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What are the Vital Factors that Influence the Cost of App Development

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The phenomenal success of the app development industry has propelled several entrepreneurs to look beyond the conventional methods of doing business. They are switching to mobile applications. But what in your opinion is the most important aspect when you decide to develop a mobile app? It is indeed, estimating the cost of developing an app. So, the question is how do you evaluate the cost of creating an app? This becomes imperative as you have to plan your budget estimate accordingly. However, one thing is for sure, developing an app isn’t a pricey affair nowadays. We can cite the example of this interesting survey, which says that 67% of small business owners have developed mobile apps by 2017. Freelancers Vs. App Development Company So, the initial step when you venture into the arena of Google to find a reliable app developer, you probably would get two variable options; either you can hire the services of a freelance app developer or you can approach a professional app development firm to get your app build. The choice lies in your hands. However, generally speaking, the app development firm offers much more benefits than availing the services of an individual app developer. Providing a Rough Estimate In the next step, you have to explain your app idea to the app development team or the freelancer, whoever is selected. You have to communicate appropriately, explaining the details of what kind of app you’re are looking for, its features, designs etc. That is when the app development team will reasonably be able to draw a rough estimate of developing the app. Once the client confirms that he is ready to pay the amount as prescribed in pre-estimate and agrees to terms and conditions, the company sends him the detailed quotation of development charges. Planning for the App Development Once the project is assigned to the development team, their job at hand is planning a result-oriented strategy with the help of meticulous market research. It would begin with understanding the specific project requirements and also taking a deep insight of the competitor’s app. Choosing the Platforms and Operating System The next set of planning would be assigning the project to a development team. Well, it would predominantly depend upon what platform you are willing to choose for launching your mobile app. Whether you want to release your app on Google Play Store or Apple App Store or on cross-platform; it solely depends upon your decision. Accordingly, the number of members will start building the app. How do you Choose the Right Operating System? This is a tricky situation. If you ask for cost consideration, then Apple iOS would be better as it is less costly than Android apps and reaches out financially sound users. It also generates more revenue than its competitor. But Android has double the market share than Apple iOS. In addition to that, the pricing of the app will also vary according to the number of devices selected. Of course, Android has more devices than iPhone and thus, the time consumed by creating the app is more. Hence, it becomes costly. Native Vs. Hybrid When we are talking about the platform, there is one other choice to make – hybrid versus native. Both Android and iOS and can build on both platforms but if you were to consider cost, then native apps are pricier than the hybrid apps. Plus, the hybrid platform also offers the opportunity to create cross-platform apps. The Cost of App Depends on Size of App Development Team Your app cost would largely depend on the size of the development team and its origin or country. For instance, the App Development Companies in India relatively charge fewer prices than companies back in Europe and USA. The cost of the app usually is taken on the basis of per hour. If we talk about the app development team it comprises of project manager, app developers, UI and UX designers, a quality assurance manager, backend, and frontend developer etc. Each of the members shares their cost of labor. The App Features and Functionalities The more features and functions you add to your app, the higher the cost would be; as simple as that. But having said that you have to integrate the most vital and general features; keeping others as additional. This would basically be included in the technical specifications of the app. Necessary and not so Necessary Features For example, implementing the third-party integrations, frameworks and libraries become important as it would improve the app functionality and it would navigate faster. However, other features such as geolocation services, payment gateway, and social media sharing etc. can be added later on depending on the app’s need. But for particular apps like cab booking or restaurant, it is vital. Similarly, the backend development is not a necessary feature if your app does not contain a large amount of data. It is usually used for exchanging data between the mobile application and database. Apart from that, if you want to add the facility of in-app purchase, it would augment the cost of your app because it is complex to design. The admin panel is a must where users are asked to log in to their account. It makes it easier to manage the flow of users and content and also keep an eye on the progress of the app. UI and UX Designs The UI and UX designs are must whether you are designing a simple or a rich feature-loaded app. It defines the functionality of your app and it needs to be remembered that you can draw a lot of traffic from attractive app designs. Well, talking about the cost factor, it depends on what type of design you are opting for and also whether you are getting it customized. Some other Factors Influencing the App Development Cost We discussed some of the primary factors that create a big impact as influencing the cost of app development is concerned. However, there are

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Vital Factors Taken into Consideration Before Publishing an App to The App Store

