Maran kavin, Author at W2S Solutions Blog

What are the challenges and advantages of location-based applications?

The all new level of personalization

Marketing and technology have always evolved hand-in-hand. Marketing rocks the cradle of commerce and business channels. While technology is there supporting and empowering them for larger avenues of success and market growth. Along the way, a lot has been talked and said about how personalization is changing the game of reaching out to your most probable customers. On such a journey, the tech industry has enabled marketing to reach an entirely new level of personalization— Location Based Services. With an ever-evolving degree of customization in the customer experience, location is adding immense value to the overall system.

While the actual materialized results are yet to be confronted and analyzed, the industry is riding on the newly marketed avenue of customer experience. It has led to numerous speculations and craze among tech enthusiasts. They are trying to evolve the overall customer experience on an everyday basis.

What does it mean to the customers?

Location-based services will have a world of impact suddenly dropping on the heads of the smartphone users. Imagine yourself using a standard news application which sends you persistent notifications on a regular basis. You have conveniently downloaded it from the respective application store, and then it installed on your device. As the installation progresses, it asks you for permission to switch on your location. You allow them to track your location; you are set to experience a different level of personalization. There will be your local news, push advertisements on all brands available in your vicinity. Moreover, maybe it will also suggest you change the language if location remains the same for an extended period.

Hurdles on the way for location-based applications

Allowance based service

Amidst all the stakes being placed on the rising trend of location-based mobile applications, there lies a considerable risk still to be mitigated effectively. As one downloads the app and installs it, there is enormous decision-making left with the user. The user might not want to give access to the location. Doesn’t matter how cool location-based services might look, they are of absolutely no use if the user decides to keep his location unshared.

Irregularities in location access

According to one of the significant surveys conducted in the past, everyone out of three adults and 46% of the youngsters are afraid of keeping the location on. It is either because they’re hiding out from their parents or have some sense of insecurity in being found out on a map by their friends or colleagues. The irregular pattern in location access makes it difficult for mobile applications to document their location and render highly personalized services.

For instance, there is an introvert individual who likes to keep it to himself and doesn’t allow the location generally to be switched on. However, for using travel or a short commute app, he switches on the location and in the meantime receive notifications from the respective application which might not attract him and increase the risk of bouncing off. It doesn’t mean that the mobile app doesn’t have the potential in location-based services, but it is the very short duration of the location being switched on which is causing the problem. It considerably reduces the quality of service, and hence consumers bounce off very quickly.

Slimmer Isolation Wall (Privacy)

Location services come with its perks and disadvantages. It is a massive trade off which is yet to be handled. The user can be lured with a mesmerizing consumer experience on any mobile application, this automatically exposes him with the sensitive information about his location all the time. There are significant content delivery platforms like Google which clearly state that they’re not storing the data of your location. But still there is a risk of a data breach which can lead to compromised circumstances.

Race for attention

Location-based services might have immense potential, but they also open up scope for never-ending competition. Consider a less popular mobile application incorporating location-based services in the mobile app. A user might even switch on the location, but he will not be in a position to use and avail the services of your mobile application. Other machine learning enabled location-based service mobile applications might steal the show.

Risk of being irrelevant

Location is a dynamic piece of information which might vary without any notice on a regular basis. Thus, it becomes increasingly difficult for mobile application users to stay engaged on any location-based mobile application which is lacking being relevant regarding the content. The content displayed on your location-based mobile application might get irrelevant very quickly if the smartphone user is traveling or is on the go continuously. In that situation, there is a considerable risk, of course, a user bounce off from your mobile application.

The motivation for Business from Location-Based Mobile Apps

Possible Increase in User Base

Every new technology trend has its cult, and it increases with time. Similarly, location-based services are attracting attention of enthusiastic millennial generation. It might help you find a place on the youngsters’ smartphone. It should be clearly understood that your location-enabled mobile application might not play on its merit for increasing the user base but people looking to experience location-based personalize services will use it at least for once. It is the chance which you need to convert for a permanent place in their smartphone and mind.

Efficient Engagement: Higher Chances of Conversion

Location-based services are eventually a padded soldier in the army of direct, personalize marketing. It has its perks in increasing your sales and one can prove location-based services are ultimately a padded soldier in the military of uninterrupted, personalized marketing. It has its perks in increasing your sales and can be helpful in putting your sales because of the higher capability to convert customers into smaller business deals.

More traffic=More Money through Apps

Location-based services are most likely to increase the traffic on your mobile application by 3 to 4 times. It will have immense scope for you to monetize your mobile apps and make much money. The increasing traffic can be used to flash platform add, video advertisements and also sold out with in-app purchases for some premium segment customers. It is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to make money, but there should be a proper experience enhancement and not an unintentional decrease of the branded consumer experience perceive to be an appropriate enhancement of experience and not a involuntary reduction of the branded consumer experience as maintained by the consumer.

Google maps is a paid service. What are the alternatives?

Posted by: Maran kavin Posted on: February 15, 2019 google maps alternatives 2019 , Map Apps Development , Map Based Apps

Maps & Other Location-Based Services

Location services have been a prime target of development and numerous functionalities in the present-day mobile apps. In the throat cutting race of personalization, knowingly or unknowingly, location-based services have made a mark. It might be difficult to realize but it has become a spine of a majority of mobile application-based services in the present day.

Whether we look for a short commute through CTUC or order food with convenience offered by Swiggy, it is the magic of one of the premium location-based services, maps. There is an upcoming trend of exploring new libraries and packages based on the excellence of Javascript. Nowadays, every growth driven mobile app Development Company is exploring the potential of upcoming development platforms like Leafletjs.

What has exactly happened?

It is the development of 2018 that Alphabet Inc. subsidiary Google has turned its extensively used Google map API service into a paid one. Now, every mobile application which is using Google map services has to subscribe to their package for continued services.

How did it work earlier?

Up till now, Google had rolled out a public API which was easily usable in any mobile or web application for using the Google map service. Most delivery management applications and short commute services are using Google maps for their location-centric data. Any application belonging to the respective spectrum is bound to use location and roadmap and facilities from one vendor or the other. So, this primarily works through a pre-calibrated API which any mobile application developer can use in the required platform.

What does it mean to the IT world?

It has created an uproar in the nascent technology space of mobile application development. All the developers and companies who used better services of Google apps are now supposed to pay or switch to any other freemium alternative.

