Infusionsoft Announces "Battle of the Apps" Contest; Developers Duke it Out for $20,000 in Prizes and the 2013 Kick Apps Champion Title

GILBERT, Ariz., July 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Infusionsoft, creator of the all-in-one sales and marketing software for small businesses, is sponsoring a contest for software developers to create applications and plug-ins that enhance the Infusionsoft user experience. Developers have until Dec. 31 of this year to create an innovative Infusionsoft app, integration, or plug-in. With $20,000 in prizes, the Kick Apps Champion finalists will take home thousands of dollars in cash and other cool prizes such as free marketing to tens of thousands of small business owners, and stage time to present their app at InfusionCon 2013. Winners will be announced on March 29, 2013.

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"We've wanted to have a developer competition since we first opened up our API," said Marc Chesley, chief technology officer of Infusionsoft. "Our Marketplace launched this spring, which introduced our customers to a growing developer community and apps that make their Infusionsoft experience even better. The response was huge and we saw an opportunity to really show off what these developers can do. We can't wait to see what they come up with, and we're excited for the customers who will be the ultimate winners!"

Submissions for Battle of the Apps will be judged by a panel of Infusionsoft executives and industry experts such as social media strategist, speaker and author, Jay Baer, partner at the analyst firm SMB Group, Laurie McCabe, founder of Stealthmode Partners, Francine Hardaway, founder and CEO of Waldow Social, DJ Waldow, and chief operating officer of Human Business Works, Rob Hatch. Applicants will be judged on the following criteria:

• Customer Benefit – The app must help small businesses succeed and appeal to a broad range of Infusionsoft target users.
• Design – It should be polished, visually appealing, intuitive, and easy to learn and use.
• Functionality –The app should offer a complete solution with deep use of Infusionsoft features, as well as take advantage of the unique functionality Infusionsoft offers.
• Utility – Developers should go for something indispensable. Target users need to find it inherently useful in their business.
• Innovation – Unique and innovative is the name of the game. Judges will be looking for an app with a novel solution or approach.

Developers interested in participating in the contest can read about the rules and submission deadlines here: battleoftheapps.infusionsoft.com.

The Infusionsoft Marketplace currently features more than 70 third-party apps that integrate Infusionsoft with other popular business tools such as SMS text messaging, payment systems, mobile apps, and membership sites. The Marketplace also makes it easy for customers to find and connect with more than 100 Infusionsoft Certified Consultants including developers. CustomerHub, an automated membership site and customer portal, is currently one of the most widely-used integrations among Infusionsoft users. In November 2011, Infusionsoft acquired CustomerHub and brought the product inside its suite of offerings.

An Infusionsoft developer partner, AutomationCore, created a popular app that helps users access Infusionsoft CRM right from inside Gmail. "We built GmailCore to help users get more power from the Infusionsoft CRM tool," says Benji Rabhan, CEO and founder of AutomationCore. "Since adding the GmailCore app to the Infusionsoft Marketplace, we have seen a 200 percent increase in customers. Given this great success, we are working on a few more apps and are excited to compete in the Battle of the Apps."

About Infusionsoft
Infusionsoft provides an all-in-one sales and marketing software for small businesses. Its Web-based solution helps small businesses automatically market to get more customers, grow sales and save time. The privately held, five-time Inc. 500/5000 company is based in Gilbert, Ariz. and is funded by Mohr Davidow Ventures and vSpring Capital. For more information, visit www.infusionsoft.com.

Helpful links:
Infusionblog.com
@Infusionsoft
facebook.com/Infusionsoft

SOURCE Infusionsoft