App-Scoop

The launch of iOS has brought significant updates for Apple users, and one of them was widgets. 
A widget is a customizable small box that allows users to see information on their home screen 
without visiting the application. 
It has enhanced user experience (UX) for apple users, and people love the new updates of iOS 
14. 
This article will clear more things about your widgets along with the importance of developing 
widgets for your iOS applications.

What is a widget? 
A widget is a program or application that runs on your phone’s home screen without having to be 
opened up, or it can also be attached to another application.
​For example, the weather app on your phone tells the weather report of your area. You don’t 
have to physically go to the weather application to see the weather forecast, if you have the 
widget for it. 
But when you click on the weather forecasting widget, the program will directly take you to the 
weather app. So, the widget gives the information that it thinks is good for the user, and it 
displays a detailed report when you reach the main application. 
Many widget applications are right now running on your phone, like the daily news notification, 
notes, calendar, etc. 

What is new in iOS 14 Widget? 
Previously widgets were only present on Android devices, but with iOS 14, you can create 
widgets now on your Apple devices as well. The iOS widgets will be present on both the iOS 
home screen and MAC OS notification center. 
The iOS 14 widget has withstood Android by providing a widget with a more elegant and 
cohesive design. It gives a very sleek and stylish look to the Apple home screen. 
The Apple devices use Apple’s Smart Stack widget that shows widgets by following the user’s 
previous behaviour. This will avoid excessive notifications to pop up on your screen. ​

Advantages of developing widgets 
The iOS 14 widget update will affect two parties- the users and the developers. 
As the users have given a green signal to the widget design and function, the developers are most 
likely to develop widgets for their application with other additional features to get a competitive 
advantage. 

Why do users need widgets? 
Apple users are thrilled to have the widget feature on their phones. Here are the two significant 
benefits that a user will get from the widget function-

     1. Time-consuming 
Apple users have to click on each application to get updates and notifications. It became very 
time consuming for an iOS user. 
But with the launch of the new iOS 14, the user will not be able to see widgets but also 
customize it according to their preference. 
IOS has given the Apple user to edit the size of the widget. There are three size options 
available: small, medium, and large. The user can choose the widget size they want to see on 
their home screen. Larger the size of the widget, the more information you will see on your home 
screen. 

     2. Updated information  
A widget is created to give up-to-date information about the application. The application mostly 
makes the update, but if the widget is new, the update is made by the operating system. 
For example, if you have a widget of a news app, the news keeps pouring in without you going 
to the app to get it updated.

Why do developers need widgets? 
     1. Competitive advantage  
With the launch of iOS 14, Apple users are using this feature to the utmost. Most of the users 
have liked the concept of widgets and have enabled them on their iPhone. 
The demand for widgets is growing, and many apps are developing widgets for iOS applications. 
The developers are responsible for creating a widget that displays information that might be 
useful to the users and force them to visit the app to get more details. 

     2. Improves user retention  
Our phones are filled with applications, and it is becoming more challenging to make a user feel 
your app’s presence. Widgets will pass out information that the users might like, which will 
improve the app’s user retention. 
So, the developers are in charge of forming a widget that displays the most vital information and 
increases the user time on the application.

What will your widget display? 
A widget will represent a small box containing user-specific data that will highlight updated 
information. 
For example, if you have previously used LinkedIn, it tells about the number of people visiting 
your profile. LinkedIn has chosen this particular information because it thinks it attracts users to 
see who has recently viewed their profile. 
Widgets are static, and they do not allow you to perform actions without actually opening the 
application. Now, the developers have to decide which information will attract the user to visit 
their application. 

How to add widgets to your iPhones home screen?     
If you still don’t know how to add widgets. Here are the steps through which you can add it to 
your phone’s screen: 

     Step 1: Unlock your iPhone. Press and hold your home screen for a few seconds. You will see 
the apps start to jiggle and show a minus sign. 

     Step 2: Click on the plus sign present in the upper left corner of your home screen. This will 
bring a list of all the existing widgets. 

     Step-3: Click on the app you want to add to your widget list. It will ask you to choose among the 
three sizes that are small, medium, and large. You can select the widget size you want to see on 
your home screen. 

     Step-4: Click on “Add widget.” 

     Step-5: After adding the widget, click anywhere on the screen to come out of the edit. 
And, your application widget is added to your home screen. 

Some popular iOS home screen widgets 
     1. Wikipedia: The Wikipedia widget is excellent for people who are hardcore readers. The 
application keeps posting trending articles throughout the day to grab users’ attention and make 
them visit the Wikipedia website to read the articles in detail. 

     2. Pedometer: It is a fitness app that tells about the number of steps you have taken. Pedometers 
keep track of all the fitness goals of the user. The most important thing to notice is that the 
application doesn’t give you the detailed stats on your widget to grab user attention.
 
     3. Aviary: If you are someone who wants to be updated on all the latest tweets, Aviary will be 
your rescuer. It tells in detail about the trending tweets on your iPhone widget home screen. 

     4. Unwind: It is also one of the meditation apps that relaxes the user by telling them to do 
different breathing exercises. Unwind is also one of the most popular widgets to track your sleep 
schedule and meditation. 

     5. Habit Minder: It takes care of all the habits you do in your daily life, whether exercising, 
meditation, walking, water drinking patterns, and every routine you can think of. Habit Minder 
widget will help you maintain a good lifestyle by keeping track of your good habits. 

Conclusion 
Apple users love the new widget option, and the applications that are still refraining from 
creating its widget is losing a lot of their target audience. The widget will help you generate more 
customer interaction and retention for your application. 
​Contact the App-Scoop Vancouver Mobile App Developers for further details.