Consequences

Google has turned around a table of free location-based map and routing services offered through Google maps. It has created an excess overhead in the operation cost for any technology-based business that exists on the Internet. Now, all delivery management apps and travel applications are forced to cut short their margin of profit by paying for API-based services.

Bright Alternatives of Google Maps

Waze

Google acquired location and map services called Waze is highly resourceful and easy to use. The company has a resourceful pool of all the relevant information for drivers and people in need of other location-based resources like fuel pumps, travel map, police activity, and traffic patterns. Interestingly, Google has performed a clean merger of Waze into the pre-existing Google map service. Although, it is still available on android play store; the app is facing an existential crisis because of all features available in Google maps. This app has an excellent mobile app resources for traffic information, accident location and other delivery management system requirements.

Maps.Me

Maps.me is one of the leading mappings in writing services available for mobile applications. The greatest USP for this location-based services is its ability to render information while the device is out of network or off-line due to some reason. It is kind of public initiative that is based on the crowd-created database of streets and other features of the mapping data. According to some unverified resources, this is an essential mobile app offering reliable, verified map data for approx. 350 countries and islands on your smartphone.

The off-line route in map service comes with several other features like annotation, bookmarking and pinning locations for an enriched customer experience alongside dynamically updated data.

City Mapper

It is an ultimate mobile app resource focusing on all the relevant road and map data required for people travelling through public transport. The public commute centric application shows all the required information for all the top cities and their nearby places for intra and inter-public commute services like a bus, Subway, local trains and another form of public transit easily.

The higher utility room service comes with an easy to use, comprehensive UI and all the relevant resources available for tapping on the screen. The user has to enter the trip details like source and destination information and choose the most convenient public transit service. All the relevant information of route, timing and everything else will be available in a jiffy.

Here Maps by Nokia

In the Android world, one of the potent replacements for Google maps is the Nokia‘s Here maps. The grand USP of location on map service offered by Nokia is the exciting mix of mapping data and locality wise information available right at your fingertips. Consistently updated location and mapping service are gaining attraction among smartphone users and a specific cult which doesn’t seem very satisfied with Google maps. Apart from this, Nokia is leaving no stone unturned to build a cohesive system of functionalities which are not curtailing the UX online or off-line.

Bing Maps

Providing ultimate support to the Windows, Bing maps are tendering a healthy competition for all other mobile applications. The Microsoft owned map service has been transformed and elevated with features from an app called the map which had 3D viewing capacity, concise traffic information and a plethora of elements for different kind of users.

The final Word

The urge of highly personalized CX by all business mobile apps has helped location in map services rise to the altar of high importance. With a plethora of options thrown at the smart phone using fraternity, the onus lies on the ‘smart’ smartphone users to choose, evaluate and adopt the best service. Widespread use of any application should be a responsible steps as it leaves statement for the laggards and following user. Now, it is just a matter of time and evolving location-based services on how to transform the next level personalization in apps.

How To Build A Complex Map Based App With LeafletJS?

Posted by: Maran kavin Posted on: February 7, 2019 leaflet , leafletjs , Map Based Apps

The open-source JavaScript library meant for making interactive web maps and map-based apps, Leaflet is simple, flexible, and lightweight. Today, it is one of the most popular open-source mapping libraries. Among the several mapping libraries such as Mapbox and Google Maps that allow users to build or embed simple 2D maps, Leaflet allows changing the map base layer without the need for changing the application logic. Extensively being used for building web map applications, Leaflet supports most desktop and mobile platforms supporting CSS3 and HTML5.

The Significant Role Played by Leaflet in Building Map-Based Apps

Leaflet is a JavaScript mapping library that has been used by websites such as Flickr, Pinterest, and FourSquare in the contemporary web space. Developers without GIS background are allowed to easily display tiled web maps that are hosted on public servers and are provided with optional tiled overlays as well.

Feature data from GeoJSON files can be loaded, styled, and interactive layers such as markers with popups (when clicked) can be created, using Leaflet. By using Leaflet, you can bind a Leaflet map element to HTML element such as a div. Markers and Layers can be added to the map element then.

Basic Features of Leaflet

Leaflet supports GeoJSON layers, Vector layers, Tile layers, and Web Map Service layers natively. Several other layer types are also supported through plugins. Similar to other web map libraries, Leaflet’s basic display model is a basemap, with zero or more vector objects and zero or more translucent overlays that are displayed at the top.

Elements of Leaflet

The following are the major Leaflet object types:

Vector types (Polygon, Path, and specific types such as Circle)
Raster types (Image Overlay and Tile Layer)
Grouped types (Feature Group, Layer Group, and GeoJSON)
Controls (Layers, Zoom, and so on)

In addition to these, there is a range of utility classes available in Leaflet, such as interfaces that manage transformations, projections, interaction with DOM.

Benefits of LeafletJS in Building Map –Based Apps

Fast moving and open-source, Leaflet is an effective library for mobile-friendly interactive maps. It aims at simple and performance-oriented use. Leaflet allows developers to make use of small and simple collection of libraries for taking the load on mobile devices. This makes LeafletJS a popular API among app developers.

Leaflet’s Exclusive Features:

GeoJSON Layers, Pop-ups, and Markers (Custom markers can be provided), Pure CSS3 Pop-ups and controls (easy animation and designing)
Lightweight (around 34KB of zipped JS code)
Browser support functions in IE7 and Vector Layers, Image Layers, WMS Layers, Layer groups, and Raster Layers. Double click Zoom, Scroll Wheel Zoom, Zoom to area, and Keyboard navigation features
Usable with other map providers such as MapBox, Google, and OSM

Benefits

Fast, simple, and reusable code
Js 1.0 can collaborate with Leaflet for supporting embedded maps
There are no external dependencies – tile layers and drag panning using inertia and multi-touch support
Nice default design for markers, pop-ups, layers and other map controls. Markers and Layers are well-supported by retina resolutions.

