Chikka Corporate

Chikka CEO shares CMMI Journey at Software Development Conference

February 25, 2010

Chito Bustamante, CEO of Chikka Asia Inc., creators of popular mobile instant messenger Chikka Messenger, attended the first Software Development Conference, sharing insights gained from the company’s submission to CMMI Level 5 certification, an internationally recognized quality certification indicating the highest standard of quality in the Information Technology industry. A maturity level rating 5 is the highest rating to which organizations such as Intel and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also compare their processes to.

The conference was organized by the Digital Filipino Club, and held at Hotel Intercon in Makati, gathering software developers, technology companies, and Digital Filipino club members from various sectors interested in software quality assurance, project management and process improvement.

“CMMI has really, really, helped us. Yes, we slip sometimes but whenever we make mistakes, we look at the CMMI process and we’re able to identify exactly what went wrong, and ultimately how we’re never going to commit the same mistake again,” shared Chito Bustamante, Chikka CEO.

He further shared other benefits that the company reaped from its compliance with best practices as prescribed by the CMMI model. “In conferences we joined in the past, it’s funny how that little logo would drive business inwards. The reason for that is, with that certification behind you, people have a better comfort level in working with you. If they have a notion or an understanding of what that certification is, they know that these projects will definitely move forward with less hitches than with a company that does not have it,” he added. He also emphasized that apart from certifications, the people that one chooses to work with is of utmost importance in getting towards any company’s end goal.

Chikka Asia’s assessment for CMMI Level 5 was conducted by SEI-authorized ECC International, which also confirmed that Chikka is the first applications developer in the mobile messaging applications development space worldwide to achieve the prestigious CMMI Level 5 certification.

Providing various wireless applications to over 30 mobile operators in seventeen countries including the US, UK, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and India, Chikka has also diversified; developing applications for mobile content, commerce, and corporate solutions. According to the company, Chikka Messenger, now with over 62 million registered users since 2001, is probably the most widely-used and viewed Internet and mobile-based communications tool by Filipinos worldwide.