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Maybe you think that you have created an outstanding mobile application. However, the end users may have contrary views. You only get to know the final result once the app gets published into the app store. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to predict anything towards the beginning whether your app will be successful or not. However, if you want to get more consumers on the board, you have to ensure a few vital steps before publishing the app in the app store. You must know that both iOS and Android have provided detailed guidelines or checklist for the developers, which must be strictly adhered to. Thoroughly Go through App Store Polices and Guidelines In fact, Apple, in its official blog has cited a number of reasons that ultimately leads to an app rejection. It follows a very strict policy related to app publication and if you don’t stick to it properly, you will surely miss the bus completely. Similarly, the Google Play Store has also given a list of launch checklist on its official blog page. All the tasks must be followed sequentially, so that you don’t miss out any step. Deciding whether it’s a Free or Paid App One of the pivotal decisions you have to take is regarding the app monetization policy. This means you have to decide whether you are offering the app for free or the users will have to pay a fee to subscribe it. If it is priced, then you have to decide upon the pricing model of the app. However, before that, spare some time to ponder whether your app is really worthy of getting a status of the paid app. It is recommended to go for the freemium model in the beginning if you are aiming to get large customers to your app. However, if you are offering any painstaking service such as live consultation with the doctor, then it has to be subscription-based app. Also, it must be remembered that most of the popular gaming apps are also not free but it’s completely your call. Extensive Research of Market and Competitors This is one of the most time-consuming jobs; but there’s no other option, you have to undertake it. The research is one of the most vital steps, which probably goes parallel with every step of development process. You have to get the impulse of the market and find your competitors when you are planning to launch the app. This will help in understanding what features and functionality of similar apps are popular and what percentage of users is using such apps. Conducting the App Testing Before Publishing Well, this goes without saying; you must conduct a test before publishing the app in the app store. It must be ensured that it meets the basic requirements and expectations of the concerned Operating System. The app should literally pass all quality checks with ease without showing any error. In case the app has been designed for the tablets and iPads, it should have flawless graphics and shouldn’t comprise on the User experience and User Interface. So, the suggestion would be to go for the app optimization. The content of the app should be apt and to the point. It should be attractive to satisfy the needs of the customers. Optimizing the App App optimization is important and it needs to be done before you are making your app live on the app store. It must be noted that both Apple and Google follow the same variables when it comes to ranking. Thus, when you are optimizing the app, you have to mainly focus on four important factors that include the branding and visuals of the app, the number of app downloads, the keyword and app description and the number of positive app reviews etc. You should remember that keywords play a vital role in influencing the customers of the app as they find your app through a particular set of words. In fact, according to a study, it has been found that keywords placed in title increased the app’s ranking by 10.3%. Building the Brand Value of your App It is important to create some hike in the market before publishing and launching an app. It is a kind of pre-promotion before actually entering the market to build a brand value. You can take the help of media tools and frame a viable social media strategy. However, the first step would be to find your target audiences, who could relate well with your app. Start searching for the bloggers, journalists, and writers who would connect you to your users. The social media could be a great platform for establishing the value of the app. Go for regular Facebook and Instagram posts and updates and tell people how your app is different from others. Choosing the Location for App Distribution The decision on app distribution solely depends on your choice. It means you have to decide which are the countries and regions where your app will be made available. You can even choose a global presence like Facebook or Whatsapp. It all depends on your business needs and the number of audiences you are targeting. This is one of the crucial aspects that you have decided early as you can finalize the app content based on it. Counting on your Web Presence So, what else you can do to spread the word about your mobile app apart from framing marketing strategies and social media platform. It is by developing a landing page or a website that gathers the emails of users, which could prove more than handy in getting the important data. In addition to that it also helps to communicate the idea of your app and the users find it easy to navigate the content. The collection of emails in the beginning would also help in driving people to download and review your app as more as possible. The Importance of Screenshots and Visuals Another marketing tactic that you can employ

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The Benefits of Having Firebase for Mobile App Development

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For all those developers who have been searching for a robust platform for building mobile and web application, you can bank upon Firebase. The Firebase is a Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) that offers the developers a wide spectrum of tools and services to develop high-quality apps at a much faster pace. Now, if we were to define the BaaS, it is a cloud computing service model using which the web app and mobile app developers can connect their applications with backend cloud storage and APIs rendered by the backend applications. Initially, James Tamplin and Andrew Lee had founded the Company in 2011 as Envolve, but after Google acquired it in 2014, Firebase had an emphatic growth to become a unified platform for developers. In fact, it allows the developers to develop feature for apps on different platforms like Remote Configs, Notifications and Real-time Databases. In addition, it also helps you to develop storage for the app including authentication functionality. Moreover, Firebase can also be used effectively for app marketing, enhancing the user experience and user engagement. Advantages of Using Firebase For Mobile App Development Now, let’s analyze the various benefits that Firebase offers to the app developers to make their app development journey simpler: Real-time Database Helps to Store and Synchronize Data The cloud-hosted NoSQL database is offered by Firebase real-time database that helps you store and synchronize data between the clients. This indeed makes it easier for the developers to access the data using any of the devices and helps developing collaborative feature. Another advantage of a real-time database for the developers is that they do not need the support of backend to build apps as it comes with SDKs for various platforms, including Android, iOS and Web. It assists in the execution of backend code responding to events activated by databases. Furthermore, it is optimized for offline use too. Firebase has Become Smarter with Google Analytics Now you can easily track down your user’s journey on a number of devices. It means you would know whether he is using a smartphone, tablet or laptop. You can also export your mobile app data to BigQuery with the help of Google Analytics. It can further support in engaging more users once you match the UX based on user id. Firebase Offers Facility of Crash Reporting to Fix Bugs Quickly It has often been seen that a lot of apps suffer due to bug issues, which tends to slow down navigation speed and users opt out of it. The result is that rating of the app also declines. However, you have to credit Firebase as now it is offering the facility of crash reporting to fix the bugs at the quicker pace and with ease. The app developers and QA testers can identify the problems in the stages, whether it is the app version, the device or the OS. The Firebase SDK provides log crashes that ultimately save much time as you don’t have to find the cause of the problem. The coding database is available for both native and cross-platform apps. Fast and Secured Web Hosting The benefit of Firebase Hosting allows you to set-up a single-page, a mobile landing page, web page or progressive web page with ease. It also helps to deliver the content rapidly anywhere. The developers can deploy the web apps as well as static content at CDN (Content Delivery Network). The Firebase hosting also automatically configures the free SSN certificate for custom domains. You can now deploy a local directory to the web with just a single command. Firebase Authentication Nowadays, most of the apps have the login facility and the developer aims to simplify and secure it better. Therefore, the support of Firebase Authentication is there to do that task with an easy sign-in process. It also provides identity solution for the emails, passwords and other important apps such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The Firebase UI is also flexible, customized and drop-in dealing with the UI flow of the users. There is no compromise from the security point of view. Firebase Allows the Content Storage with Ease It has become much easier to store the user-dedicated content that includes texts, images and videos. In fact, you can also develop the final phase of your app from prototype effortlessly using advanced technology. The Firebase team has also provided SDK for cloud storage to link-up the mobile for users that aren’t online. As such they can continue to automatically transfer as soon as connectivity is established. Developers have the Accessibility of Machine Learning As we move on to discuss the advantages of Firebase, we also get familiar that it also provides developers the facility of Machine Learning. This benefit is available for both Android and iOS developers as well as experienced or newcomers. The ML kit has ready-to-use APIs for various mobile functionalities such as detecting the face, identifying the text, barcode scanning and labeling images etc. You have a choice between on-device and Cloud APIs that can be selected according to your needs. Send Notifications and Messages to Targeted Audiences The Firebase Cloud Messaging offers you an opportunity to send notifications and messages to your targeted audiences for free across all devices and platforms with the help of battery-efficient connection. So, if you are interested in sending the push notifications to a specific group of people based on demography and their behavior. In addition, you can choose your own particular time for sending the message, which is more convenient. The developers will be pleased to note that they do not require coding to send the notifications. You can try the A/B testing for sending notifications to choose the best version that fits your need. Send the App Recommendation through Dynamic Links Dynamic Links available with Firebase that enables the app owner to recommend his app to people familiar such as family and friends after the completion and launch of the app. You can make your app viral by sharing a small URL. However, if they

