Category: Development

Serverless Computing vs. Containers – Which one to choose?

Miley on January 28, 2019

Over the last couple of years, there has been a significant rise in the adoption of serverless computing. And the adoption of Containers is also growing at a rapid pace. And this probably brings you to the question – should you choose Serverless or Containers. This is because both these technologies have something in common.

The similarities between the two:

Serverless is a good option for microservices. Containers is perfect for microservices as well. They both have a modern architecture that can cater to your requirements in the future as well. And they both possess skills when it comes to leveraging the most strategic innovations in distributed systems, and they let you develop and deploy large-scale applications. But yes, there are slight differences in the way the deployment is made.

What is serverless?

Serverless computing is called so because enterprises do not have to purchase servers for operating their backend code. It is not that there aren’t any servers, the servers are there, but they are managed and handled by the third-party vendors who are fully responsible for the working of the servers. When AWS Lambda and Azure Functions were launched as cloud based services for serverless computing, they instantly became a hot trend.

What are the containers?

Containers are an operating system virtualization method whereby you have everything to run and deploy an application without any hassle. It has all the elements like system settings, system libraries and all other elements to run the application. Therefore, you can use the containers to deploy any type of application. All the Container needs is hosting and they can run anywhere in a single package. It can run consistently and quickly without worrying about the deployment environment.

It is important to conduct an educative assessment between Serverless and Containers. This is because Serverless is not suitable everywhere and a wrong choice can break everything. Hence, it is important to determine what kind of architecture you need, the application it has to host and the steps to be taken for successful deployment.

Image source: Pexels

Here are some situations where you can use serverless computing.

To process real-time data streams and uploads – Serverless functions make it easy to transfer resource intensive real-time processes away from the main applications. So, it is perfectly capable of parsing and filtering incoming data streams, manage input from real-time devices, manage both intermittent and high-throughput data streams and process uploaded files.

It can manage high-volume background processes – Serverless makes it possible to move data at high volume to an analytics service. This could be very beneficial in point of sale services where serverless makes it possible to coordinate inventory, manage different databases including order and transaction databases, and even intermittent tasks like restocking.

It can manage backend tasks of mobile/web applications – Serverless takes a request from the frontend (of the website or application), retrieve the information and then hand it back to the front end. The billing for this kind of tasks will be based on the backend tasks that it does; all other times it is idle.

Containers can fill out the limitations posed by serverless computing

Serverless computing does come with its share of limitations, so you do really need something to counter that.

Earlier, it was mentioned that Azure Functions and AWS Lambda services were hot trends when they were released, but there are limits that inhibit their full functionality. There are restrictions on memory use, size, time available for functions to run and so on. Hence, vendors take care to keep the functions small so they don’t take too much of the system’s resources. Imagine the situation wherein a small number of high demand users block everyone else out or at worst, overload the systems. That could be really bad, right?

Similarly, debugging and performance analysis are also restricted because they are too primitive. It is also difficult to use several of the monitoring tools with serverless functions because of the lack of access to the function’s container management system.

Image source: Pexels

A few areas where serverless computing loses out to containers

(1) Easy for large and complex applications

A container-based application can be large and complex and it is possible to tailor the new architecture as per the redesigned system. If you try to apply the same through a server less application, you may still be able to do it, but you would have to encounter several bottlenecks as there would be size and memory constraints.

(2) The developer gets full control

Another advantage of a container-based application is that the developer gets full power and control of the containers. The developer can debug and test with the complete set of resources at his disposal, perform in-depth monitoring, performance tuning on a microservice by microservice level. Microservices are applications that can be broken into smaller, scalable and deployable components on an independent level.

(3) Makes migration easier

It is easier to migrate your applications in containers, taking the pain out of deployment. It is also easy to move the apps between servers.

Closing Thoughts

Containers would be a good choice if flexibility during installation is more important for you, especially with software that has specific version requirement. It gives the developer control over the installed programming language and runtime version.

However, more of manual intervention is needed with Containers, when you compare this with serverless computing. This makes serverless computing a better option, especially if you want automatic detection and handling of traffic pattern changes. It is also a good option when you don’t want to be bothered about administration of the underlying infrastructure, because all you need to do is worry about the business value and the quality of code.

Choose Containers:

When flexibility is more important to you, and when you need easy migration between legacy services.

