Seychellois Nel Gonthier soft-launches new communication platform |12 May 2021

Nel Gonthier

KWIM, which is an abbreviation for ‘Know What I Mean’, is the perfect name to describe this new app, a platform for communication, with language translating in messages as its main feature. This new app is the brainchild of Nel Gonthier. Seychelles NATION caught up with Nel to know more about this app.

Seychelles NATION: Tell us a bit about your app and how it works?

Nel Gonthier: KWIM is an app that is doing something no one else is. It is an independent platform that identifies different languages by detecting, words, phrases and intonations, but the users always receive the messages in the default language they choose upon signing up. For example if I am writing in English with my default being English and I am messaging someone who’s default is Chinese, they will receive the messages in Chinese. KWIM allows for a flow of messages without interruption of language barriers.

Seychelles NATION: What was the inspiration behind KWIM Messenger?

Nel Gonthier: I got the idea for this app when I was at University, studying civil engineering in the Czech Republic. I had a lot of difficulties with communication there given there were so many people of various nationalities. The language barrier between the different nationalities was what inspired me to develop this app that aims to facilitate communication between people of different languages.

Seychelles NATION: Tell our readers about your journey in developing this revolutionary platform?

Nel Gonthier: After I conceived the idea, I checked if there was any other platform that translates messages automatically and there was none, so I went forward to patent my idea. This was the biggest challenge of the journey, keeping it safe. Then I went on to opening my software company and developing the app on the low until I had the patent in my possession. We have now soft-launched KWIM Messenger on Google Play store and in a few weeks’ time, hopefully, we will have it on Apple.

Seychelles NATION: How has the app been performing since the launch?

Nel Gonthier: So far we have received good reviews, the messages are being sent in under two seconds with the translation, there is a continuous flow of messages which never leaves the user wondering what language they are being messaged in. I have a team of experts behind me and our architecture is unique because it allows us to be more secure with the privacy of our users, with end to end encryption. The system and its coding is so different from other platforms and we are working on new updates to ensure optimum performance from KWIM.

Seychelles NATION: How many languages can KWIM translate and is Seychellois Creole one of them?

Nel Gonthier: The app can currently translate 60 languages, but unfortunately Creole Seychellois is not one of them. However, we do have Haiti Creole and French and KWIM is detecting and translating Creole Seychellois as much as possible. But we are definitely working on it and with time our Creole will become a default language as well.

KWIM Messenger is currently available for download in the Google play store for free in all countries.

“With KWIM Messenger language barrier is a thing of the past,” declared Mr Gonthier.

Iza Amade