What is live chat? 
In 1973, live chat was first introduced by Brown David R. Woolley, and he named it Talkomatic. 
It has evolved over the years, and now it allows you to chat concurrently with multiple users. It is 
a high-end version of chat where you can share photos, videos, gifs, and also emojis.   
Some popular live chat applications are: 

• WhatsApp 
• Apple’s Messages 
• Skype 
• Google talk 
• Windows Live Messages 

Benefits of live chat 
     1. Communicate with multiple users at the same time 
The most important feature that live chat offers its users is the ease of communication with 
multiple users at the same time. 

     2. Can keep an eye on the conversation 
Through the live chat option, you can keep the history of all the messages and files exchanged 
between users. This allows the Administrator to keep an eye on the messages and also helps 
them analyze the team’s performance. 

     3. Sharing and Media Storage 
You can share photos, videos, docs, and links through the live chat option; and the data shared is 
stored in your phone or PC’s gallery, whichever you are using. It helps in keeping files in one 
place and you can share an unlimited number of files. 

How to enable live chat? 
There are two methods through which you can enable live chat in your application. 

     1. Hosted live chat service:  For this, you are required to buy a hosting service from a service provider. It is a very simple 
way through which you can set up a live chat option in your application.  
You have to just place a code snippet in the app through SDK, and after completing this process 
your users will be able to access all the live chat options. 
Besides, the hosted company will also offer you all the maintenance support. 
 Some examples of hosted live chat services are: 

• PubNub 
• QuickBox 
• LiveChat 
• Applozic 
  ​

Advantages of hosted live chat services 

• Easy to install: You don’t require high tech coding with a hosted live chat service. All 

the technical work will be done by the service provider, and you will have to just place a 
code snippet. 

• Maintenance Support: Perks of having a paid live chat service is that you don’t have to 

work about its maintenance. It will all be done by the service provider. 

Disadvantages of Hosted live chat service 

• Lack of customization: One major drawback of a hosted live live chat service is 

the lack of customization. If you want anything to change, then you have to 
contact the service provider for support. 

• It is on the Pricier side: Hosted live chat services are on the pricier side as they 

take care of everything on the live chat app. So, the company charges according to 
the number of active users using the live chat. 

     2. Self-Hosted Live Chat option 
A self-hosted service provider gives the source code, and then you can make all the 
customization you want in your app. 
This might look cheaper than hosted services, but it takes much more time and energy to set up 
your live chat. In addition, you are responsible to handle every maintenance issue. 
To keep everything together, you need engineers and developers in your company who can 
handle your live chat. 

 Advantages of Self-Hosted live chat services 

• Freedom of customization: Self-hosted services only provide you with a source code, 

and after this, all the work can be taken over by your team.  
You can make as much customization as you want without taking help from any of your 
live chat service providers. 

Disadvantages of Self Hosted live chat Services 

• No maintenance expectations from the live chat service provider: If you are already 

having an experienced team of developers, then this would not be a problem for your 
application.  

Points to consider before selecting a live chat service 
     1. It should provide access to rich media content 
Texting has now evolved with more people sending gifs, emojis, stickers, audio, video, etc., and 
these are categorized as rich media content. 
Your live chat service provider should offer all the rich media content so that people not just type 
messages in your app, but they get all the high-end features as well.  

     2. Protocol Independence 
The digital sphere is very dynamic, and new features are coming up every day. It is your 
responsibility to choose a message software that is ready to evolve and adapt to this always 
changing environment. 

     3. Hosted vs Self-hosted 
In between self-hosted and hosted, you need to choose a plan which fits your business 
requirement. 
So, if you have a good budget, and don’t want any additional responsibility related to your live 
chat app, then a hosted service is the best option for you. 
But, if you have budget constraints and can build an internal team then go for self-hosted. 

     4. Customer support 
Having a customer support service is a very important feature to consider before choosing a live 
chat service provider. 
A business is a full-time job, and you don’t want it to suffer from any external losses. Look for a 
live chat service provider that gives 24*7 customer support, which will allow you to take their 
expert advice in case of any problem.  

Some of the best live chat Service Providers  
     1. LiveChat 
LiveChat came up in 2002, which focuses on helping companies connect with the 
customer through live chat and is a hosted live chat service. 
It allows you to share all rich type content during the live chat. You can also send targeted 
messages through LiveChat, allowing you to customize your live chat app according to 
your need. 
You can see detailed reports and analytics in your dashboard, which includes data 
summary, data export, chat reports, customer report, etc. 
LiveChat is a secure live chat service provider, and it protects all the conventions by SSL encryption.
You can also set automatic messages and scripted messages in your chat bar. 

     2. MongooseIM 
MongooseIM provides a self-hosted live chat service. It is perfect for apps that have a 
high volume of users. MongooseIM supports users anywhere from 1,000 to 1,00,000. 
Unlike other self-hosted service providers, MongooseIM provides a source code but also 
helps the enterprise in installing the code in their application. 
MongooseIM offers you to customize your chatbox by providing the source code, and it 
will give you full access to use them. 
If you have a large enterprise with high volume users, MongooseIM is one of the best 
options to choose from. It gives a high performing live chat service with a customer 
support team that will help you install it. 

     3. PubNub 
PubNub is a hosted service provider that helps in connecting with users in real-time. It is 
used by big companies like McDonald’s, Adobe, and Coca-Cola. 
The messages sent reach the other person in 80100ms, despite their location. It is a 
reliable live chat service provider that is very easy to use and can be scaled massively. 
It is easy to set up and provides a 99.999% availability guarantee. It has 70+ SDKs for 
the proper functioning of the application. 
PubNub has all the necessary features that you can include in your chat functionality, and 
it offers customization if you wish to add anything new. 

     4. Pusher 
And the last service provider that we will talk about is Pusher. It provides a hosted live chat service
functionality that has a very versatile API and SDKs for all languages. 
It is a very secure platform with high encryption features. The platform also provides a 
debug tool that gives a live view of your dashboard, helping you to identify errors faster. 