Choose Serverless:

When you prefer automatic scaling of apps, want speed of development to be accelerated and would like to lower runtime costs.

Author Bio:

Digital Marketing Manager with 7 years of experience. Passionate about the latest trends in Digital Marketing, Technology and App Development.

Development Insights

Bitcoin Investment: Tips for Maximizing Returns

Miley on January 24, 2019

If there is one alternative investment that has been solidly gaining traction in recent years, it is bitcoin. A lot of people are now taking advantage of the potential of this cryptocurrency to deliver profitability. However, there are also uncertainties that could make some proceed with hesitation. That being said, the rest of this post briefly outlines some of the best things that can be done to maximize the return of your bitcoins.

Find the Right Trading Platform

One of the best ways to earn money from bitcoin is through trading. Basically, what this means is that you will buy the cryptocurrency at a low price. When the price is high, you can now sell it and earn a profit. To do this, you need the right bitcoin trading platform. Find one Stock Apps that is reliable and trusted by many, making it possible to have lots of buyers when it is time to sell.

Host an ATM

There are tons of ways to maximize profits from bitcoin, including offering complementary services. A bitcoin ATM is one of the perfect examples of the latter. They even offer an online bitcoin ATM locator, which will make it easy for users to find an ATM that is nearest their current location. Almost any existing space can be used for the ATM machine.

With the variety of the options for a bitcoin trading platform, one of the best that you should not miss is https://www.coincloudatm.com/.

Short Sell your Bitcoins

Shorting bitcoin is one thing that can work when the market is down, and you want to earn a profit. Although, it should be noted that this is a strategy that is best done only by the more experienced investors since it is quite complicated. Many exchanges are already making this possible, but a lot of novice investors may end up doing it incorrectly, which makes the risks high.

Hold on for Dear Life

It is inevitable that there will be a crash in the cryptocurrency market, especially in bitcoins. When things go south, this does not mean that you should lose hope. In one article from Forbes that tackles how crypto investors can profit from a crash, the Hold On for Dear Life strategy has been recommended. Also called HODL, this simply means that you should wait and see. You do not have to do anything in your bitcoin. Let it become idle in your chosen platform and hope for the best.

Conduct a Thorough Research

This is perhaps the most important from the points that are raised in this post. You need to be knowledgeable about the ins and outs of bitcoin to make it a profitable alternative investment. When you are armed with the right knowledge, it will be a lot easier for you to grow your cryptocurrency.

While there are lots of people who are investing in bitcoins, not all of them are fortunate enough to craft their own success stories. With this, take note of the things that have been mentioned above to increase the likelihood of maximizing returns.

Development Insights Products SaaS

How Robotics Is Improving Businesses

Miley on January 24, 2019

The impact of robotics on modern manufacturing is immeasurable. Though industrial robots have seen use in factories for decades, their capacity for complex tasks have grown by a considerable margin, and they’ve continued to develop at a steady pace. Manufacturing aside, other industries have enjoyed the benefits as well.

In the hospitality, food and customer service industries, robots have proven indispensable in the day-to-day responsibilities of employees and business owners. Additionally, many executives in management positions use today’s technology to delegate their smaller duties, allowing them to focus on more pressing matters.

So how do these changes manifest? What do modern robots look like, and how are they improving businesses across the country? In this article, we’ll explore the subject in greater detail, touching on three different industries and how they’ve implemented robotics in their current practices.

Robotics in Hospitality

Customer service has always been the keystone of the hospitality industry. After all, the definition of “hospitality” is the warm, friendly reception and entertainment of guests. With this in mind, it seems strange and somewhat counterintuitive to replace a hotel’s staff with cold, unfeeling robots.

Yotel has shown this isn’t the case, and their use of robotics doesn’t substitute staff but supplements them. When a guest walks into the lobby at their Times Square location, a team member helps them with a touch-screen kiosk. After checking in, a robot takes and safely stores their luggage.

Robotics in Manufacturing

When most people envision a production line — such as those in automotive factories — they often picture pneumatic robot arms. While these robots have applications in the auto industry, they see use in many different factory settings, making a broad spectrum of everyday items.

While their functionality is impressive, how they function is just as extraordinary. Check out the following infographic.