Steps Involved in Building a Simple MAP-Based App Using Leaflet

Building boiler plate Leaflet map and creating the point data file
Reading data from the file created
Adding markers and zoom
Filtering the data
Having different icons for different types of points
Adding a hover event
Adding buttons to filter points

Leaflet happens to be the platform people use when they have to do mapping. This freely-available, open-source mapping plugin for JavaScript is enriched with several add-ons and plugins that are at the disposal of the developer. Requiring a little more developer knowledge, it proves to be the favorite of those who love open-source platforms.Leaflet has standard, clear JavaScript plugin-style documentation; it is enriched with a lot of online resources that are spread across the web. Ease of use and documentation are Leaflet’s strongholds. In regard to coding, Leaflet is found to be more accessible and adaptable to the developers since it is an open-source platform.

Benefits of Using Leaflet for Building Map-Based Apps

Its open source nature ensures that it is being checked by myriad developers on a regular basis. It is not restricted by Google’s service terms. One major advantage is the flexibility developers get in developing and the ability to customize the map without having to worry about the technology being deprecated or being not supported.

Rather than having to build maps completely from scratch, while using Leaflet, you may use pre-written controls and functions which will greatly help in customizing your own map in the code. The following are the exclusive features made available in Leaflet, especially useful for building map-based apps:

Performance Features:
- Use of CSS3 features
- Hardware acceleration on mobile
- Modular build system
- Tap delay elimination on mobile
- Smart polygon/polyline rendering
Interaction Features:
- Scroll wheel zoom
- Keyboard navigation
- Double click zoom
- Drag panning with inertia
- Zoom to area
- Pinch-zoom on mobile
- Marker dragging
Layers out of the box:
- Pop-ups, markers
- WMS, Tile layers
- Vector layers
- GeoJSON
- Image overlays
Map Controls:
- Attribution
- Scale
- LAYER Switch
- Zoom buttons
Visual Features:
- Tile and pop-up fade animation
- Retina Resolution support
- Zoom and pan animation
- Very nice default design
Browser Support for Mobile:
- Android browser
- Firefox for mobile
- Safari for iOS 7+
- Chrome for mobile
- IE10+ for Win8devices
Customization Features:
- Image and HTMP-based markers
- Interface for custom map layers and controls
- Pure CSS3 pop-ups and controls
- Powerful OOP facilities

Leaflet, not an actual mapping service, is a JavaScript library that is used along with multiple types of base layers. It doesn’t involve the need for any logos or attributions. Partnering with third parties, Leaflet supplies users with a wide range of map layers.

How Trail Tracking Apps Helps User To Enjoy The Trails?

Posted by: Maran kavin Posted on: January 22, 2019 Trail Tracker , Trail Tracking App Development , Trail Tracking Apps

Turning to outdoor activities has always been one of the greatest rejuvenators and relaxants for the human race. The love for adventure activity holidays and enthusiasm toward getting closer to nature has been on a considerable rise during the past few decades. Modern lifestyle filled with its own stress and strain calls for occasional, if not frequent, unwinding and loosening up. What could be more effective in this regard, than challenging and refreshing outdoor activities such as trail running, cycling, hiking, walking, climbing and camping among others? Now here’s where you need to consider a word of caution-about staying in touch with your loved ones all the while you take up such daring activities. And what better way is there to ensure that your proximity is being tracked completely, assuring your security and safety, than the innovative trail tracker app?

The Significance of the Modern Trail Tracking App

In the awesome journey of technology across varied fields of professions and different activities in individuals’ lives, mobile apps have attained one of the most significant spaces. With mobility solutions, the standard of human life has been taken several notches up in the modern world. One such innovative mobile app created exclusively for the adventurous types and outdoor activity-loving people, the trail tracker app, is the latest offering from contemporary mobile technology.

With GPS not only having changed the face of travelling and exploration but also effectively keeping tabs on anybody’s whereabouts, trail tracker apps have been developed for the benefit of those who wish to go on a trailing expedition to any location in the world without any qualms. Navigation applications that include all of the local tracks pre-loaded about a particular geographical location are not just one of the latest hiking technologies but an instrument that gives peace of mind to the users and their family members as well.

The Innovative Trail Tracking App for Running, Hiking or any Outdoor Activity

Gone are the days when users had to fumble with OS maps in howling winds and try locating the much-needed compass among the umpteen things stuffed in their jacket’s several pockets or their rucksacks. For that matter, the once-important heart rate monitors that consumed battery power and were clunky and not so reliable after a period of time have gone obsolete as well. All the functions performed by such formerly used equipment have been provided in an easy-to-use and completely reliable manner on your Smartphone, thanks to technology.

Technology has been adopted in a considerably increasing manner by not only professionals and individuals for their daily activities but also by those heading out to enjoy outdoors and achieve a sense of adventure and relax simultaneously. Using technology greatly enhances the outdoor experience. It ensures safety, helps improving communication with others, analyzing individual performance and sharing information with like-minded enthusiasts as well. There are a lot of gadgets from which you may choose the best one for navigating and tracking performance easily and according to your specific use and preference.With digital devices evolving in leaps and bounds during the recent past, there’s always a device and software for the activity of one’s particular liking. Making use of the now common Smartphone or any hand-held mobile device, the popular trail tracker app promises ease of use, accuracy and reliability than one could have imagined. Tracking tools relieve users from having to pore over manuals, troubleshooting guides and FAQs. The modern trail tracker app is intuitive and is ready for action instantly after you download it.

What Makes Trail Tracking Apps Indispensable for Today’s Outdoor Enthusiasts?

Compatible with common features such as heart monitors, GPS watches and full smart integration, this app provides not just maps and directions but education and user-specific exercise regimen as well. Coaching is offered in regard to daily workout programs that help you achieve your intended goals. Topics such as running techniques, strength and conditioning, recovery and race preparation and injury prevention are covered in the educative material offered by today’s mobile apps for trailing lovers.

Enabling users to explore newer routes and compete with a global community, this app proves to be the most reliable trail and route resource for any athlete or adventure lover. It gives peace of mind to you and your family by tracking your route and empowering you to easily navigate unchartered territories.

Reliable Features in the Trail Tracking App That Assure Safety and Access

Creating tracks, saving and sharing
Browsing trails that are nearest to your specific location
Trail topography maps can be viewed
Editing or adding new trails
Creating or reading trail reviews
Sync with any companion’s account online
Photos can be added to trails or specific tracks

What Can Trailing Enthusiasts Do With a Trail Tracking App?