Conclusion 
Enabling a live chat option gives your application an edge and allows you to have a connection 
with your users and prospective customers. There are two methods you can choose from between 
hosted and self-hosted, and then go for an efficient chat service according to your business needs 
and budget.  
​Contact the App-Scoop Vancouver Mobile App Developers for further details.
https://www.app-scoop.com/contact-us.html 

In-app calendars are very common in applications nowadays, and it might seem an easy process, 
but it isn’t. 
A digital calendar is used by 70% of adults, and if you are thinking of installing a calendar into 
your app, you need to be creative in what you present to the user. 
Your in-app calendar should sync with the calendar from Google, Outlook, and Apple, enabling 
you to form multiple tasks. 
But you need to think out of the box and provide excellent User Expensive (UX) to the user. You 
could also add some extraordinary features like voice recognition, text recognition, etc. ​

The following article will tell you more about creating an in-app calendar, implementing it in 
your app, and it’s different applications.  

Steps on how to put a calendar in your application 
     1. Design  
The first and foremost thing that a user sees is atheistic of the application. Your app must 
have an intuitive design that grabs the attention of the user.  
Avoid using colours that are too bright or dull. Use a simple and elegant design that is 
acceptable for all age groups. You can design your calendar by using Sketch, Illustrator, 
or Simple. 

     2. Programming language  
If you want to build a calendar that seamlessly works on the application, you need to 
choose the programming language wisely. For iOS users, you can create a calendar using 
Swift or Objective-C, and for Android, you can go for Kotlin or JAVA. 

     3. Database  
A database is used to build a space to store data by the users. Some of the applications 
which you change for your calendar are MySQL, MongoDB, or PostgreSQL. 

     4. Framework 
It provides a platform on which a developer will build your calendar. You can use 
Express, NodeJS, Ruby on Rails, PHP and Laravel, and Python and Django. 

     5. Web server  
You can test your application on Nginx to see if it performs well without any bugs. 

     6. APIs  
API or Application Programming Interface enables the communication between two 
applications.  

The calendar uses RESTful API, which means it uses HTTP requests to use your data. 
Google, Apple, and Microsoft have built their APIs, which help integrate the application 
with other sources. 

APIs that you use to build a calendar 
Let’s talk about some popular APIs you can use to build your calendar. 

     1. Microsoft’s Outlook Calendar API: 
It gives access to calendar groups, events, and it sends reminders to your mobile, desktop, 
and web applications. 

     2. Google Calendar API: 
It allows you to use client libraries in several programming languages like NET, JAVA, HP, 
GO, Node, Python, NET, JAVA Script, and Swift. You can set calendar reminders, edit personal
calendars, and share your calendar through mobile and web applications.  
 
     3. Apple’s EvenKit Framework: 
This API is for macOS and IOS devices that allow you to use calendars and schedule your events 
and requirements. 

     4. Calendar API: 
It uses RESTful API and can be accessed through Google client libraries or HTTP calls. Calendar API 
enables you to schedule holidays, meetings, and events. You can even update and add events 
automatically. 

     5. Super SaaS API:
It provides APIs and Webhooks that allow you to schedule payments, reports, and notifications. 
You can easily integrate super SaaS API with your web application. 

     6. Cronofy API: 
It helps to connect with multiple calendar accounts. Cronofy API only allows the required data to 
be transported. It contains webhooks that are used for tracking changes. You can schedule your
tasks and set reminders through this API. 

     7. Funambol API: 
It enables users to store data through a cloud platform. Funambol API can efficiently perform all 
the activities present in an inbuilt calendar. 

     8. Events API: 
It uses RESTful calls and allows users to create, edit, update, and delete information from the
private calendars. 31 Events API will send you an invite, and if you accept it, you get automatically
connected to the event. 

     9. Nylon Universal API: 
It forms a secure and reliable connection to the user’s calendar. Nylon Universal API uses webhooks
to notify real-time changes to the user. 

     10. Calendarific API: It is one of the best API to obtain updated public and bank holidays on 
your calendar. Calendarific API helps a further user schedule its events and meet in sync with 
the public and bank holidays. 

Tips to keep in mind before creating a calendar app 

• Work on your UI and UX  

If you want your app to create a good impression in your customers’ eyes, you must 
create an excellent UX experience.  
8 out of 10 people will pay you more if you provide them with a good customer 
experience. Your app can build loyal customers just by providing excellent UI and UX. 

• Connect with people  

Millennials are more inclined towards apps that allow media sharing with other people. 
Your calendar should have the facility to tag or send information to other people; a 
seamless conversation between users will improve your application’s customer retention. 

• Add a demanded feature 

If you want people to use your app, you need to give them some solid reasons. Your 
inbuilt calendar must have some advanced feature that separates you from your 
competitor’s apps.  
Some of these features can be scheduling, booking, view notifications, etc.; you can even 
add voice and text recognition to give an edge to your competitor’s app. 

• Speech recognition   

50%  of people prefer voice search, and it is one of the emerging features that should be 
present in all the calendar apps. Many apps, like voice calendar and calendar, have 
implemented speech recognition in the calendar app.  
If you want to allow speech recognition in iOS applications, you can use Apple’s Speech 
Framework, and for Android devices, you can use Google Assistant. 

• Easy to use calendar app  

Build a calendar app that can be easily used by a non-techie person and doesn’t require 
many steps to perform any action in the app. Your inbuilt calendar should be comfortable 
for all users regardless of their age. 