Infographic source: https://www.quincycompressor.com/how-a-pneumatic-robot-arm-works

Robotics in Food Service

Automation has streamlined the food service industry for business owners and customers alike. Beyond self-serve kiosks, new machines have replaced outdated dishwashers, saving almost 10 hours of labor per week which employees would have to spend cleaning spatulas, bowls, and other food prep utensils.

Fast food chains have also found a use for robot arms, similar to those employed in manufacturing, but repurposed prepare meals. Little Caesar’s recently patently a robotic arm which can spread the dough, add toppings and place a pizza in the oven. It’s safe to speculate even greater changes are on their way.

The Future of Robotics

It’s challenging to grasp the influence of modern robotics on the enterprise. In hospitality, manufacturing, food service, healthcare, agriculture, and even law enforcement, technology has simplified and reshaped the responsibilities of the American workforce. Moving forward, one thing is clear.

The current trajectory of robotics has placed us on a path toward even greater and more inflexible reliance on technology. While it represents an incredible opportunity for growth, small businesses and large corporations should consider the implications of automation. It might have unintended consequences.

That said, it’s important to approach the future with optimism. Technology is evolving in new and exciting ways, and it’ll be exciting to watch what happens.

Development Insights SaaS

How Is It Possible To Create A PHP Development Environment In Androids?

Miley on January 10, 2019

Google offers the open wide space for the web developers to let them provide their applications on Google play for public downloads. However, in the case of Apple, it is totally under firm guidelines and there are many requirements to meet. However, people, most of the developers’ think that only ios can help them to do the best kind of coding. But what if Apple comes with a lot of restrictions whereas Google offers ease? One should prefer the option that comes with ease. All there is a need is to create an atmosphere which let the PHP develop enabled in Android applications.

Moreover, we all are well known to the fact that there are approximately 5 million web developers who are well-versed with PHP and can work with PHP at the utmost level. So, why to not to give it a try to convert those web developers into potential Android app developers by enabling just creating the perfect environment for PHP development in Androids. Besides that, while creating the environment-friendly for PHP you ought to have the software that is helpful for the coding. For instance- Termux that lets you run all the terminals.

Here are the few ways to create your android app using PHP

1. Editing the text is the mainspring

The foremost step is to choose the best text editor as it is the foundation for the developer’s community. Although, there is a presence of many text editors but finding the best is no so hard. But the most popular two are the Emacs text and Vi/Vim, which are often competing with each other. However, the most preferred is Vim due to its existence for a long time in the market.

Not just the existence decides everything when it comes to making a choice for the text editor. The other impressive factors comprise of reliability gained by the years of excellence, the charityware, and it highly customizable and extensible. Besides, due to its numerous plugins, it is highly handy to edit the codes on the text editor.

What can be expected from a text editor? In addition by all these valid features, it is way better than Emacs, so the editor war is of no use when the best is known. So, use Vim for the androids where it is called as Vim Touch.

2. A help for PHP developers-

It is undeniable that Java has been and still continues to be the most predominant language for development of Android applications. Even though there are various ports present for app building like Python, HTML, and Ruby etc, but the Java gives outstanding performances that are not reachable by other ports.

But when it comes to using PHP in android, it will facilitate the best PHP developers who are keen to bring PHP into androids. Besides, it can compete with the development environment of Microsoft Windows 8 that has multiple programming languages enabled to build apps. Therefore, it will be really intriguing to see developers having a PHP enabled environment for native apps in androids.

3. Use lamp as server configurations

For your information, the lamp stands for the Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP which comprises together and make the LAMP. The lamp is really popular among the PHP web applications and PHP developers. However, you must choose the appropriate server like one is Palapa web server. The main perk of such a server is it handles the weedy CPUs very well and keeps their functioning top-class. Besides, all the constituent part must be current and up to date for the best experience. While considering Palapa as the desired server, you will get a web interface that can enable to find out various aspects of web server eventually. Basically, you ought to find the best server just like one Palapa that comes with all the latest versions.

The inclusion of PHP in android is a perk for the system

Android apps can be developed from various way outs like python, CSS but why not with PHP? This issue was previously addressed well and solved now by the inclusion of PHP has done it. Moreover, it becomes so easy for the developers to take the app development by setting up the android app with PHP.