Recording of trails: You just need to switch on the app and start recording: your trail gets automatically tracked for use in future. This is very useful for trekking sessions.
Playing the trails: Your trails walk on the same path that you explore; you may look for your spots of interest while following indications. This lets you enjoy the path required, while being guided during your trail.
Automatic alert system: With the trail tracker app installed in your mobile device or smart watch, you may just enjoy your outdoor activity; the inbuilt alert audio system provides correct control of the trail.
Sharing your trails: Trail running, hiking or cycling users can share their tracks with friends and others by making use of the social networks.

How Can You Use the app?

Trail tracker app is available for all modern mobile/digital devices
Marking the territory you want and making a guide of a city or region with your specific places of interest is possible
Use this modern app for your hiking, trekking, cycle tours or even city tours

Convenience of Use

Time, distance and altitude of all outdoor activities can be viewed in real-time
Intuitive and easy interface organized for quick and simple use enables recording while you are playing a track
Point of interest and indication may be added in the record state

With the humble GPS-related tracking and a mind-bogging range of varied features, the state-of-the-art trail tracker app is a gift to the adventure lovers who wish to explore outdoors and traverse their dream destinations while staying connected to ground reality.

How to Build your Own Real-time Chat App

Posted by: Maran kavin Posted on: January 16, 2019 Chat App Development , Forrest Green App , Free Messaging Apps , Group Chat App

With the demand for networking and socializing on the web growing more and more, free messaging apps and chat apps have been driving the cyber space, keeping mobile operators and mobile app developers always busy and looking out for innovations. It has been seen from statistics that chat apps, with their overwhelming following and popularity, are even surpassing the social media today. Not only changing the way people communicate with their near and dear ones but also encouraging the development of relationships among myriad number of erstwhile separated people, chat apps and free messaging services are really the trend in the contemporary world.

Significance of Chat Apps in Today’s World

The most popular chat app of the current times, WhatsApp is supposed to have an amazing number of users – over 1.6 million monthly active users. The number of messages sent by each of these would normally average 40 per day. Offering real-time interaction that adds a personal touch to communication along with exceptional convenience is the factor that makes chat apps and free messaging apps a big hit among people of all age groups today.Beginning with the days of the chat room that brought people from diverse backgrounds together under an umbrella through social networking sites that offered to provide enticing experience and massive connectivity, the world’s general public – regardless of whether professionals, organizations, or individuals – has been attracted toward an efficient and intriguing platform for socializing.

In the present times, it is the instant messaging that keeps us engaged and enticed through delivery of swift responses and smooth exchanges. Here’s where developing a chat app that draws and sustains people becomes essential.

Features Required in a Successful Chat AppThe best group chat apps that offer users what they seek must contain a few salient features that are listed below:

Group calls: The chat app must allow users to connect among themselves, facilitating group conversation through audio and video
VOIP Phone calls: Voice over Internet protocol (VOIP), the technology of delivering not only voice communications but also multimedia sessions over the Internet protocol
End-to-end Encryption of chat: Third-party infiltration must be eliminated by using safe encryption – user data privacy must be prioritized and ensured through advanced encryption technology
Video Chats: Voice and video calls for directly communicating with a personal touch – without the need for any intermediate connection
Multimedia support: Convenient transfer of files in different formats such as image, video, Gif, document, animation, location, and so on
Cloud Service Sync: Monitoring, updating, storing, and scaling the hosting environment using cloud resource platform synchronization
Multi-platform chats: Cross-platform messaging allows user engagement within their reach from anywhere
Geolocation integration: Flow of interaction becomes quite effective on a real-time basis with enhanced geolocation interaction
Self-destruction messages: this feature allows sending a whisper by just tapping a recipient name in a group so that others in the group will not be able to see the messages
Calendar synchronization: This provides deep knowledge about tasks and events that appear where one plans his or her day
Payment integration: Secure and user-friendly payment interfaces such as UPI, VPA, and MPIN
In-app purchase: The right monetization strategy can be chosen for selling the app on digital store, to achieve increased revenue stream

Challenges in Building a Successful Chat App

Engaging and retaining users: Providing perfect insight about an app’s success, user engagement and user retention are the critical metrics. While developing a chat app, it must be borne in mind that users do not offer several chances; you need to entice them from the start itself. Developing a technically advanced and user-friendly app requires providing the following essential factors:
- Personalization
- Onboarding experience
- Regular updates
- Incentives
Security concerns: One of the major challenges faced while building a free messaging app, security must be a priority. Users always are concerned about security and look for secure way of communication. Encryption is required for avoiding users’ personal and proprietary information being purposely or inadvertently transmitted over the web. Users’ privacy and information security are major concerns in building the best group chat app.
Protection of Security & Authenticity: FG being a chat app that is created by a leading App development company, W2S Solutions as per guidelines with all its actions performed within the boundaries of specific communities, complete control over security and privacy is ensured. Reliable authentication of each valid user is ensured by login process that is undertaken by Microsoft Azure. BBM SDK renders all video and audio calls as well as chats safe through end-to-end encryption.
Unique Identity: Each and every group will be provided unique identity such as back-end color, logo, and appearance, as set by ADMI.
Managing ubiquity: With advancement in technology and number of users of free messaging apps rising, it is natural that user expectations are constantly rising too. The chat app must be capable of empowering users to perform several functions. Multiple functionality helps attract users. Beginning with shopping through hailing cabs through organizing physician appointment, everything must be made possible on the chat app, in order to keep users loyal.

Attracting People to Use the Chat App

There are over millions of apps available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store as of now. It is an irony that roughly 25% of people leave an app after their first use, to not return back ever. Standing out of the crowd is something apps must be capable of, in order to service and sustain. Following a few strategies will enable you to come up with the best group chat app that entices a large number of potential users:

The specific business niche intended must be pinpointed: While building general-purpose free messaging apps is fine, competition will be steep here. Specialized messengers connecting people belonging to particular fields or specialties will ensure success.
Avoid competition by developing the app for your local market: Although apps may achieve success in particular geographic locations, they may go unnoticed in others. Geolocation plays a vital role in the success of a chat app.
Message Status: Senders are facilitated to have clear understanding about their messages.
Delete messages Automatically: The best group chat app has functionality that automatically destroys messages after a certain period of time that can be fixed.
Fancy, attractive features lead to success: Among tight competition, only those who are capable of conjuring up exclusive features will be able to strike it rich.

