Citycom – the first Georgian digital space for neighborhoods
You have a very interesting product, could you tell us in detail about your main service?
Citycom is quite a complex, yet at the same time a very simple product. We are a digital space for collecting and managing neighborhood finances, which allows neighbors to solve building-related problems by simplifying fund collection along with numerous other tools.
By other tools, we mean:
A neighborhood management platform, where every neighbor has access to a digital piggy bank, reporting, expense analytics, and many other important features.
An admin panel, where the building manager easily and transparently manages the building's budget and organizes neighborhood matters.
A services market, where the neighborhood, with the help of our database, can choose a desired service provider in seconds to solve a building problem.
A door security system, where the neighborhood can install a card or call-based door opening system in their building.
Elections, where making any decision in the neighborhood becomes completely digital and simple.
All these tools are designed to help the neighborhood resolve building affairs, which is a well-known problem for everyone.
Taking the first step is the hardest, but Citycom will help you take the second step!
We understand very well how difficult it is to take that first step, to take that first initiative, and to collect that first amount of money.
When a building lacks an initiator, does not have a fund collection system, and lacks the neighbors' time and resources, in most cases, any issue is resolved by the building chairman going door-to-door, which is highly inefficient.
In general, in an unorganized neighborhood, the average time to solve a single problem can drag on for months or even years. This leaves no hope for solving the next problem; you somehow stop believing that a problem will ever be solved in this building.
This is the moment the neighborhood gives up, and it is at this moment, since 2017, that Citycom appears in the lives of neighborhoods!
What does a neighborhood mean to you?
In our vision, a neighborhood means something a little different, or rather, an exemplary neighborhood.
It's true that everyone who lives in the same building and side-by-side is a neighbor; however, a good neighborhood is created by caring and sharing the building's common problems and initiatives. There is great potential in all of this, and we want to develop this idea and provide effective help to neighborhoods.
We want the place where you wake up and go to sleep, where you start your morning and end your evening—your home and neighborhood—to become even more comfortable and well-maintained.
We want to teach neighborhoods what common property, common responsibility, and caring for this commonality are. We must understand that a neighborhood is managed only by its residents, and changes can be made only through their own initiative.
With the idea and enthusiasm of caring for the common good, today Citycom simplifies the daily lives of over 2,000 neighborhoods and more than 210,000 neighbors. Over half a million issued cards, 30+ partner developer companies – we believe this is just the beginning. We won't stop until we show the whole country what a real neighborhood is!
According to data from recent months, we are adding an average of 2,000 new users every month, which means that soon, the whole of Georgia will become one big neighborhood!
Could you tell us a bit more about how Citycom works?
After installing the Citycom system, every resident contributes a monthly amount to a common account, and the amount is calculated based on an individual tariff set for each apartment. The tariff calculation process is very simple – each building sets its own monthly payment amount based on the number of residents. After setting a specific number, if 2/3 of the residents agree that this tariff is acceptable, only then is Citycom activated.
After collecting the funds, the total amount is managed by the responsible person, also known as the chairman or the building manager.
In total, we get a completely transparent digital piggy bank, where every neighbor participates in building their neighborhood. Additionally, any neighbor can freely present their initiative or idea to the building manager, and with the neighborhood's support, the initiative will definitely be implemented.
As we mentioned earlier, Citycom has created a separate tool for the building manager—the admin panel—where they can find all necessary features and financial instruments in one space. They can manage the entire budget for services such as elevator maintenance, cleaning, installing a barrier, electricity costs, building improvement, and so on.
For example, the largest amount goes to building improvement (20%), electricity (19%), elevator maintenance (17%), electrical energy (14%), and cleaning (13%), while the remaining percentage is distributed among other building-related services.
As you can see, we have separate digital platforms for the neighborhood and the building managers, which gives us the opportunity to add functionality to both that will be specifically tailored to either the neighbor or the building manager. As a result, we get synchronization and harmony – a neighborhood where everything is in order, everything is transparent, everything is easily resolved, and there are no unsolvable problems.
How was the services market created?
After creating the digital piggy bank and seeing its success, we realized that this was only the first step. The money has been collected, but what happens next? We realized we could help in this part as well, which is why we created the services market, which also simplifies neighbors' lives.
With the help of the services market, a neighborhood can choose a service that will help solve an issue in the building, then select the desired craftsman and easily call them. As a result, we get a complete experience, starting from fund collection and ending with using the service.
I must also point out that all providers registered on the portal are independent individuals and perform their services without Citycom's control, which means Citycom is not responsible for the quality of the service provided.
In the event that a user is dissatisfied with the service, they can leave the provider an appropriate rating and notify us – the Citycom administration. In the case of poor-quality service by a provider, we will definitely suspend cooperation with them.
Overall, what role does Citycom play in the life of a neighborhood?
Citycom doesn't just help neighborhoods with fund collection. Our main mission lies in something entirely different – to unite neighborhoods.
Being a neighbor is a highly responsible thing; in a relationship built on mutual respect, everyone must fulfill their role. We sincerely believe that if every neighbor understands their role and significance, the entire neighborhood will be built up, just like that.
And a strong neighborhood armed with Citycom is truly unstoppable!
Tell us about Citycom's future plans.
Many new things are being planned behind the scenes at Citycom. I can't talk about a lot of them yet, but I will tell you about some things.
A major application update is planned for the near future, where neighbors will have the opportunity to use even more features to simplify neighborhood life.