So, simply replace your Macbook pro with the Android device when you don’t want to carry something expensive or maybe some extra burden. Thus, it can be said without any confusion that PHP inclusion in Android is good and it can facilitate those upcoming or already existing more than 5 millions app developers for the whole system.

Author Bio

Gravatar A/c: https://en.gravatar.com/sonalmehta9

Sonal Mehta is a Content Lead at SoluLab, a leading Enterprise Blockchain, Enterprise Mobile Apps and Web design and development company, started by ex-vice president of Goldman Sachs and ex-principal software architect of Citrix. SoluLab Inc provides full spectrum, 360-degree services to enterprises, startups and entrepreneurs helping turn their dreams into awesome software products.

Social Profiles

https://www.facebook.com/solulab.inc/

https://twitter.com/ solulab

https://www.linkedin.com/company/solulab/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/107379179678816212221

Development Insights Martech SaaS

Earn Millions by Becoming an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. Here’s How

Miley on December 26, 2018

When we talk about the leading cloud service provider, Amazon Web Services is an example that makes our mind tick.

These services act as building blocks to be used when building an application in the cloud. Since these services work in association with one another, cloud-based applications turn out to be organized and advanced.

The demand for AWS services has grown worldwide and, therefore, this realm has opened up new opportunities for cloud practitioners. If you really want to become an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, AWS Certifications are the best IT certification to scale one’s career. Though there are other cloud service providers, for example, Google Cloud Engine, Microsoft Azure, and Salesforce, AWS is the leading cloud service provider that involves a secure network of security.

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification Exam is all that you need.

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is a certification exam for cloud enthusiasts who really want to unlock the potential of the cloud to global business. This exam is for practitioners who are aware of technicalities of cloud and can convey the complete discernment of AWS Cloud. This exam allows you to test how strong AWS concepts are so that you can plan on your career ahead. Moreover, the AWS CCP certification is recommended by cloud experts to excel in Big Data and Advanced Networking.

Eligibility Criteria

The right criterion is mentioned below to appear in the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification exam:

You should have a minimum of six months experience of AWS cloud concepts no matter in what field, for example, sales, managerial, technical, financial or purchasing, etc., you have been working in.

You should be aware of IT services and what the different ways are to deploy them to implement in the AWS Cloud platform.

Exam Pattern

You would answer two types of questions in the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification Exam. First, the paper would consist of multiple-choice questions which have one correct option and three incorrect options that can distract you and the second type of questions is the multiple-response question which involves more than one correct response out of five options.

You can even select more than one response but make sure that both answer to your question well. Focusing on unnecessary topics of AWS can become your downfall as you may choose distractor options and lose your potential marks. What you need to note here is you can guess answers, and no negative marking will be there; however, if you leave a question unanswered then deduction of marks will be there.

Exam Objectives

Clearing this exam highlights your skills at

Understanding of AWS cloud and its infrastructure.
Well aware of account management, billing, and pricing
Convey AWS cloud values
Follow and implement the basic principles of AWS Cloud Architecture
Understanding of shared security model, security and compliance concepts
Need for technical assistance or documentation
Can deploy in the AWS Cloud

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification Subjects

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification exam comprises four subject areas you need to study. Each of the subject areas includes particular topics.

Here are the four domains that the exam consists of:

Technology
Billing & Pricing
Cloud Concepts
Security

1. Cloud Concepts

The knowledge of cloud concepts is critical to passing the Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification exam. 28% of the exam includes cloud questions related to

High Availability
Fault Tolerance
Elasticity
Scalability

2. Security

No matter whether you have worked on infrastructure or not, security is always the main concern. Therefore, the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification exam usually tests the knowledge of candidates by asking questions about security, acquiescence, and culpable management. About 24% of the exam involves questions about different security models, DDoS Protection, IAM- Managing users, Password policies, MFA, etc.

3. Technology

When it comes to security, the exam does not refrain from asking highly technical questions. Being an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, it is expected of you to have a handful of knowledge of EC2, RDS, SNS, ELB, S3, Lambda, etc. Do not skip this section as it covers 36 % of this certification exam.

4. Billing & Pricing

Though the section carries 12% of the content, you cannot afford to take it lightly as you will be answering questions related to the business application of AWS that includes Billing & Pricing. Furthermore, your competence in general account information, AWS support, billing, cost calculation will be tested. Keep your pool of knowledge widen enough to accommodate other exam domains, for example, AWS Cost Calculator service.