There are a handful of chat app behemoths around the world, but there’s always room for creative and high-quality chat apps. With messaging apps having taken to lead role in future communication, developing an attractive and useful free messaging app is still a lucrative business idea.

The Reality of Modern Farming Will Surprise You

Posted by: Maran kavin Posted on: January 9, 2019 Agriculture App In India , Mobile App for Farmers , Modern Farming

Falling in line with the positive trend, the world’s primary and essential industry of agriculture has been found to embrace information technology today. Thanks to the innovative mobile app for farmers, the once overwhelming task of combating limited and restricted access to education as well as basic crop information has been made easy and effective. With reliable and customized agriculture app in India, Indian farmers are no longer required to witness themselves in vicious cycles of low productivity and poverty. Today’s smart farmers make use of mobile apps exclusively built for the agricultural community to understand their profession-based information such as mineral levels, soil moisture, and weather expectations.

The Role Played by Mobile Technology in the Contemporary Agriculture Industry

Civilization, in its constant evolutionary process, has not only been bestowed with unprecedented advantages and innovations but also has been pushed to face challenges such as scarcity of resources and raw materials. Sustainability challenges loom in the horizon, when we consider production of food grains and agricultural products. In order to address such challenges and be able to create financial value for both smallholder farms and agriculture-based organizations, modern technologies such as cloud-based applications are found to be a boon.

Introduction of portable and wireless devices along with mobile technology has resulted in innovative applications and services being created within the agriculture sector. These are effectively being used in agricultural chains in all global nations. In developed nations, agricultural labor force is comparatively smaller and adoption of mechanization is found to be more advanced. It is in developing nations such as India, with a large chunk of workforce employed in agriculture, mobile app for farmers proves very effective in delivering services for both producers and traders.

A host of mobile applications provide essential and reliable basic information about agriculture-related factors such as weather information, trading facilities, financial services (such as loans, insurance, and payments), and peer-to-peer learning to the farming community.

Modern Farming- the Impacts of Technology and Mobile App for Farmers

In the modern age of information, tech companies and startups have joined hands with the Government for developing mobile app for farmers that aid in their agricultural processes and marketing their products for profit. Agriculture app in India aims at empowering farmers to access necessary data about prices of agricultural commodities, different markets to sell and their positions, insurance details of crops, and prediction of weather. These factors enable them to arrive at right decisions about fixing their commodities’ price in accordance with market trends and demands, appropriate climatic conditions for seed-sowing, and managing their cattle.

Easy-to-Use and Impressive Mobile App for Farmers

Cloud computing has enabled providing all essential farming-related information to the farming communities regardless of whether they are big or small. Furthermore, proliferation of mobile phones has made online education and integrated IT systems possible. Such connectivity leads to improved information flow and helps farmers in making better land management decisions.

Facilities to monitor soil condition in conjunction with reliable weather information lead to improvement in planning the planting and harvesting seasons. Pre-emptive information about pests as well as animal diseases maybe accessed from geographical information systems, enabling farmers to react according t the risk level. Fertilizers, water, and seeds can be used in the most optimal way by making use of agriculture app in India and cloud computing technologies. As a result, consumption of resources is reduced, while farmers are allowed to save precious money and efforts.

Awesome Facts About Modern Farming

In India, increase in Smartphone penetration and wide-spread use of the Internet has facilitated the farming community to make extensive use of mobile apps. Making beneficial use of agriculture app in India, those depending on agriculture for their income have started using apps for performing research to arrive at unique solutions. They have moved to the most modern practices and are now able to make well-informed decisions that save them from distress and let them make their fair share of profits. Mobile app for farmers is widely being used due to the following facts:

Mobile app solutions can be obtained using normal smartphones
Geographical location-based data analysis can be represented easily
This enables farmers to use innovative technology even in remote areas where the Internet is not so efficient
Mobile app solutions built exclusively for farmers are easy to use
Mapping tools available in apps empower farmers to analyze existing crop information
Geofencing and location tracking are enabled

By allowing farmers to keep abreast of crop and market conditions and empowering them to discern knowledge about crop-specific information, mobile apps for farmers ensure that they never have to suffer lack of knowledge or resort to distress sale.

Contemporary Trends in Mobile App Usage in Agricultural Sector

Jumping from a mere 20 % during the year 2000 to a whopping 92% during 2018, mobile phone usage has exponentially grown across the globe. Even in regions where Smartphone penetration is lower, growth has been found to be substantial during the recent years.

Mobile apps and services are designed and deployed exclusively for connecting agricultural producers across the globe. They provide them with ways of maximizing the productivity of their lands and the essential knowledge for protecting their lands’ resources for the future generations. For efficiently meeting the food, fuel, and fiber requirements of the multiplying world population, such shared knowledge proves inevitable and very useful.

Surprising Facts About Modern Agriculture

Farming has turned tech-savvy. Today, farming is no mere traditional profession; it now takes business acumen and educational qualifications. Entry of modern educated professionals comes handy in this field. It takes broad knowledge of environmental science, knowhow about modern technology, and the new-found entity of social media exposure. Plant biology and agronomy are commonplace in the modern agricultural community today.

Internet and cell phone technology, especially in the form of mobile app for farmers in the Indian agricultural sector, has brought forth great opportunities that enable farmers to be able to achieve improved connectivity and better information flows.

Mobile technology, in the form of agriculture app in India, facilitates product traceability, storage, and pest and disease tracking, thus helps farmers in increasing their efficiency levels, while reducing the environmental impacts of farming.

Mobile apps exclusively created for farmers allow them to understand and adopt the various innovative technologies that are being rolled out. They aim at bringing in increased efficiencies and improved production, while enabling the farming community to generate more profits.

Android vs iOS User Behavior: How Does It Impact Mobile App Development?

Posted by: Maran kavin Posted on: January 7, 2019 Android Vs iOS , User Behavior Analytics

Use of Smartphones have been increasing at an exponential rate across the modern world. Mobile applications have become an imperative part of mobile devices. A major population of the contemporary world is making use of several mobile apps for their everyday functions; mobile app development is considered a very critical process. Amid myriad mobile apps that are built and deployed, only a selected few succeed in gaining popularity with users and sustaining repetitive visits by them. It is those apps which solve specific problems of users and offer appropriate solution to the unique needs of users that finally succeed. To be able to come up with such winning apps, developers and entrepreneurs need to understand user behavior analytics and the information gathered from it.