Examples of the in-app calendar? 
Many apps have an inbuilt calendar to ease multitasking. Some of the examples are: 

     1. Educational apps: The use of an in-built calendar is maximum in the education 
industry. Online trainers and e-learning platforms use an in-built calendar to 
schedule their lectures, exams, and doubt clearing classes. The work of an in-built 
calendar is to remind users of the activity planned. Outlook and Google calendar 
allows the student as well as a teacher to be updated. 

     2. Parking apps: Many parking apps like SpotHero have included a calendar in the 
app feature to easily book parking spots. The app allows IOS users to sync their 
application to iCalendar, and then you can schedule their date and time of booking 
the parking spot. 

     3. Messaging apps: Telegram allows users to schedule the message they want to send 
and at what time. The message will automatically be delivered to the recipient of the 
message. This is great for organizing messages for office and personalized uses. 

     4. Rental and Real estate apps: Zillow and Zumper are real estate and rental apps, 
respectively. They allow users to schedule a meeting with the real estate agent. 

     5. YouTube: You can schedule videos for your YouTube channel, and the video will get 
posted at that particular time. YouTube has enabled this feature for the longest time, 
and it is handy for YouTube creators. 

     6. Healthcare apps: Enabling a calendar is the best element for apps that deal with 
fitness and healthcare. These apps allow you to schedule your medicine timings and your doctor’s 
appointment.  
​
NFC technology and Talos are one of the apps that will enable users to schedule their 
doctor’s appointments and training sessions. 
Many apps in the market will have an inbuilt calendar or ask you to sync your Google or Apple 
calendar to perform the task. 

Conclusion 
Incorporating a calendar in your app will uplift its use. You can now add many advanced features 
that have been mentioned, and follow these simple tips that will help you build a seamlessly 
working calendar.  
​​Contact the App-Scoop Vancouver Mobile App Developers for further details.

10 Mistakes to avoid while outsourcing Mobile App Development
#Mistake 1: Poor research
Getting on a video call or seeing wonderful and exciting PPTs made by the outsourced company is not called research.
​Everyone will show you their best side but you must go deep into finding a few things:

• Out how a particular company performs, 
• What is their success rate, 
• What are the different stages that the company has assigned to fulfill your demand 
• What is the process of its quality check 

and many more questions that can arise while selecting the outsourced company.
Proper research will help you in the long run, and you will not let you regret your decision. So, before you outsource, research about these things and then go with the one that seems satisfactory.

#Mistake 2:Choosing a company with high difference in time zones 
This might not feel that much of importance but it actually plays a very important role if you are outsourcing. 
A hiring company with a high difference in time zone might disturb the working environment and delay the deadline for your work. You will have to wait for their response every time, and this can be really hectic to manage. 
Hence, you can look for companies that run in double shifts so that neither of the parties has to compromise their valuable time. Or, you can hire one from the same country as yours or from a country with not much time difference. 
Trust me, it will help you and your employees work efficiently and maintain their mental health as well.
 
#Mistake 3:Not giving emphasis to proper communication 
If you have hired a developer who doesn’t speak or understand your language then, this will cause a lot of confusion. And instead of making the process stress free, it will make it more stressful.
This is why you should always look for companies and developers that speak and understand your language. This way, you would be able to communicate every detail of the project to the other party. 
Proper communication about the project and telling them about your vision helps the outsourcing party to work strategically and they will be able to efficiently complete your tasks before the deadline.

#Mistake 4:Trust issues with the developers 
If it’s your first time in the field of outsourcing, then it’s normal to have trust issues with the developer initially.
However, this must not persist in the long run. You need to show confidence in them, if you have fully researched and have found the company or individuals suitable to complete your task, then let them show their result. 
Besides, avoid over follow-ups with the developers. It can make the environment stressful between both parties, which you would not want to happen.

#Mistake 5:Inefficient planning 
Lack of proper planning can cause intensive dangers in the long run. Your planning should start when you decide that you want to outsource tasks.
You should be ready with your chart of “next steps” that you will do while looking for an outsourcing partner. And, even after the selection, it is necessary to make them part of your vision and what you want. 
Both parties can have cumulative planning on how they will make your vision come into reality. To make it happen, it’s better to talk to them about your expectations, the issues you are facing at present, and listen to their point of view before coming to a conclusion on how to proceed.

#Mistake 6:Constraining budget 
Excellency comes with a price and if you want to develop a mobile app then you need a developer who is experienced in its field and can understand what you are trying to say and what is the final result you are expecting.
Now, if you want to find someone who does their work that efficiently then your budget should match your expectations. Avoid choosing money over skills because an expert will bring a lot of money than you have even invested in them.
So, don’t look for ‘cheaper alternatives’; instead, go for affordable or reasonable pricing that you invest in outsourcing if you want to see the results. 

#Mistake 7:Not reviewing codes 
This is the most important point to take care of while outsourcing work for your mobile app development. Trusting the developer is OK, but you should weekly ask for codes to run so that you are all satisfied with the quality of work you are getting.
You should check the codes that have been sent and if they are working in all kinds of applications whether it’s Android or iOS. Manual codes can be reviewed for technical faults of the syntax, structure, or any other important information that’s missing. 
It will be the primary screening of the project. And static codes can run by different sources to check whether the codes are running. In case you are unable to run those codes, you can contact your app developer. It will maintain open communication between both parties and things become clearer.
​
#Mistake 8:Lack of proper feedback
Tracking progress is very crucial to provide quality work and achieving deadlines. Proper feedback is not just telling they are good or bad at their assigned task, but it’s defining the exact reasons behind your agreement or disagreement.
Mention what’s missing, and what needs to change. Pointing out things will help the outsourcing party be clear of what your expectations are and where the developers need to improve.

#Mistake 9: Not able to convey the exact requirements
Many organizations fail to convey their exact requirements to the companies they are outsourcing to. As a result, the results they expect never gets fulfilled, and they end up wasting their time and resources.
To avoid this, make a list of what you want from the app and the purpose it will solve for the people. Include the tiniest detail from the colour palettes to enabling high tech codes for your application. 
Proper communication from both sides will be very helpful in getting the result you thought of in your mind.

