to-use application that can meet the growing demand.

The company was working with GreenBulb, a start-up that was producing a competitively priced pen called SonarPen. The stylus has been successful on Kickstarter and can be used with the iPad via a cable that connects with a headphone jack. Flexcil was preparing a UX with SonarPen, Park said.

Multiplatform development

"The cross platform becomes a must-have goal, and our long-term goal is to see how students interact with devices – they use fast typing in notebooks, scribble notes, and search for compact information on mobile devices. " "said Park." We want to evolve into a service that can support students' individual device preferences and study designs. "

The company is preparing to launch an iPhone version with Cloud Sync support during the year.

"New educational services, new technologies and new SDKs are being put in place, and we plan to connect our own services and partners via the cloud," said the director of operations. The company hoped that this expansion would allow Flexcil to acquire B2B customers, particularly schools.

"Teachers and IT leaders in kindergarten to grade 12 schools in the United States have inquired," he said. "This is an area that interests us."

"We will continue to improve Flexcil so that students can use it easily and if the demand increases, we are also considering a lite version."

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