Spark New Zealand Ltd. (NZX: SPK and Sush Mobile have netted a major global industry award for the Spark NZ Investor Centre app, winning the Outstanding Achievement in Mobile Development category at the Web Marketing Association’s recent MobileWebAwards.

The free smartphone app, available for both Android and iOS, is the first of its kind in New Zealand; an aggregation service and platform for financial information designed specifically for shareholders and investors.

The app was released in response to international trends in media use by the investment community and a gap in the local market. The 2015 Brunswick Global Investor Survey revealed that over three-quarters of the respondents had investigated an issue based on information viewed on digital and social media, and that direct information from companies remains the most influential information source for investors.

CFO at Spark, Jolie Hodson, says the development of the Spark NZ Investor Centre app was in part driven by these insights, and serves as a one-stop shop for existing and potential investors.

“Financial information is only useful if it’s up to the minute, and, as one of New Zealand’s largest companies by value on the NZX, we have a responsibility to make this information accessible to our investors wherever and whenever they need it”, says Hodson.

“The app is receiving positive feedback for its ease of use and unmatched functionality. It makes it far easier to stay on top of the latest NZX and ASX announcements, share prices and results – all available from the palm of your hand and with the tap of a finger. And it reflects our desire to deliver great digital customer experiences.”

The app allows users access to view:

• Latest announcements – fed directly from the NZX (including market announcements, disclosures and half-year and annual result presentations)

• Latest results – with full-year and detailed financials

• Upcoming events – allows shareholders to sync these to their calendar

• Share prices – provides a live feed from both the NZX and ASX including opening, high and low price and volume traded

• Shareholder information – detailing dividends, share price history and shareholder newsletters

Craig Parnham, CEO of Sush Mobile, says the app represents a great collaboration and truly joint effort between the two companies.

“We loved working on this project with Spark and understand the importance of driving engagement within their shareholder and analyst community. Everyone’s very proud of the solution we came up with.”

The Spark NZ Investor Centre app will see the rollout of additional features, such as push notifications; over the next few months to make sure it continues to best serve investor needs.