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Top eCommerce Trends that will Revolutionize the Online Shopping Experience

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It won’t be wrong to point out that this current era belongs to the eCommerce industry, which has already established its deep roots in the global market. If we believe the figures that Statista has presented recently, then the journey of eCommerce sector is rapidly moved to a trillion dollar industry. Yes, it has already reached up to $2.3 trillion in 2017 and is expected to surge towards $4.8 trillion by 2021. According to one of the studies, 71% of the consumers believe that eCommerce business is offering better deals in comparison to the retail stores. In fact, this is probably one of the predominant reasons why it is growing by leaps and bounds. However, another stat says that about 81% of the customers conduct an online research before making a purchase from an eCommerce site or app. So, it becomes imperative for the business owner to get accustomed to the latest eCommerce trends if they want to boost up their sales and thrive successfully to remain afloat in the competition. Voice Search will Enhance Customer Loyalty We have already noticed that voice assistant has become prominent ever since the arrival of Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa. Now as we have high advanced speakers, such as Google home or Amazon Echo, the voice search offers an innovative technique of gaining more traffic to your web or app. Even one of the reports from Consumer Research Intelligence Partners, suggests that Amazon’s customer loyalty has incredibly increased as the customers are making use of Echo to make purchases. According to a research, about 40% of the millennials have already begun using the voice search even before making an online purchase. It wouldn’t have been easier to find a specific product on the large eCommerce platform. The customer just has to speak the name of the product or brand and choose from the spectrum of options. It is important to upgrade your business with the voice the search facility or you won’t be able to bring a large base of potential customers who use this latest trend to shop online. One can cite the example of Walmart which, has already partnered with Google and is offering this benefit to its consumers on the Google Express. Mobile Commerce There has always been a debate over which is better mobile commerce or the eCommerce websites. With the tremendous increase in the number of smartphone users in the recent times, the mobile commerce seems to outdo the websites. In fact, a study has revealed that 62% of the smartphone users made a purchase using their devices during the last six months and this data would rise within the coming months. So, you need to shift your pattern and move towards a site that is best optimized for mobile devices. The best solution is developing a mobile eCommerce app. One of the significant features that we would probably witnesses is the introduction of fingerprint and face recognition technology. In addition, it will also simplify the payments as the user will do it with just a single click or tap. The Influence of AR and VR Both Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are no more alien terms in the technological world and mobile app industry. And as we are already in the middle of 2018, it will go further up as more and more companies will be literally starting to offer it. In fact, the experts tend to view that AR and VR will not only augment the shopping experience of the customers and bolster their sales but also it would influence the packaging of the products to a great extent. The well-renowned furniture company IKEA is also offering the AR experience to its worldwide customers in which the customers can place the 3D product at home and actually see if it is fitting in that particular spot or not. Implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning One of the popular eCommerce trends that will prove to be a major bonus for the retail sector is the implementation of Machine Learning with Artificial Intelligence. Now, the question is how the machine learning will improve the eCommerce industry? Machine learning will not assist in recommending the best of the products to your customers but also better their search experiences. AI will help you to individualize your customers with improved focus. In addition, you can also enhance the communication experience with the customers through the chatbot service, where you reply to their queries in real-time. This also allows you to tackle the complex tasks smoothly and you can find suitable ways to solve any problem. For instance, Facebook has offered the facility of chatbot to its retailers where they can handle all issues with Facebook Messenger. Research Online, Purchase Offline (ROPO) The ROPO (Research Online Purchase Offline) is an emerging tool that has great potential to convert the online research into an offline purchase. It basically targets those specific customers who are actually glued in shopping and always crave to avail the best possible discount and price. And surely this ROPO tool will largely influence the eCommerce business even more in 2018. Now ROPO not only helps the customers to craft the best deal on a product and allows them to search for the specific product they are looking for but also lets the retailers represent their offline conversion tracking. Use of Cryptocurrency in eCommerce Well, this is going to a game-changing trend in the eCommerce sector as far as the experts have predicted. The use of cryptocurrency for making the payment will further revolutionize the industry and take it to the next higher level. The use of cryptocurrency for conducting the transactions will not only make your payment more secure but also nullify the risks associated with transactions. But the eCommerce industry hasn’t really welcomed the Blockchain technology as it is still in the trial and test mode. It is taking the time to adopt the new advanced technology with careful monitoring. Amazon has taken a stride

