We started DataDev SysCode because we got tired of watching mobile apps fail in ways that could've been caught early. Our journey from debugging late nights to building a dedicated testing practice taught us what actually works.
Spring 2019
Just two developers and a spare room in Hitchin Road. We'd been freelancing for months when a retail client's app crashed during their Black Friday launch. That disaster became our wake-up call. Mobile testing wasn't optional anymore, and most small teams had no proper process for it.
Late 2020
After juggling too many services, we made a decision that felt risky at the time. We dropped everything except mobile app testing and debugging. Clients started coming specifically for that expertise. We'd find issues before users did, which saved them embarrassment and money.
Mid 2022
Brought on three more testers who actually understood mobile environments. Not just checkbox-checkers but people who could predict failure points. Our office at Kathleen Connolly House became a proper testing lab where we could replicate real-world conditions that break apps.
Autumn 2024
Started working with fintech and healthcare apps where bugs aren't just annoying, they're dangerous. That pushed us to develop more rigorous security testing protocols. We documented every edge case we found and built a knowledge base that helps us spot patterns faster now.
Early 2025
We're working with twelve regular clients now across retail, finance, and health sectors. The plan for late 2025 involves automated testing frameworks that still keep human judgment in the loop. Because automated tools miss context that experienced testers catch immediately.
We test on actual hardware, not just emulators. Android fragmentation means your app might work perfectly on one device and crash on another with slightly different specs.
Finding bugs is one thing. Understanding why they happen and how to prevent similar issues is what actually saves you time. We document root causes, not just symptoms.
Apps behave differently on unstable networks, low battery, or when memory runs tight. We simulate those conditions because that's where most user frustration happens.
Lead Testing Strategist
Elowen joined us in 2021 after spending years breaking banking apps for a major financial institution. She has this uncanny ability to think like users who don't follow instructions.
Her approach to testing goes beyond checklists. She maps user journeys and then deliberately does everything wrong to see what breaks. That mindset has caught issues that would've cost clients thousands in emergency fixes.
When she's not testing, she's documenting patterns we've seen across different app types. That documentation has become the backbone of our training process for new team members.