Significance of User Behavior and Personality Traits

Understanding details such as who the target user of a conceived app is and their preferences and requirements is inevitable in building and delivering a successful app. Developing mobile apps is not like creating a piece of software. In order to come up with successful apps, you need to focus first on resolving the problem of a set of users. To be able to provide the solution, you must understand the target population at a granular level.Users’ behavior and personality traits play a vital role in developing a mobile app that attracts and retains users. One way of discerning these factors is by checking the users’ choice of their Smartphone. Choice of platform among the two major players, namely, iOS and Android which are different in several ways, speaks a lot about users’ specific interests and behaviors. This choice indicates important factors such as whether users are concerned about pricing, whether they take interest in downloading, if they are prepared to pay a price for the app, whether they are loyal to some specific brand or not.

A Glance at the Contemporary Mobile Operating System Market

Studies have clearly shown that iOS and Android put together account for over 99% of the total market share. While iOS users are found to be more willing to pay for apps than Android users, the number of targeted audience in Android is considerably more. Android app development companies and iPhone app development companies need to first decide which section of users they wish to target. If more number of users is the aim of the business organization or the app development company, then Android proves to be the best platform. On the other hand, if the intention is to earn money from the app, iOS platform must be the first choice.

A Peek into the User Behavior Factors that Impact Mobile App Development

Users’ preferences and behavior are representative of their idea about the mobile device as well as applications. By running user behavior analytics in a professional manner, developers and the mobile app development companies may arrive at the right decision about choosing their app development platform.

Market Share of Operating Systems: Android platform is seen to take up nearly 64% (two-thirds) of the mobile users market. While iOS app store includes over 2 million apps, Google Play Store has more than 3.5 million apps.
User Preference: While building a mobile app, entrepreneurs and mobile app developers need to consider and understand clearly the interests and choice of users. It is to be noted here that iOS and Android have to be used for targeting entirely different group of users. While iOS is for users who can spend money easily to buy apps, Android is meant for people in the lower middle income group. If acquiring customer base is your agenda, you need to go in for Android while for revenue generation, iOS is the best bet.
The Role Played by Device Capabilities: Smartphone users view their devices in a personal way. The difference in operating systems has a direct bearing on the user experience. This is one factor that influences choice of a particular OS by users. Apple’s iOS has stringent regulations for push notifications, timeframe for system updates and app submissions. In the case of Android, submission of apps may be performed freely and in customizable manner.
User Demographics: It is well known that Android has more market share than iOS. Good user experience under affordable pricing is the main reason for this. Users’ preferences and spending habits play a vital role in deciding about which platform to make use of. Income and location are a few crucial factors that need to be considered while creating a mobile app.
Personality: Android users tend to be more thoughtful in contrast to iOS clients who are seen to be more of outgoing individuals. While iOS users prefer to be leaders, Android clients display humility and honesty and tend to be comfortable being followers. Personality differences are indicators of the types of apps preferred by users.
App Engagement and Retention: One of the key factors that impacts the success of the mobile app, is considering the app engagement and retention while planning to build the app. It is common that iOS users are more likely to be engaged with apps and they also usually have higher retention. Android users being not so consistent with app engagement, developers have to face the challenge of building apps that enhance retention rate.
Users’ Spending Tendency: Although the once large gap in consumer spend between Android and iOS users is witnessed to have become smaller, iPhone users are still making more purchases when compared to Android users. While iOS provides opportunities for generating revenue through paid apps, Android apps are seen to draw revenue from mobile advertising.
Choosing the Right Platform for Your App: With each platform having its own specific characteristics and benefits, thoughtful consideration must be given to the most important factor that influences the success of the app ultimately, namely, the user.

An efficient iPhone app development company must understand the needs of users and their problems at ground level and perform diligent user behavior analytics to be able to provide the perfect solution to users.

Depending on the purpose and objectives of the mobile app, developers and mobile app development companies need to choose the appropriate platform that helps monetize the mobile app in an efficient manner. The decision should be fruitful for not only the business organization but also the user.

Considerations To Keep In Mind When Writing Your Mobile App PRD

Posted by: Maran kavin Posted on: January 3, 2019 Mobile App Development Requirement , Mobile App Requirements Document , PRD

Outlining a mobile app’s fundamental functionality even before beginning the development, the mobile app requirements document (PRD) has to describe the key details such as objectives, purpose, and the functionality in depth, of the mobile app. This document has to serve as the communication tool that summarizes the app’s needs and how the app will address those needs. Communication issues which might crop up while developing the app can be mitigated using the mobile app requirements document. This helps developers and app development companies stay better focused on app development.

Significance of Mobile App Requirements Document in the App Development Environment

Describing in entirety about the mobile app that developers are going to build, the PRD has the potential of driving the entire product team’s efforts and the company’s marketing, sales, and client support efforts. It is sometimes referred to as the product specifications document that takes the role of foundation of a product that outlines the business logic, lists its technical specifications, and effectively guides your team in development from concept stage through final sprint.

The PRD has to unambiguously and clearly articulate a product’s features, purpose, behavior, and functionality. This specification will be used by the product team for actually building and testing the product. Hence, it has to be sufficiently complete for providing them with information that is required for completing their task. If PRD has not been done well, the chances of coming up with a good mobile app is remote. App development quotes and the app development company’s reputation apart, PRD plays an important role in mobile app development.

Why Diligent PRD Preparation is Essential for Successful Mobile App Development?

Writing a requirements document that is inclusive of all essential data in an effective way with brevity is not as simple as it sounds. There are certain specific and important aspects that need to be taken into consideration for building the effective PRD that serves its purpose. These considerations, when borne in mind while writing the PRD, will ensure that your product takes off properly and sails along its development stage efficiently:

Flexibility must be allowed:

Care must be taken to see that not too many details are incorporated in the requirements document related to a mobile app. But then, there must be provision for assuring that product requirements allow for flexibility.

Too many details will make you face several changes to be made along with the progress of the project. This leads to resources and time being wasted. On the other hand, flexible development process helps facilitate changes easily. The requirements document being the starting point of your project, care must be taken in creating it.

Being specific is necessary:

While insisting on being to the point, it must be noted that no necessary detail must be avoided. Mobile app requirements document cannot be sub specified; all significant areas must be covered.