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Thinking of Prototyping a Mobile App: Just Follow the Step by Step Procedure

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The mobile app development isn’t just restricted to coding practices and testing exercises. You also have to learn how to prototype a mobile app if you are serious about your successful app launching. It also helps you to gain an upper hand advantage over the competitors and certainly, you can pitch with a better app when targeting the potential customers. However, before you learn the steps leading to a successful mobile app prototyping, let’s have a quick view of what a mobile app prototype is and why it is considered to an essential aspect or part of the app development process. Defining a Mobile App Prototype Well, the prototype is said to be a version of the mobile application, which helps the developer in viewing and testing the key functions. As such, it involves the as least cost and time possible. In fact, the mobile app prototype is being compared with the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) due to the similarity of concept. But the fact is that are invariably different. The iOS app developers should note that unlike the MVP they won’t be able to conduct an open prototype test due to the regulations laid down by Apple, which says that you have to get your app reviewed and approved before publication. So, if you want to test your prototype, the best possible way is to opt for a small sample size. You can conduct the user experience testing by creating small groups of potential users and getting their feedback. Why is Mobile App Prototype Important? When you are prototyping a mobile app, you are actually working on the interactive model and also showing the design as well as navigation process to brings ideas into life. However, if we talk about the benefits of app prototyping: It helps in validation of ideas thereby helping to explore new ideas and designing methods. It is during the testing process that one comes to know which features and functionalities needs an improvement. Prototype helps to bring changes in the project. The mobile prototyping offers you the scope of involving your client and stakeholder in the development process. This indeed allows the developers to take the approval from the clients before moving on to the next stage. The mobile app prototype offers a model or demonstration of how the final product would look like. So, the client who is investing in the project is certain that he is making the right decision once he approves the prototype. Mobile app prototype can also be used to know if there is a demand of a particular app in the market. You just have to run prototype through a user test. Important Steps for Creating a Mobile App Prototype Following are the important steps that will help you for creating a successful mobile app prototype: Identifying the App and Understanding Problem First things first, you have to define your app and specifically understand the problem that it will be solving. In addition, you also have to know who your potential customers are and mobile app prototyping could prove handy. For instance, if you are building a grocery app, where people can directly buy the products, it would be a B2C app. However, when you are opting for the mobile app prototype, you have to consider the unique selling point. So, you have to think if your app has solved the problem or not. Talking about the USP of the given example, the app eliminates the hassles of customers as they don’t have to visit the grocery shop and they can shop everything at one place saving a lot of time and money. Research to know if Idea is Viable If you want to build a mobile prototype, it is quite essential to get familiar whether the app idea is viable or not. This calls for researching the mobile market. The research will help you to understand the needs of target audience, thereby reducing the risks related to designs and development. You can also conduct a reliable survey to avail better results where you can get valuable information. This assists in taking easier and apt decisions. What Features and Functionalities to Implement One of the important steps of mobile app prototyping is to list the various features and functionalities that you want to implement in your app. In fact, you can choose the list of the features even before you have begun to develop the app. Once you have done that you can keep those in the order of preference. You can start by incorporating a few and simple features in the beginning, which are necessary to conduct the test and once your app gains the spotlight, you can increase it depending on user demand. Add the most important features during the initiation and after the completion of prototyping, you can add others as you will get a much better idea of your app. Initiating the First Sketches of Screen Next step while developing the mobile app prototype is focusing on the user experience. So, you have to commence with the creation of a few rough or primary sketches of the screen. You can actually categorize the screen functionalities into three main divisions; namely, the dashboard, the profile and the matches. After the sketches of the screen are prepared, you can proceed with the final creation of screens. Proceed with the Wireframe Once you have your primary screens ready, it’s time to divert the attention towards app wireframing. It is often regarded as the basic structure of any mobile app. This is one area where you can use the various types of prototyping tools and functional wireframes available to craft your ideas into reality. A few examples of these include Xcode or JustMind etc. A wireframe can be defined as a bare skeleton or low-fidelity product that mainly comprises of boxes, lines or descriptions at times. It is through wireframing an app that a developer can determine if he is going in the right direction of app

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Everything you need to know about GDPR as an App Owner

