Hololink vs. Mendix

On the commercial side, Hololink is perfect for implementing extra information in existing materials. Why make an entire catalog, when you can just have one page with a Hololink on it. It doesn't require an app. Everyone who has a smartphone will be able to see the AR overlay. I have recommended Hololink to many of my colleagues at other institutions, who have made brilliant commercial AR experiences in other systems, but struggle with getting potential new students to download an app, in order to see it. I cannot emphasize enough how great it is to be able to skip the download-an-app part. Hololink also has a great potential for geocaching-like experiences and games. One way this could be achieved would be to make it possible for users to make a username, and then give them points when they use a Hololink in a certain way, or reward them for finding Hololinks in the wild. It would be interesting if the Hololink tracker could look for more images simultaneously, appealing to the more exploratory aspects of people. These are functionalities that I hope might come in the future.

I think it's well suited if you have data available and you want to create customized solutions for different types of users. Mendix is very good at doing that. It allows you to do it very easily. So those are good use cases.

Incentivized

• As opposed to all other AR creation tools that I know, Hololink does not require consumers to download an app, thereby bypassing the primary problem of creating AR experiences, which is getting people to download an app. Let it be known that native apps are going away, the future is web-based because it is easier.
• The Hololink image-tracking, which enables AR elements to be projected upon real-world objects and images is exceptionally good compared to other AR projects that also use image-tracking. In Hololink your buttons, 3D models, and videos do not sail away from the objects that they're supposed to be attached to.
• The people working on Hololink are very focused on UX, and the few times that I have had suggestions, they have been very attentive.

• Using Mendix you can build an application in a week compared to building the same application in Java in 1 month.
• You can simultaneously build applications for all kinds of devices (Desktop, Mobile and tablets).
• All in one tool, in Mendix Modeler you can manage databases, webservices, Mendix code , Java code, etc.

• Hololink comes pre-packed with a lot of 3D models there are cases where I would like to write text on models directly, instead of using the annotation function which Hololink provides. It would be easier than having to upload my own 3D models, which is also possible.

• Earlier versions lacked in UI/Ux. This is still improving.
• Since everyone and anyone can create custom add ons (widgets), Mendix could improve their quality checks (but not as rigid as eg Apple).
• Upgradeability used to be somewhat of an issue. Version 7 looks to be handling this better than previous versions.

Drawing from my hands-on experience with Mendix, I can confidently state that the platform aptly fulfills our needs for web application development. Mendix stands out by providing a marketplace replete with pre-built templates and widgets. This feature empowers users to leverage readily available components, hastening the development process and contributing to an enhanced overall usability of the platform.

Incentivized

I think their support system is really professional. They answer question quickly and accurately. They have a ticket system that allows to track the current status of a request. The only point for imporvement is a way for me to postpone an answer. Tickets get closed automatically after some time. I feel that the user should have the option to change to an on hold status, allowing for more time to respond to a ticket.

Incentivized

A long time ago I use Aurasma. As I recall it was quite heavy because you had to transfer the Aura from your computer to the student's smartphones through signup on the internet and making them connect to your user with an invitational code, and if it didn´t work it was hard to figure out why. Hololink is just a scan away and you don´t have to connect to any user accounts to see other student products.

Because most of our apps work closely with our main system (ERP) and other tools, we went with Mendix. It's good at easily connecting with lots of different systems, which is exactly what we need. Another thing we like about it is that it can handle growth well, and its pricing is straightforward and easy to understand.

Incentivized

• AR is hot right now and thus helps attract people. In the future, the AR-excitement might lessen, but it has clear affordances in terms of communication that will continue to be relevant as long as people have smartphones or google-glasses or the likes.

• Without Mendix we could not have been where we are now. A development platform as Mendix can make the difference in a constantly changing environment.
• Upgrading to newer versions of Mendix is a breeze when you stay within a main version (e.g. M6.x to Mx6.x+1) and even between versions (Mx5 to Mx6) most of the time it is no problem at all and there are only minor changes needed to upgrade.
• Learning Mendix is simple. Just start playing with it and see for yourself how easy it is and feel the joy of developing applications.