#Mistake 10: Not including after launch support in the contract
All the mistakes mentioned above deal with the problems before the launch of the product, but complexities can arise even after successful running of the product in the market.
Every business needs to include after delivery services when you are outsourcing such an important element in the business. It is possible that your app could get attacked by bugs, or the code isn’t working the way you wanted it to work.
Hence, always include after launch support in your contract to avoid any confusion in your project.
We hope that you now have a clear view of what mistakes you can avoid while outsourcing mobile app development, and how you can avoid them.
If you are still in double minds, look at some of the successful examples. 

Big companies that have been profited by effective outsourcing

• Google: It is the biggest company that has been mentioned on this list. Google has been outsourcing IT services for years and has recently started with AdWords.
• Basecamp: It is a web project management tool that helps businesses handle projects efficiently. To meet their growing demands, they outsourced the development part of the app to remote developers.
• Opera: It was launched in 1995 as a web browser, but as the company grew many start-ups were neck-to-neck with Opera. Some parts of the app have to be outsourced to ease out some of their work.
• WhatsApp: It is one of the most popular apps which is used worldwide and has started outsourcing their core development tasks to Russia.
• Skype: The popularity of this app increased after they outsourced their back-end to three developers named Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, and Jaan Tallinn.

​Conclusion
The market of mobile apps is estimated to reach $586 Billion by the end of 2020, and no organization should refrain from such a diverse and fulfilling market. 
Your incapability to expand your internal team cannot be your reason to stop from connecting to your prospective customers through your mobile app, if you utilize the power of outsourcing well.
It will help you get the results you are looking for as you can work with experienced people on your applications who know your exact requirements along with all the do’s and don’ts.

The need for innovative technologies and intuitive business solutions is increasing in the digital world.
Not to mention your systems and software can make or break the deal when it comes to adapting to new challenges, business growth, and increased competitiveness.
However, you might have many legacy systems in your organization that are problematic to maintain and integrate with other systems. They may hold back your business operations relying on them.
So, do you think replacing them entirely is the best option out there? 

It’s because those systems handle some of the crucial business processes, and you would never want to just let go of them when there are other options available.
That’s where the legacy system modernization comes into the picture.
If you face some legacy challenges, first understand the problem you want to solve. Next, follow some of the approaches that I’ll be covering in this article to upgrade those systems and improve them without disrupting any internal process.
But first, understand some basic things that will help you understand the legacy modernization approaches better.
So, let’s explore!

​What are legacy systems and their examples?
A legacy system is a device, software, or any other obsolete technology that people still use today.
When a technology becomes outdated, old, and incapable of delivering the same kind of service as compared to the present technologies available around, developers refer to it as a legacy system.  

Examples of Legacy Systems
●      A voicemail system using hardware and software from the 90’s
●      Software requiring a dongle plugged-in into a parallel port in order to provide copy protection
●      Hardware used in many power plants
●      Computer with MS-DOS controlling manufacturing machines

​Issues associated  with legacy systems:
Legacy systems can slow down or block the ability of an organization to grow and adapt to the changes in present-day business dynamics. They are vulnerable to security risks and other issues related to maintenance, improvement, support, integration, and user experience.
As a result, operational efficiency decreases in addition to the risk of online attacks that can lead to huge business losses in terms of money, fame, and customers.
This is why you need the legacy system modernization, which is the next point of discussion in this article. 

What’s legacy system modernization?
Simply put, the legacy system modernization refers to updating and/or replacing inefficient or outdated systems, applications, or processes in your current IT stack, either completely or partially. This is done to support your processes and business goals.
The market size of application modernization services is projected to grow from $11.4 billion to $24.8 billion during 2020-2025, says this report.
To drive innovation into your business, you need new and efficient technologies that can cater to real-world challenges. You need fast systems and applications that can support your platforms, connectivity, and integration to optimize business operations. 

Benefits of modernizing legacy systems:
Legacy system modernization is not a mandatory process for all organizations. However, you may require some sort of modification or update in order to increase efficiencies and meet the expectations of your stakeholders as well as customers.
It can bring the following benefits:

●         Enhanced business agility due to flexible applications, well-managed databases, better codes, and higher scalability. Hence, you can serve your customers better.
●      Improved team performance and productivity with fast systems and applications that reduce lag time. You can move your systems to the cloud to automate everyday activities as well.
●      Sturdy security using new-age technologies that mitigate online threats like advanced firewalls, suspend brute force attacks, stronger password management, and more.
●      Cost reduction as a modern system lets you re-architect legacy codes using an open-source programming language.
You can also automate manual tasks, repurpose codes, optimize business operations, and utilize cloud commuting to further reduce cost. Maintenance and diagnosing issues also become easy and less costly. 
●      Better customer experience by automating manual processes, launching new offerings, fixing issues sooner, and assisting them faster.  

How to prepare for it?
If you have understood the significance of legacy system modernization, the next thing is to prepare for it in advance.
For that matter, requirements differ from one organization to another. This is the reason why you should have a plan which makes it easy to adopt a strong strategy. You can prepare for legacy modernization by:

●      Defining the exact goal behind modernization by understanding your issues with the technology, functionality, or other aspects of a system or application
●     Measuring the present state of your systems by inspecting the performance, end-user experience, and their impact over your business
●      Selecting a sustainable modernization approach that can resolve your issues
But how are you planning to do that?
Let’s figure out how!