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GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation, and it is going to be a big change for all apps. GDPR is a regulation that has been passed by the EU law authorities to maintain consumer data protection and privacy. On 25th May 2018, this law was become enforceable, and all businesses must prove data consent from their users. What’s more, the consumers can even withdraw their consent at any given time with utmost discretion. Currently, GDPR is directed towards the citizens of EU and includes users of other regions such as Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. But this regulation is going to have a global impact on organizations. Especially if you are a business, who process personal data of citizens of the countries above. Even if your company is not registered in EU, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein, you should understand GDPR in depth and start working on an action plan to meet the requirements. However, according to research by W8data, only 25% of the organizations are ready to meet the GDPR requirements regarding the customer data and privacy issues. So, if you are not prepared to comply with the GDPR requirements be prepared to face some severe backlash from users and enforcement authorities. But in this age of technology and mobile-first enterprises, it’s not just the businesses and companies that need to be aware of these rules. App owners should be well educated about GDPR and learn more about how it can impact the use of mobile apps shortly. Explicit Consent Consent is one of the most essential requirements for mobile apps. According to the legislation, all businesses and apps must request consent to collect and use the personal data of the users. Make sure that this request is made unambiguously and legibly. It cannot be confusing in any way. You also need to add a reminder for the users that they are empowered to withdraw their consent as easily as they can give it. This is only possible when apps are designed in such a way that they offer a strong communication with their users. Clearly define the type of personal data you’re app will be collecting and obtain clear consent for this purpose. A good way to ask for consent is to wait for the right moment. Don’t flood the user with a bunch of consent agreements the first time your app is opened. It’s better to wait for a point where consent is relevant to the action that the user wants to perform on your app. Not only does it save the user from being overwhelmed, but also leaves them feeling more satisfied regarding their privacy. The Right to be Forgotten According to GDPR, all European nationals have a right to Data Erasure. Under this right, users can stop mobile app developers from using their personal and private data. They can even stop future publication and prevent third parties from using the data in any way, once the consent has been withdrawn. To put it in easy words, app developers should create a system that gives users an option of being in control of the data that is being collected and opting out at any time. As mentioned in the above point, all this information should be stated very clearly and in simple words so that the user can know their rights. Your app should have an inbuilt option which allows users to delete all their data history and remove it from your records permanently. GDPR aims to put the user in control over the amount of data that is collected by an app. Your app has to be compliant with these rules and regulations to serve European nationals and provide them a top-notch online experience. Mandatory Data Breach Notifications In case of an unforeseen event or a security breach which compromises the security of users’ data, it is liable on all app developers to notify their users and concerned authorities within 72 hours. All users must be informed about the information leak, as data breaches can threaten the security rights and freedom of individuals. Privacy by Design Privacy by design is not a new concept in the world of app development, but thanks to GDPR- it is now a legal requirement. This means that you have to give top priority to user privacy protection before starting the development of the app and make sure that all aspects of your app comply with the rules mentioned in GDPR. According to the GDPR, app developers are only allowed to hold and process user data that is crucial for a project to be completed. Data access should only be given to designated people who are in charge of the processing. So, make sure that proper encryption and data handling procedures are a highlight of your app’s development lifecycle. From the project’s inception to the end, you should be addressing privacy issues all the way. Remember, privacy must be preventative not remedial. If your app is designed flawlessly to keep data secure from the start, offers opt-in processes and has secure systems to manage the data, then you won’t face any problems. Data Protection Officers According to GDPR, you should hire data protection officers, that are employees who will manage data protection related issues. They should be experts on data protection laws and practices. They should be able to manage all the internal records efficiently. Marketing Opportunity If you’re skeptical about GDPR and think that the European Union is trying to make things difficult for foreign app developers, then think again. GDPR might seem a bit rigid, but it’s not going to kill your app. In fact, if you’re a little optimistic, GDPR can open up great marketing opportunities for you. The European markets have many English-speaking people who can be targeted with ads. European customers take their privacy very seriously. If you advertise the fact that you are a GDPR compliant brand, you can win their trust within no time. Mention it in your email footers and in the

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How is the Blockchain Technology Disrupting the Real Estate Industry