The development team has to run the document to ensure that nothing goes unnoticed or overlooked. It is advisable to keep key points standing out, and requirements must be as clear and specific as possible.

It has to be high level:

The primary purpose of the product requirements document is ensuring that all the team members involved are aligned with the mobile app’s purpose. It needs to be high level. This is essential as it is likely the product keeps evolving and changing as and when new knowledge or information is received.

Finally, you need to include details such as the reason it is being built for, for whom it is built, what it is, and when it will be needed. Use of jargon must be avoided; common phrases and terms have to be used for mitigating confusion or ambiguity.

Team and equipment must be included:

The team has knowledge and experience that need to be taken advantage of. Getting varied perspectives is crucial for building effective mobile app requirements document.

After all, it is the product team that is going to be guided by the PRD in developing the mobile app; it is imperative that the team understands what is required for building the product.

Effective Steps for Creating A Good PRD

Proper ground word must be done: The PRD’ goal is coming up with a compelling product; for achieving this, properly studying customers, competitors, technologies, and team’s capabilities is essential.
Purpose definition of the product: The need of the product and how it will address this need must be clearly defined. Concise value proposition must be established that enables communicating with every stakeholder.
User profiles, tasks, and goals must be defined: An in-depth understanding about target users and customers is essential. In this step, by working closely with the product designer, the aspects of user profile, tasks, and goals must be clearly described.
Product principle definition: It is of value to try and identify an effective set of product principles which would guide your entire team all along the project’s life cycle.
Prototyping and product concept testing: By making use of various forms of prototypes, you need to perform a significant amount of validation testing. Feasibility testing, usability testing, and product concept testing need to be performed at this stage.
Identifying and questioning Assumptions: Rather than making assumptions without even being aware of them, it is better to identify and check them.
Writing down the PRD: The PRD has to be written in a form that ensures it is being easily accessed by everyone in the team and is not lost. Moreover, it must allow itself to be updated throughout the project.
Prioritizing and ranking of requirements: It is imperative that all requirements are prioritized and ranked according to their weight.
Completeness testing: With the draft of your full PRD ready, it has to be tested for completeness.
Product management: All possible questions about product implementation must be resolved.

Similar to any project, mobile app development projects also start with the definition of needs and documentation of app requirements. To be able to transform app development ideas into successful ventures, it is imperative that the entire development team is provided a clear understanding about the product’s needs and how it will address the intended needs.

Top 50 KPIs and Metrics that Matter the Most for your Mobile App

Posted by: Maran kavin Posted on: December 26, 2018 50 Mobile App KPIs To Know , App Performance KPI , KPIs and Metrics , Measure Mobile App Performance , mobile app development company , Mobile App Performance Metrics

Getting the mobile applications designed and deployed is only the beginning of the journey that is filled with challenges to achieve success. Accomplishing the success of a mobile app and gauging it are few of the inevitable goals of Mobile App Development Companies. Effectively maximizing your app’s revenue depends on proper analysis of the mobile app’s success. Performance measurement of mobile apps is enabled by tracking their crucial metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The success of this process relies on diligently tracking information, while avoiding complexities as far as possible.

Significance of Key Performance Indicators in Modern Mobile App Eco System

With myriad mobile apps being designed and implemented in various industries, it becomes the onus of the Mobile App Development Companies to ensure that each app they develop achieves the intended objectives. Mobile technology has been found to help businesses and organizations to deliver content, improve sales and attract attention wherever required. In the pursuit of such intended goals, your results can only be as good as the user experience that is offered by the app.It becomes essential that entrepreneurs and mobile app development companies keep looking for ways of improving user experience on a constant basis. Here’s where choosing and tracking relevant KPIs becomes crucial to gather valuable data about where improvement is possible. KPIs and metrics play a vital role in collecting data and acting on that for ensuring that your mobile app reaches the targeted audience, is accepted and serves its purpose. KPIs help evaluate apps, thus enable attraction and attention of all stakeholders.

The Role Played by KPIs and Metrics in the Use of Mobile App Contemporary Business Setting

In mobile app development and implementation in the current business scenario, KPIs and metrics are useful in measuring the performance of the products, brands, or the company as a whole that they represent. As is famous in the business domain, “what gets measured gets managed.” The following are a few factors accomplished by using KPIs and Metrics:

A broad and clear understanding of the current position of a business can be discerned from KPIs and Metrics
An organization’s progress toward its key objectives can be understood
The success of a product or business can be evaluated
Business owners are assisted in realizing their position and the what factors are required to be improved

List of KPIs and Metrics That Developers and Marketers Must be Aware of

Installations: Apps that struggle to get installed are rarely given another chance by users. Issues in installation must be avoided.
App Downloads: Determining an app’s popularity is through measuring the number of time it gets downloaded.
Uninstallation: While for varied reasons your app may get uninstalled, it is prudent to collect details about the specific reason for it being uninstalled.
Subscriptions: Keeping track of all signups, subscriptions and unsubscriptions is essential.
Registrations: As it figuratively shows that users are in fact buying your product, registration is another factor that needs to be gauged.
Crashes and Glitches: Although apps are susceptible to glitches and crashes, these must not be frequent. Minimizing crashes and arranging customer reviews is essential to ensure better user experience while achieving good retention rate.
Growth Rate: Tracking rate of growth is essential as it helps understand how a business that uses an app grows and facilitates its growth.
Upgrades: Keeping tabs on which premium packages customers prefer and how long they take for upgrading is necessary.
Rate of Retention: Gaining back those who have once chosen to uninstall your app is necessary, but it can only be done when you are able to recognize why they left first.
App Session: Another indicator of how many users are following your app while describing the app’s popularity, digitally generating how many sessions users create is important.
Length of Session: The time users spent on your app, session length, is relational to uninstalls and number of crashes; it is essential to keep track of session length for achieving desired actions performed by users.
Session Depth: Study of number of interactions per session helps understand how the app content could be improved.
Session Interval: Time taken between each session is a KPI that depicts how your app fares among users.
Average Pages per Session: The higher the number of URLs or unique pages that users hit during a visit, the better it will be for the app.
Active Users: Daily Gauging the number of daily users reflects the growth of an app.
Monthly Active Users: Certain apps are required to be used less frequently by their nature- such as financial apps. It is important to measure this KPI as well.
Brand Awareness: Brand Awareness: Analyzing the brand’s diversity is crucial, as more awareness of brands translates to profit.
Social Media Shares: Number of shares – how many times an app is being recommended or shared denotes the popularity.
Churn Rate: Rate at which users are seen to leave your app helps in arriving at the appropriate updates and improvements.
Per User Revenue: Per User Revenue: The average revenue per app user is indicative of the app’s value as a whole.
Time for First Purchase: The time that a user takes to make the first purchase through your app helps understand users’ needs better.
TLife Time Value: Total amount of revenue generated by single user helps determine the value of an app.

