CREDIT: CORESOLUTIONS
Gifts. is a free application to make your holiday shopping as simple as possible.

A new Android application developed in part by Fanshawe graduates is designed to make your holiday gift shopping as painless as possible. The name of the app is simple: Gifts. Period included. Chris Lawn, a marketing a business development specialist at CoreSolutions, said the app was intentionally released around Christmas time to help students in particular stay on budget with their spending during the holiday season.

“It's a simple way to keep track of your holiday finances,” Lawn said. A total budget can be created, as well as personalized budgets for individual gifts.

Lawn added that there is a feature in the app that allows users to make their own Christmas lists and share them with family members. He said it is great for keeping family members up to date with your wish list. Users can also make a list of future purchases and can keep track of which gifts need to be wrapped.

Lawn said the application will be rebranded after the holiday season, and users will find Gifts. has applications outside of Christmas shopping, including birthdays and other gift-giving events throughout the year.

“It's a great way to keep yourself up to date and keep your budget in line,” Lawn said.

The app was designed by CoreSolutions, a London-based company with connections to Fanshawe. CEO and president Barney Lawn was the former chair of the School of Information Technology on the College Advisory Committee. Several other members of the team are Fanshawe graduates as well.

The company also offers six coop opportunities for Fanshawe students.

The app is free to download at the Google Play store and does not come with advertisements. Lawn said this decision was made to celebrate CoreSolutions' 25th anniversary: Gifts. is their gift back to us.

“It's there for anyone to use,” Lawn said.