6 approaches for legacy system modernization

Re-platforming When a system or any of its components gets migrated to another platform, you can call the process as re-platforming. It involves minimal modifications to its codes in order to adapt the system to the fresh platform.
Here, the basic code structure, functionalities, and features of the systems stay the same. It is done just to switch the systems to a more advanced platform.
Once it is complete, you are allowed to run several tests in order to derive essential analytics showing the specific codes needed for re-scripting or re-compiling. 

Rehosting This process requires you to redeploy a system to another virtual, physical, or even cloud infrastructure for that matter.
In this scenario, the application codes are unaltered and uncompiled without modifying its functionalities and features. Rehosting leaves very few or no impact over the system’s business logic. It is faster, cost-efficient, and involves lower risk.

Re-architecting Re-architecting is the process of shifting a legacy system to a new and better architecture so that you can explore its best capabilities. Here, you need to modify the system codes based on the model of microservices that you can build, manage, and deploy independently.
This process includes technologies such as JPlaton, Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and more. It gives you improved business agility plus a faster way to market your offerings

Refactoring In this approach of performing legacy system modernization, optimization and restructuring of the existing code take place. It does not involve any modifications in its external behavior.
This process helps improve the functionalities as well as the features of a component minus technical debts. Hence, if you re-code some parts of an application, you can maximize operational cost-efficiency and take significant benefits of the features native to the cloud.

Rewriting Rewriting includes both redesigning and rebuilding an application as a whole or some of its components from scratch. However, the process preserves the applications’ specifications and scope.
It helps you address the unique challenges that present-day businesses face. The process provides fast developing times, customized network protocols, and ensures better security by leveraging advanced coding techniques.

Replacing The final approach to modernizing a legacy system is by replacing it. Because sometimes it’s best to replace a system with another one instead of investing in modernization.
It involves the removal of the existing system and then replacing it with a new one. In the process, you need to take new specifications and requirements in addition to the customer expectations associated with the system or an application.
The technologies utilized to perform the replacement include a Low Code BPM interface with a SaaS or Software-as-a-Service solution. It also accelerates developing times, security, and lets you utilize the system’s better capabilities.  

Case Studies:
Let’s now look at some of the successful real-life stories where many organizations have leveraged legacy system modernization to achieve benefits.

●      The IT giant, Infosys, modernized the enrollment and eligibility system for the DC or District of Columbia into an integrated and modern system. This system supports a wide-ranging social and health programs, including Food & Cash assistance as well as MAGI Medicaid. It increased the productivity of workers and provided a single access point to multiple human and health service programs for the citizens of DC.
●      Infosys also helped a multinational logistics and transportation company to re-engineer their mainframe applications which consumed around 3M lines of code upon 110 interfaces designated for 6,000 users in 92 countries. They transformed their legacy applications into an API-based, scalable Java architecture capable of helping faster, modern, and future-proof systems.

Conclusion
Legacy system modernization, indeed, is a complex process that requires time and serious efforts with a hint of certain risks involved. However, if it is done right; the results you can achieve are well worth it.  
Thus, instead of using the same legacy systems that deteriorate your organizational efficiency and impact your revenue, leverage legacy system modernization techniques based on your needs.
This way, you can meet your customers’ expectations, accelerate your operations, and keep running a profitable business. ​

As customers we’ve been spoilt for choices. Convenience is one of the top reasons why the e-commerce market is successful. Apart from the e-commerce markets, on-demand food delivery apps have also carved a niche in the market. These apps have further created a stir in the market due to the Corona outbreak and the lockdown situation.
So, what are on-demand delivery applications?

On-demand applications, a model that has been popularised by Uber, is utilized in various domains – ranging from groceries to healthcare. Some of the examples include:

• Glamsquad delivers professional hair and makeup artists.
• Soothe sends a massage therapist home within an hour.
• Chime connects babysitters and parents on Saturday night.
• Urbanclap sends househelp home in a matter of hours.

On-demand apps are being made like hot cakes for different services. Do you wish to build such an app on Android or iOS platforms or both? How much does it cost? Let’s find out! ​​

How Does an On-Demand Service App Work?

​Before beginning to create an app, we must understand the basic process of how it will work.

• First step is that a service provider will lists his/her set of skills and expertise via a vendor account.
• Then, a buyer will request the details of the service he/she wants.
• The service provider will display the details of the service to the buyer and a communication begins with the help of the in-built messenger in the app.
• If the buyer decides to opt for the service, he/she will pay for it with the help of an in-built payment gateway.
• Lastly, once the service is used the buyer will update a review to rate the service provider.

Characteristics for On-demand Delivery Marketplaces

Now, when the buyer logs into the app to request for a service, it should be easy for them to use an app – basically, the app needs to be intuitive and not too complex. Let’s take a look at some of the characteristics that are needed for an on-demand delivery app.

• Easy to navigate
• Quick delivery of products/services
• Freelancers providing or selling services
• Easy payment method
• Competitive pricing
• Rating system
• Special offers/Promo codes

Types of On-Demand Service Apps
There are three types of on-demand service apps for end users.

Business to Customer (B2C)
This is the most common category, where the app provides service directly to the customer. Some examples include, Uber, Zomato, Booking.com, Netflix, etc.

Business to Business (B2B)
This type of service is when two organizations connect in order to make a profit. They include transportation services, banking, etc. Some examples include, Catalant, Eventio, and Cargomatic.

Customer to Customer (C2C)
Lastly, we have apps that cater services that one customer offers to the other customer – basically, it helps connecting two customers, the one who wants a service to the one who provides that service. Some examples include, Rover (dog walking app) or Airbnb (renting a flat).

How to Build an On-Demand Service Mobile App: Essential Features

So, now let’s understand how to build an app for connecting buyers and sellers – it will consist of three parts:
App for buyers: Here, consumers can search for services that they need, see reviews, pricing and track orders.

App for service providers: This is where the companies list their services and create a communication network with clients.