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The Blockchain has literally transformed the facets of an array of industries and the real estate sector is not lacking behind in maximizing the gains from this innovative technology. The real estate sector is booming and according to one of the stats available, about 210,000 companies operating in residential brokerage and management generated $200 billion of revenue. As of now, the terms of the real estate market were usually dictated by the large corporate houses and influential property owners. However, as Blockchain technology disrupts the real estate industry with impactful power such as increasing the speed of transactions, bringing in more efficiency in terms of transparency, reducing the heftiness of paper works and others. We can already witness the vital changes as a number of real estate companies like the RealtyShares have started to accept bitcoin as a medium of payment that not only increases the speed, but also reduces the transaction charges. This surely is a positive indication and it is being estimated that many other real estate agents will join that list very soon. The Blockchain is a peer-to-peer ledger system based on the encrypted technology that records the transactions or blocks Here each of the blocks are connected with one other that are immutable, meaning it cannot be modified or deleted. There is no presence of third-party during the transaction and it remains free from all sorts of controls and regulations. Blockchain Eliminates the Possibilities of Middlemen So, far middlemen or intermediary played an important role in the real estate sector for finalizing a deal between two parties. When you think of buying or investing in a property, you always had to deal with brokers who would take a good share for the services offered. However, enter the Blockchain technology and you won’t find these middlemen or brokers anymore within the scene. This is because you are paying or receiving money in terms of cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or Ethereum for buying or selling the property. So, you don’t have to pay brokerage or the extra fees for finalizing the deal. Cost Effective and Validation Yes, it’s true; you can save a lot of bucks by using the Blockchain technology for conducing transactions. We have seen earlier how Blockchain has eliminated the middlemen and allow you to be cost effective as you don’t have to pay anything extra. The transactions conducted by means of cryptocurrency are highly secure and the validation process establishes the trust factor. Reducing the Cases of Forgery in Real Estate We come across a number of incidents where people resort to unethical practices in real estate so as to illegally grab the property. In fact, it has become a common practice of producing fake or false documents claiming that a person is the owner of the property but he is not actually. Well, there are various ways through which a person can produce forged documents and it is easier too. But then you have Blockchain, which has come as the biggest rescuer of the genuine property owners, buyers or sellers. It is full-proof evidence that you have purchased or sold a property with proofs of ownership, exchange and transaction. Moreover, it has also replaced the paper works with the digital document taking the trust factor to the next level. What it does is it uploads the title documentation to the Blockchain network so that other users can view and verify it accordingly. This indeed, is a substantial proof that you are the actual owner of the property. Maintaining Transparency through Smart Contracts Only a handful of people buy a property without availing any loan or any other mortgage process while the rest of the buyers and investors usually apply for home loans. And you are well aware of how harrowing the entire procedure is. It takes a long time until your loan application gets processed and then the amount is sanctioned. However, the Blockchain technology offers the facility of Smart Contracts that can actually simplify the whole process. But if you think that developing the smart contract is a piece of cake, then you may have to reconsider the decision. It is best recommended to avail the services of experienced Blockchain developers to do the job. Now how does it help or work? The Smart Contract allows you to develop a digital ID for the concerned property either as a buyer or seller. This makes the transfer of the ownership much easier, faster and smoother. In addition, the smart contract also helps in monitoring the transaction process. Yet another benefit is that they cannot be changed, deleted or tampered as they are permanently stored on the Blockchain real estate. So, ultimately the process of applying for the loan or mortgage also becomes much simpler; all credit goes to this new technology. You can dream of owning your own home without undergoing any hectic formalities. The Benefit of Liquidity The Blockchain technology has also enabled the investor to sell the shares of property much more efficiently and at affordable prices. In fact, you can even convert an asset into marketable securities for the fraction of what it could cost previously. Today, home equity has gained more liquidity. Liquidity allows you to come in and out of an investment easily. It has become prominent in the real estate sector as most of the investors have to wait for too long with no liquidity. However, the Blockchain has tried to resolve this issue letting the investors change their portfolio according to the situation of the market. As such the long wait is over now on investments as the Blockchain offers a much wider scope. This is due to the fact that the flow of capital would become easier. The investors won’t get into a tricky situation and they take decisions much more easily whether to buy or sell the property. The capital flow across borders would also open the gates for international markets. Ensuring Reliable Voting The Blockchain technology also ensures that voting done in

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The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) will Change the Face of Healthcare Sector