The important financial App Performance KPIs that influence the success of an app are listed below:

Cost of customer acquisition
Purchases
Cost per acquisition
Effective customer acquisition cost
Lifetime value of customer
Effective cost per mile
Organic conversion rate
Paid conversion rate
Cost per install
Return on investment

App Performance KPIs related to User experience

Devices
Loading time
Carriers
Operating system
Screen resolution / dimension
API latency
Permissions granted

In addition to the above mentioned metrics, mobile app marketing KPIs such as virality and K factor, install source, channel breakdown, geometrics, demographics, behavioral metrics and cohort analysis play important roles in measuring the app’s success.

Furthermore, app store optimization, keywords, reviews and ratings and views to install are other App Performance KPIs that are required to be analyzed diligently in order to achieve the goals of the app.

How Will 5G Networks Impact Your Mobile Apps in 2019

Posted by: Maran kavin Posted on: December 14, 2018 5G , 5G Mobile Technology , Impact of 5G on Mobile App Development

Mobile app development has been constantly moving toward creating complex and progressive apps in terms of design and functionalities. In order to meet users’ demand of being able to connect on the go and providing continuous, seamless access to data regardless of location makes the job of a Mobile App Development Company more challenging. The next generation of Internet connectivity, 5G networks offer reliable connection and unprecedented speed on mobile devices.

Why is 5G Touted to be the Most Disruptive Technology of Modern Times?

It is hard even to imagine that within the time taken for blinking your eyes, millions of data can be transferred from any system to millions of other devices anywhere in the world. It is just a few more months now for the onset of 5G wireless network to shape into reality and combine data computation efficiently with myriad devices in just a matter of seconds.

This powerful technology is about to transform mobility forever; it is not just a network; it is rather the underlying fabric that supports a total ecosystem created out of completely connected devices. It will overhaul economic policies and business 180 degrees across the globe. 5G mobile technology has been quoted as one of the top 10 technology trends about to go mainstream in 2019.

Impact of 5G on Mobile App Development

During the process of app development, it is common that a Mobile App Development Company has to take into consideration the device features and network requirements in order to assure that the mobile app works properly while fulfilling users’ needs and expectations. 5G Mobile Technology is about to drastically enhance these areas, especially in relation to security, augmented reality, and possibility of adding new functionalities.

Security: In regard to trusted computing, network slicing, or alternative methods to handle user identities.
New function possibility: The constraints of latency and speed will cease; this will allow a mobile development company to include easily new and unprecedented functionalities to the apps.
3D gaming and immersive augmented reality: Development related to these fast-emerging areas will be greatly influenced by 5G.

Why is 5G Mobile Technology Considered Better Than Past and Prevailing Networks

Lower latency that reduces interference and delay
Improved wireless power that allows more number of devices to connect on the IoT Network
Far faster fiber comparable speed in wireless mode
Improved opportunity for wireless connectivity
Greater range of coverage condition and option with uniform experience

Changing the Face of Mobile Apps With 5G Mobile Technology

Improved Speed:

High download speed provided by 5G Technology will enable users to download apps in just seconds, regardless of the size of the app. Furthermore, speed factor within apps will greatly help app marketers who rely on download speed-based monetization plans.

Quick File Transfer:

Great speed enables faster file transfer. This greatly improves speed of money transfer and other transfers from one account to other.

Enhanced User Experience:

5G Internet speed improves clarity and 5G network it will also elevate the app UI to very huge extent.

Reduced Latency:

The major annoying factor of taking too long to respond is eliminated, thanks to 5G technology.

5G and the Internet of Things

Sending and receiving data is possible almost instantly with 5G; this opens newer avenues in IoT functionalities generation. Internet of things will be a major beneficiary of 5G networks in future. Not just extended battery life and low latency, 5G provides several other advantages to development of Internet of Things. 5G is about to allow development and improvement of areas on Internet of Things where difference between 2 milliseconds and 40 milliseconds proves crucial.

5G is considered as a milestone for technology industry in modern times. With higher bandwidth, more wireless connectivity, lowed latency, and other such enhancements, 5G is certain to transform the ways of connecting and it will enable rolling out new applications that were unheard of.

Preparing Mobile Apps for the 5G Network

Countless smart devices and objects are going to be connected by using the 5G network, as the possibility of mobile app development will elevate to a new high, on a very large scale. The following are a few of the ways for preparing the mobile apps in association with 5G network:

5G will greatly extend the possibilities that the present networks such as 4G offer now. It will improve user experience as well as the overall mobile app market. With the innovation behind 5G going to be related to various technology aspects, a few very important ones are given below:

Quick reaction time

➾ 5G is going to reduce the reaction time to around 1 millisecond or even lesser

High-speed wireless connectivity

➾ Communication will be greatly improved in remote or crowded areas.

Extended battery life

➾ IoT devices will be enabled to extend their battery life by around 10 times than what is possible today.

Production and Logistics

➾ Chances of remote controlling of machines in complex industries will be enormous, thanks to 5G mobile apps in future.

Healthcare

➾ Several obstacles in healthcare will cease to exist when 5G comes into effect. When 5G meets healthcare applications, there will be revolutionary changes in remote patient monitoring; medical professionals will be relieved from the challenges of not being able to meet patients.

Taking the benefits reaped out of latest research and combining these with state-of-the-art network technology, 5G can provide really faster connections than what we have today. The average download speed may be around a whopping 1Gbps that will supposedly become the norm.

With the entry of 5G mobile technology around the corner, it is time mobile app development companies and developers get deep insights about the various possibilities it is going to enable. Understanding 5G and its potential applications must be high priority for leveraging the potential of mobile app development service in future.