In the past two years alone, we’ve seen digital use and innovation skyrocket. While the coronavirus pandemic continues to be a strong catalyst as businesses develop more online-only and remote digital solutions, it’s also changing consumer expectations, new technologies, and substantial business investment in digital solutions that are huge contributors.

With this in mind, we’ve decided to rise to the challenge and expand (and strengthen) our foothold in Europe and, increasingly, into North America.

The reasons speak for themselves – as were highlighted in Datareportal’s Digital 2022 Global Overview Report, which noted that “most of the connected world continues to grow faster than it did before the pandemic”.

In 2021, there were:

• 5.31 billion unique mobile phone users
• 4.95 billion internet users
• 4.62 billion active social media users

And within that same year:

• The ‘typical’ global internet user spent almost 7 hours per day using the internet across all devices
• Almost one in four internet users aged 16-64 now used social media for work-related activities
• Six in 10 working-age internet users now buy something online every week
  Smartphone users spent a combined total of USD 170 billion on mobile apps and in-app purchases

Just imagine all the digital possibilities that can connect to those people and devices!

Then consider the thousands of devices being developed to meet an ever-expanding list of needs. Internet of Things devices. AI-powered software solutions. Payments solutions. In-car entertainment and diagnostic systems. Virtual clinics. Compassionate robot companions. Virtual spaces and shopping for the metaverse. Google Play alone has over 2,500,000 apps. It’s never-ending.

Meanwhile, SAP says that digital transformation will be the most valuable businesses investment for 2022, which reflects other research that shows the global digital transformation market will grow to USD 1,247.5 billion by 2026.

It’s clear that the digital industry is growing exponentially.

Consumers (both individuals and businesses) want – expect – digital solutions in every facet of their lives. We know that such solutions require testing. So, as digital solutions move the world, we’ve chosen two firm spots to help it along with our leading crowdtesting solutions.

Based purely on location, it gives us immediate access to the BENELUX union, France, Southern Europe and the Nordic countries. It’s also within shouting distance to the United Kingdom and in direct line to our offices in Leipzig and Munich.

Amsterdam is also home to some of the world’s largest tech companies, including Google, Facebook, Salesforce, and Tesla. It also has a strong ability to draw in a huge number of startups – 2,700 at last count – of which over 80 are on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 EMEA list. All of this makes it a very desirable location.

For us, that final part is incredibly important. As one of Europe’s top cities for tech investment, there are thousands of startups and established digital leaders constantly developing innovative digital solutions. And each solution needs testing.

World movers

The importance of location is, of course, secondary to our most essential element. Our team. When Testbirds started some 10 years ago, there were only three founders. Today, there are over 100 Testbirds spread across Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK.

It should be noted, however, that our team is a lot bigger than 100.

There’s also our extended family of valuable crowdtesters. All 1,000,000 plus of them. This enables us to operate in 193 countries and provide the perfect tester for any digital product. Looking for someone aged 31 who drives a 2018 Hyundai Kona to test an EV charging station-finding app on a 10th generation iPhone connected to the car via Bluetooth?

It’s a good bet we’ve got that exact person.

But with the massive surge of digital solutions now appearing, we need to grow our flock, migrate to new regions, and build newer and bigger nests. Not only are our existing clients ramping up their digital development but there are many new entries into the field who need to test their products and services.

Our goal is to meet this increased demand for testing – and to do that, we need more digital-loving people to help us secure new business and manage our relationship with each client.

Right now, that means finding top-notch Sales Reps and experienced Project Managers to take up new roles in London or Amsterdam. Whether it’s securing new business or helping our clients manage their testing, each role is essential – both for our growth strategy and how we help our clients build digital products that their customers will love.

Most importantly, they’ll be directly involved in our aim of building a better digital world – together.

And one thing’s for certain, they won’t be doing the same thing twice! The diversity of digital solutions and the industries developing them, easily ensures that there’s something unique and exciting to explore every day.

It’s time to make a move!

Digital is a game-changer. We are quickly heading into an era where nearly everything will be touched by it. This will certainly make lives easier. But it cannot happen without testing. Safety and security must be assured. Usability and functionality that are made to purpose. And the overall experience must be positive, seamless, and highly personalized.

This requires two things:

Real people testing products in real-world conditions.

Dedicated, digitally-savvy Testbirds to help build and guide the process, set expectations, and help our clients build truly world-moving products.

From our London and Amsterdam offices, this is exactly what our growing team will do.