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Have you ever thought how the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) will transform the healthcare sector in 2018? Well, this is one unique idea that doesn’t click the mind instantly. You may also question the need for IoMT, when there are arrays of medical and healthcare apps already available in plenty on both Google Play Store as well as Apple App Store. Probably, we are aware that the Internet of Things (IoT) has played a significant role in uplifting the healthcare industry. It helps in accurate collection of data and patient records with reduced chances of committing mistakes, the medical bills have curtailed with better patient experience and management of the disease etc. Now, what would be the role of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)? Well, the advanced virtual internet technology will allow the doctor and the other medical staffs of the hospital to gather data from the devices put on by the patients and store it in the cloud for analyzing the health conditions. The Increase in Numbers of IoMT Devices According to a research, there are about 3.7 million medical devices that have connected the monitor to different parts of the body. One of the other reports indicates that the Internet of Things (IoT) healthcare market will scale towards new heights and expected to reach up to $136.8 billion by 2021. But it is important that this new technology mainly focuses on offering high-quality customer service and simplifies the task of the healthcare professionals. Nowadays, most of the gadgets and wearable devices are enabled with smart sensors coupled with the facility of Near Field Communication (NFC) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. This further makes it easier to interact with the IoT enabled devices. Also, the number of patients suffering from the chronic diseases is increasing and this calls for offering much improved medical attention. Although we have advanced medical apps that come to the rescue of the ailing people, the IoMT will help in offering the best treatment in real-time and cut the cost of medical bills. Better Management of the Resources One of the major benefits that Internet of Medical Things is going to offer to the hospital administration is better handling of the resources and managing the stock of goods. The IoMT solutions will offer the facility to track the location of your products and check the quality of the drugs and medicines supplied. Not only that the medical staff can also check which medicines have been prescribed to the patients and whether they are available in the stock or not. The medical professionals basically use the RFID tags for the management of such resources. The RFID helps a great deal in monitoring the health progress of the patient and keeps an eye on his consultation, hospital stay, methods of treatment and so on. It reduces the loopholes in the administrative system of the departments. In fact, the patient and his family get an access to additional information such as how long the treatment will take, the time taken in recovery, the info on possible surgery dates etc. The hospital administration can plan their resources according to the available information and data. Thus, it reduces the cost of managing the data and enhances the experience of the patient. Following the Instructions of the Doctor The Internet of Medical Things is not just a boon for accurately diagnosing the patient but also makes sure that medical staff to follow the instructions from doctor clearly. The healthcare team can gather valuable inputs from the devices and use them to plan for the better treatment and diagnosis. Since the doctor receives the exact parameters of health condition he does not waste time in taking quick decisions about the next step of treatment. Therefore, the IoMT proves to be a blessing in cases of medical emergency where the doctor can instruct the staff or his juniors if even he is not physically present at the hospital. This becomes a crucial phenomenon as it can relatively save the life of the patient for instance if he suffers a cardiac arrest or stroke. Moreover, the doctor can see the reports of the patient in real-time and know accurately where the problem is. In addition, there are some IoMT connected devices that can conduct the internal scrutiny of the patient such as the pacemaker. This helps medical team to not only diagnose the current condition but also determine the future impact as well. Integration of the Internal Segmentation Firewalls (ISFWs) The Internet of Medical Things also lends a helping hand to the Chief Information Office (CIO) in the healthcare sector to integrate the Internal Segmentation Firewall (ISFW) as the network setting is wide open. The major function of the ISFW is to safeguard or secure the network segments from the malicious codes that can actually penetrate the internal network. That is why the IoMT becomes quite crucial from the security point of view. The ISFW basically works within the network and creates a distant category of the administrators, the patients, the doctors and nursing staff and other visitors. It also can identify the various types of device such as between the patient and the life-supporting system devices. It also sets the priorities based on the emergency basis that needs high protection and monitors the traffic between the segments. IoMT to Take Care of Elderly People The Internet of Medical Things will surely become a boon for the healthcare sector as it will take off the pressure that is expected to increase in the future. According to a research, around 1.2 billion people will grow older by 2025. As it is evident that elderly people are more prone to health issues and diseases and this will further lead to hike in cost of treatment. However, IoMT has a venerable solution to the problem by offering the elderly person better care that would curtail the cost of treatment. The devices will keep a track record of all health-related parameters including the heartbeat,

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Why an MVP is Important Part in Mobile App Development Cycle

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As an entrepreneur, you have taken a right decision to develop a mobile app for your business enterprise and stay ahead of the competitors. However, there always remains an apprehension whether your app will be successful or not. So, to counter that trepidation and lower the risk factors, you can rely on the Minimum Viable Product or MVP, which helps the business organizations and startups in evaluating the risks and threats before putting an idea into life. Definition of the MVP The Minimum Viable Product has been a great asset for the business enterprises. It allows the developers to test the idea of the app with the customers. The MVP can also be considered as the base architecture of any mobile app. One of the vital aspects of the MVP is that includes the most essential features of the app that you think is necessary. The development team initially receives a feedback from the potential users and thus they can make out what the response of the product is in the market. They can also analyze what are the specific segments that needs an improvement and where the performance is not up to the mark. You can either release the MVP to a set number of targeted audiences or launch it directly into the market. If the users are not pleased with its features, you know there is something wrong in the app idea and it needs to be refurbished. Why is the MVP Necessary for Your Mobile App? With the competition getting stiffer, the importance of having an MVP for any mobile app has enhanced in the current scenario. It is a point where you actually get to know whether your app idea is really unique or not. It offers you the shortest possible route to reach the market and have an access to the real user experience to evaluate your project. Fastest and Accurate Way to Receive User Review About the App Maybe you come across some idea one fine day and spend days and months building an app based on that. This surely is an unreasonable approach because you cannot predict what the end result would be. But having an MVP will provide an opportunity to get the fastest and accurate method to receive the user opinion on the app. You will only have to focus on implementing only those features, which will enhance the user experience and people need it. MVP is Considered as Core of the App The major function of the Minimum Viable Product is to only emphasize on the primary idea and key app features. It does not concentrate on the other secondary or not so important issues. As such, the ideology of Lean startup gets the benefit of MVP approach. The Lean Startup can be defined as a startup, which commences with lowest budget within a reasonable time. The MVP app offers adequate value to try it intending to get the maximum number of customers within shortest possible time. You are at the least risk step. It also reduces the cost of app development as only basic features are implemented. Therefore, we can say that MVP does not indicate that the app owner is falling short of budget estimate but rather he gets the core idea of the market. MVP Helps to Evaluate the App Performance The Minimum Viable Product is also proving to be quite a handy tool for evaluating and rating the performance of the app. The developer can check if he is moving in the right direction and making use of the latest technology and trends while creating an app. Ultimately, it is the users who would actually determine whether or not your MVP app has been successful or not. How this is done? Firstly, you get to know if you have been successful in solving the problem of the users through the app. Secondly, you get to test the success rate of the app during the initial stages only, which helps in saving money and time as well. MVP Allows to Deal with Security Issues Better Today, undeniably, the app security has become paramount specifically if your app has in-built payment facility. The MVP will help you in identifying the security loopholes and resolve them appropriately. Another advantage of fixing the security issues at the initial stage is that your app remains bug-free right from the beginning, which in turn increases the conversion rate of the app. It also allows users to navigate seamlessly. Creating an Improved Version of the App The Minimum Viable Product lets you analyze whether the app is getting the user attention in the market or not. If you feel that you have not got the expected feedback or failed to connect the app idea to the users, then, it’s time to redesign the product and look for creating a better version of the app. Few Examples of Popular Apps with Great MVP Success If you research well, you will come across many living instances where the successful MVP launch resulted in immensely popularizing the apps. Let’s discuss a few of these: Uber The cab booking app – Uber also started its initial journey with the MVP launch. In its very first version, Uber mainly focused on establishing a good connection between the drivers with the users and also added the facility of credit card payments. However, soon it stated getting tremendous response and today it has transformed into a billion dollar business with a plethora of advanced features. Instagram Next, we come to one of the most popular photo sharing app Instagram with the largest number of users. Talking about its initial version, the users had limited number of filters when sharing the photos. Also, the market was flooded with better photo editing apps, when they entered into the venture. However, slowly and gradually, the company started gaining the impetus and added Unique Value Proposition (UVP) allowing users to edit and share the photos at the same time. In addition, now it