Admin panel: Allows you to group the services and providers, manage the data, track payments and allows the user to access the app.

Estimating the App Cost 
To begin understanding the cost estimation of app, it is necessary to understand the process of development itself. It is easy to generate a cost estimate for the entire project, once you understand the tasks involved and how long they take. Let’s take a look at some important aspects that help us decide:
Timeline

• App design timeline
• App development timeline
• Backend development
• Frontend development

The Team Working on the App

• UI/UX designer
• Android/iOS developer
• Backend developer
• Business analyst
• QA engineer
• Project manager

Key On-Demand App Features

• Signing up
• Generating orders
• Scheduling deliveries
• Tracking deliveries on a map
• Paying for deliveries
• Rating or providing feedback on deliveries
• Product search
• Shopping cart
• Wishlist
• Real-time messaging or calls
• Account settings
• Notifications
• Order history

On-Demand App Development Cost
A simple single platform on-demand application will have a costing of around $30,000 which is quite reasonable compared to service apps such as, ecommerce or social networking. For more complex projects, such as adding the rating and reviews option, referrals, promo codes, special offers, payments, mobile wallets or incorporating different user roles, the costs will vary.
The two critical factors that affect cost are design and functionality. Paying for good app design, especially where the app is intended for widespread circulation should be therefore, considered an investment. The functionality of apps can be categorized into standalone, database dependent apps, web-based apps, games and productivity apps. Server-based apps and those involving complex user interactions are sure to cost more than the other apps. Android and iOS are compatible on-demand delivery apps will vary slightly in terms of cost – testing as well as launching it into the market.

Some of the Time-Consuming Features of App Development

• Admin panel – 150 hours on average
• Delivery status – 110 hours on average
• Payment processing – 80 hours on average
• Push notifications – 48 hours on average
• Booking delivery – 120 hours on average  

Total costs for the development of an on-demand delivery app = Total hours spent on developing the app X Vendor rate

How to Minimize Transport and Delivery Costs

There are a few tricks that will help you to minimize costs while create an on-demand delivery app. All it takes is some deliberate planning to develop an operation schedule that will minimize costs – once the app is operationalized, several steps can be accomplished. 

Route Synchronization
Many app companies gather orders of a particular area and then dispatch them together. This way the company saves significantly on the delivery costs as opposed to drivers handling each order – this business model allows them to earn about 20% of each order amount. For example, companies like Roadie and Hitch capitalizes on route synchronization.

Restricting the Delivery Radius
You can minimize company costs by putting restrictions in place for the delivery radius. Couriers are only allowed to deliver within a certain radius, thereby cutting on the cost of fuel and the wear and tear of the vehicle. For example, Deliv restricts its couriers to a radius of 15 miles.

Using Energy-Efficient Transport Systems
Another great way of cutting back on delivery costs is to use energy-efficient transport vehicles such as bikes. Bikes are an excellent delivery option to deliver small packages. For instance, Zomato used bikes or scooters to deliver orders to customers. Also, it is easier to find an independent delivery person on a lookout to make quick money.

Wrapping It Up
Easy to access and use, on-demand applications are quite an interesting and profitable ventures to further work on. People will always need to get things done, and with the current rhythm of life, on-demand services may eventually become, if not already, a complete on-demand economy. To achieve this, contact App-Scoop team now! 

Open Source is a technological magic-land where all organisations can contribute their work to collaborate or share with other companies. According to the 2018, Open Source Program Management Survey, approximately 53% of the people surveyed stated that their organisation has an open source software program or has plans to establish one within a year.

Reasons Contributing to OSS
​
There are three major reasons that help in contributing to the OSS – selling complimentary services, building greater innovative capability and reduction of cost through open sourcing to an external community. They are usually also explained as extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, and internalized extrinsic motivation. ​

Commercials
Money is as an extrinsic motivator. During research, a few big projects had a significant number of contributors whose companies had paid them to work on open source. Signalling their talent to potential employers, they published their software free for all to inspect.
Free software was primarily an ideological statement at first, even if user control also had an important practical side; several researchers have found support for ideological motives in developer surveys.

Effective Communication
Another reason to contribute is effective communication. If the developers are working on an OSS, they are able to receive feedback, ask correct questions and collaborate with other developers constantly to solve issues faster and more efficiently.
Apart from this, effective communication also can help you learn new things that you didn’t know before. Constantly learning and adapting to changes will help you to revise or makes changes in your application while building it or in the long run.

Career Advantages and Peer Recognition
While contributing to the OSS, there has been significant empirical evidence that people’s career has taken a boost. Developing code and making it available for others to see and work with can open career avenues like never before. Big companies are always on the lookout for talented developers and what better place to showcase your talents than the OSS.
Also, one of the internalized extrinsic motivators is peer recognition. Your reputation among your peers can be a source of your own pride, but it also signals your talent to community insiders.

“Own-Use Value”
Another motivator is what researchers call “own-use value” but is more recognizably described as something like “scratch your own itch”. Here, the developer develops something for himself or herself, and in the process, creates something that is valuable to others. While doing that on the OSS, it increases their chances of getting a potential future opportunity.

Reduces Development Costs
Open source contribution is a huge help to reduce development costs in organisations. Open source contributors give the organisation to take ideas, suggestions and help from experts outside of their own team. This reduces their development costs because they get access to work done by other developers. Most times the pointers are better than the ones in the organisation.

Wrapping It Up

OSS helps to make the technical world a better place by sharing their knowledge on a public platform. Even by fixing minor bug in a library or writing a piece of documentation, it helps other developers to maintain or write code. It also gives these coders a recognition among the community, and they also have personal development in terms of sharpening their programming skills.
If you are a newbie programmer with one year of programming education, contributing to an Open Source project can help you learn to program faster and give you more visibility as a developer.
Contact App-Scoop  for more information.

