If you would have to take a guess as to how much an app that will just randomly point you left or right, you probably would think this can actually be done for free. But of course we know something as simple as that will probably not come free, but I doubt if any of us would actually think that the Transport Security Administration (TSA) spent a million dollars just for this Randomizer app. There are probably other things that came into it, but that number is still pretty shocking right?
If you’ve seen a TSA agent holding up an iPad that will tell which direction you should go to, randomly of course, then you have already met the Randomizer app. We get that it’s important that you have a machine or program that will remove the human factor in deciding which lane you should go to for your security check. But did they really have to spend $1.4 million for it? That’s the number that developer Kevin Burke got when he tried to find out what developing that app actually cost.
Okay, technically, that $1.4 million is for the entire contract that IBM got when they were contracted for the project, which may include all the iPads that the agents use in various airports. While there was no actual breakdown as to where that money was spent, some computations put the actual app development at $336,413.59, which is still pretty huge for such a simple act.
We’d be interested to hear from either IBM or the TSA about why it was that expensive, although for now, both have remained mum. Burke got the details after using the Freedom of Information Act to ask about the development of the app and the financial details. But we’ve also seen now a video from developer Chris Pacia showing that the app could be created in 10 minutes and for just $10.
VIA: The Geek