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Agile Vs DevOps: Major Differences and Similarities

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There have been several debates on the Agile versus DevOps in the IT industry as both are the buzzwords today. Although they are relatively different from each other and cannot be interchanged, they also have some similarities as well. Therefore, we need to get aware of both the terms initially and then proceed with their major differences and similarities. Defining the Agile Agile is a Software Development methodology that is aligned with the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto. It is also based on the iterative development, which focuses on the partnership of the cross-functional teams to get the required solutions. The Agile Manifesto basically emphasizes the following aspects: Interaction of the individuals on tools and process Establishing the collaboration with the potential customers over harmonization of terms of the contract Discussion on working software Responding to any changes in the plan You can implement the agile technique in a number of methods such as the scrumban, scrum or kanban etc. The Agile offers a very intensive change in the working process, which at times can disrupt the functioning of the whole business enterprise. Defining DevOps The term DevOps is actually the combination of two words; development and operations. It is a methodology using which the IT teams and developers interact and build the relationship with each other. The DevOps has also been credited for introducing a work culture in the office and enhancing the skills. Like Agile, DevOps can also be incorporated in several ways such as scrum, kanban, but it mainly offers technology to the enterprises for smooth business operations. It also offers the annual software updates seamlessly. So, now that we have given a brief introduction to both Agile and DevOps, it will be liable to throw some light on the key differences between the two. The Basic Difference – Deployment and Methodology The DevOps usually focus on providing readymade software that can be safely deployed and is reliable as well. The DevOps has nothing to do with the software development using the Agile method. The developers can also deploy the waterfall method. On the other side, Agile is basically a software development methodology. The development team is only involved in building the software and launching it. The Number of Members of Team Since Agile mainly focuses on the scrum model, you do not require employing a large team of members to assist in the project. As the number of individuals increases, it would only hamper the working. On the other hand, the DevOps requires the joint collaboration of various teams to work together. They are free to choose and work with different models such as kanban, waterfall or scum, but when the software is about to get unveiled, the various teams have to join together and interact the deployment team to proceed further with the plan. However, the DevOps is not related to any deployment model. Cross-Functionality Vs. Segmentation One of the crucial differences between Agile and DevOps is regarding how teams work on developing software. The developers working with Agile methodology are trained in doing all types of work. You can say that they are the all-rounder. This makes it easier to substitute one member with another without hampering the course of work. Not only does it improves the efficiency and quality of the work, but also betters communication amongst team members and enhances the speed of development as well. However, unlike Agile the DevOps requires to different teams; the development and operation to assist in the work. The team members have to coordinate strongly with one other if they want to obtain best possible results. Difference in Approach to Planning One of the other dissimilarities between the two methods is in their approach to the planning process. As such you need to develop new versions and updates in case of the Agile method at specific regular intervals, such as in a month. Now, this time frame is known as the Sprints. The developer has to choose the closest time frame or sprint along with the different functionalities that have to be implemented. The teams are familiar with the time and increment in the number of functions. They have to take the feedback from the users and test the functionality developed during the last sprint. The major motive behind planning the deployment in DevOps is actually to optimize the business operations. There are two options that you can follow. In the first case, you can deploy each of the updates as soon as it becomes visible or you can opt to wait until a number of updates are visible and deploy all together for optimizing the business. In DevOps, the developers are not in a hurry for deploying the updates but aim to get maximum business operations. Documentation and Interaction The scrum is undoubtedly one of the most common methods for implementing the Agile methodology. Scrum is usually a framework that is basically employed for doing difficult and harder tasks. However, in the beginning it was mainly introduced to develop software but now it helps in completing complex work. The team members focus on improving the communication by holding daily meetings where every member briefs about what work he is done and what needs to be done. This makes it easier for the project manager or team member to allocate the work accordingly. As said earlier the documentation plays an incredible role in the DevOps. The team is divided here into different groups. The operation team must have thorough and updated knowledge on the development procedure to appropriately make arrangements for the deployment. The operation group may also ask the users to test the updates and send their feedbacks. Though the interaction level is not on a day-to-day basis, but it is still important. The Similarities between Agile and DevOps So far, we had an important discussion on the key differences between the two methodologies i.e. Agile and DevOps. Now, we would focus on the common similarities and see how they are related to

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