​Up until 2020, technological advancements were made at their own pace – it wasn’t a necessity but a luxury. But then the dynamics of the world changed! The new normal in a COVID-19 world demanded that we push our technology expertise to the maximum, in order to survive through this calamity safely.

We need to understand that the coronavirus is transferred from one human to another by either direct contact or indirect contact. Direct contact involves hugging, shaking hands, talking too closely, etc. with a positive patient whereas, indirect contact is touching objects like metals, steel, plastic, etc. touched by a positive patient. As per studies, the coronavirus thrives on objects for a span of more than 4 hours.
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Hence, the earliest directives to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus was to avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth after touching an object in a public space and to keep using a hand sanitizer to kill the germs. We mindlessly touch the door knob, the lift button, table surfaces, cars, the toilet and many other things – or else how do you get by during the day. Well, this novel problem requires a novel solution – Touchless Technology.

​Touchless Access

We all require a secure access to various buildings. Let’s take a look at the areas that require contact and replace them with touchless technology.
Opening the door physically can be changed to auto doors (a feature that already exists in the market since decades). New York City especially needs to get rid of the rotating door system and replace it with automatic glass sliders. 
To using the elevator to go to your desired floor – you would need to touch the lift button. This can be replaced with voice or infrared sensor technology. Lift maker, Fujitec on April 1, launched the ‘elevators of enhanced public hygiene’. This model includes an add-on contactless panel feature that taps infrared sensor technology to detect the person’s destination floor when they hover their hands over the dashboard.
It also comes with basic functions like a congestion indicator that displays how congested the elevator is to consider social distancing and anti-bacterial lift buttons. Voice sensor elevators requires people to announce the floor they wish to go to and the sensor will light up the button on the lift.  
Another start-up in San Francisco, Proxy, has devised a technology that allows people to check in at buildings and doctors’ offices. Further, the person can sign on to computers using a Bluetooth signal, all without touching a screen or even taking the phone out of their pocket. Another firm with ongoing field trials is NEC, which in March 2020, at its headquarters in Tokyo, installed security gates that do not require people to remove their masks or sunglasses – and hence, touch their faces.
Another touchless facility to maintain hygiene is obviously the bathroom. The company, Kohler has reported a surge in sales of touchless faucets and toilets to residential customers. The sale of “intelligent toilets,” which are equipped with bidets and toilet seats that open and close automatically, increased eightfold during the first two weeks of March compared with the same period a year earlier. Also, public bathrooms should have automated faucets and soap dispensers, and self-flushing toilets.

Touchless Security Features

Many people have been buying hands-free lock for their homes to avoid spreading germs on door knobs or surfaces. The President of Yale Locks, Mr Williams stated that the sale of touchless Bluetooth enabled locks are up after the novel coronavirus announced itself and is projected to be tripled compared to the 2019 and first half of 2020. These locks will not move the door; the door lever incorporated in the lock can be pushed open with an elbow or a hip.
Reference Source: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/coronavirus-spurs-demand-for-touchless-technology?unlock=96c72f4de715f542

Another security feature such as fingerprint authentication at workplaces, police stations or jail needs to be replaced by touchless technology. People using biometric security are exposing themselves to greater risks during an uncertain time. Facial recognition is a much safer option for organisations worried about the cleanliness of shared fingerprint scanners. This solution can be integrated into any mobile platform, and its step-down technology can even recognize people wearing surgical masks.

Going Touchless in Hospitals

Technological advancements related to testing and patient data collation in real-time basis have helped in early detection and timely procedure assignment. Robots and AI technology have helped to avoid physical contact in extreme cases and taking test samples with reduced error. Educational institutions, schools, colleges are moving online to provide ongoing learning opportunities as physical classrooms shut down. Doctors, specialists, medical practitioners and even retired medical professionals across the spectrum of medicine and human health were willing to serve and use online courses and reviews to enhance learning of symptoms and procedures and create a pooled resource of a strengthened workforce.

Service Industry Goes Touchless

There have been convenience stores in Japan that do not have checkout counters. Further, Japan plans to commercialise the multi-biometric authentication technology which will include age verification systems so that products like alcohol and tobacco can still be sold in such stores.
Similarly, the travel industry will start eliminating walk-in customer services and instead have call centres set up to assist customers online. Online customer services will be enabled to perform all functions through their system or the customer will be able to manage their booking online. All types of payment will be enabled through electronic payment. Further, at airports, Artificial Intelligence will be used to refer to the exposed part of a face against a database of registered images for facial recognition of the passenger.
In the year 2019 due to Japan’s manpower shortage a sensor-based tabletop restaurant menu was designed by Toshiba Tec was developed. This type of touchless technology can be adapted at this time; where menu items, in their actual serving size, are projected directly onto the table, and orders taken via sensors. Further, the cooking process can be shown on the screen while the customers are waiting.

Contactless Payment

Even though liquid cash has been replaced by plastic money, transactions initiated by a tap with a credit card or the wave of a phone often require customers to punch in a pin code or sign a screen or a paper receipt to complete the sale, as a protection against fraud. This needs to change by paying via apps such as WeChat, PayZapp, Alipay, etc. that don’t force patrons to touch a shared surface.

Wrapping It Up
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Japan owns about half the global market share in the sensors market, and Covid-19 has given contactless technology and coerced companies to make a leap headlong into advancing solutions for touchless technology. The Motion Sensor Market forecast to grow from USD 1.9 billion in 2016 to USD 2.6 billion by 2023, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.9% during the forecast period (2019–2025).
The major factors that are expected to be driving the market are rising demand for automation in material handling across industries, growing medical automation for reproducibility and accuracy, emerging e-commerce industry, and enhanced productivity enabled by improved supply chain processes.

​Reference Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/Motion-Sensor-Market-614.html