Final Words

Using shortcuts for clearing the exam won’t make sense in the long run. It’s not rocket science to pass this exam; however, your sincere approach is critical to fill gaps in knowledge. Tons of books and podcasts are available online if you are a beginner and want to dive deep into AWS Cloud. Make sure you acknowledge each subject and solve test papers to know the level of your preparation.

Good Luck!

Reference: https://aws.amazon.com/training/path-cloudpractitioner/

Development Insights Martech

Most Notable SEO Trends That We Will See in 2019

Miley on December 20, 2018

In the present day, it’s impossible to imagine a business without a strong online presence. Now, the term strong online presence is, in this day and age, almost synonymous with a strong search engine rank. Sure, social media presence also plays a huge role in one’s brand presence, yet, a potential customer is still more likely to look you up in a regular Google search than to try and find you on Facebook or even LinkedIn. With that in mind and without further ado, it’s important that you keep up with your SEO efforts in 2019, as well and there are several suggestions you need to take into consideration.

1. Featured snippets

Google rank and position in search engines are a huge deal for users, yet, getting positioned on featured snippets is an even bigger deal. This is due to the fact that featured snippets appear above the first organic search results, thus occupying the so-called Position 0. In other words, in theory, it’s even better to get on featured snippets than to get the position one, even though these two things aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive (they often go hand in hand).

As for getting there, there are several things you need to know. For instance, instead of going with the generic keyword phrases, you need to make keywords that start with traditional question formats like “How to”, “What is” and “How to do”. This is the most common way in which people ask questions, so, you need to format your content in this way.

The problem with this lies in the issue of competitiveness, due to the fact that the majority of your niche might aim to do the same. Nonetheless, with the right strategy and methodology, you can get ahead of them. For instance, you can go to a popular Q&A portal for your industry and the chances are that people there ask the same question over and over again. In this scenario, it isn’t that hard to imagine them repeating this question on google. This is just one hint that could put you well ahead of your competition.

2. Video marketing

The next thing you might have noticed recently is the fact that Google tends to feature more and more videos in its search results. Since June, there’s a three-video display that provides you with one more way to get through to your audience. In other words, now you have one more reason to commit to a video marketing and get your content to the top. This, paired with a traditional SEO and a position in Google Snippets can truly put you at the head of the industry. This will increase your traffic and give your brand some much-needed legitimacy.

In order to get there, you need to learn a thing or two about the YouTube SEO. As always, the starting point needs to be keyword research. Once you’re done with this, you need to ensure that people who actually click on the video decide to stay. For this, you need an attention-grabbing thumbnail and high-retention content. As soon as this is over, you can continue with YouTube on-page optimization. We’re talking about title, tags and similar metadata. Lastly, you need to promote your content on various platforms.

3. White label SEO

Another trend that will shake the world of SEO to the core is the growing importance of the phenomenon of white label SEO. You see, even though some people may boast with the ability to handle their SEO as a DIY project, the truth is that the effectiveness of this project never comes even close in quality to what an expert could achieve. In fact, with Google adjusting to the existence of SEO, the quality standards are getting higher and higher. This means that even the most basic of SEO projects now require a great number of skilled specialists. The concept of white label allows several minor companies to team up in order to create a holistic set of SEO services.

In fact, some companies like SEO Reseller Hub, specialize in white label services and are ready and willing to act as silent partners. This means that they have a primary deal with another SEO company for which they do a part of SEO services, yet, have no contact with the actual client. The client in question doesn’t even have to know that they’re involved in the process. Earlier on, we’ve talked about DIY SEO. Well, even individuals can use these services and let the white label SEO company handle some aspects that they’re ill-equipped to undertake on their own.

4. Producing quality content

This is the one trend that’s been consistently relevant for years and years and such a thing is unlikely to change in 2019 either. Namely, producing quality content is something that’s incredibly important for your SEO, seeing as how it boosts brand loyalty, duration of visit and your online presence, in general.

The problem with this particular tip lies in the fact that there’s no shortcut around it. You need to spend more time writing, scripting and editing, self-improve, test, and research your audience. You need to practice using storytelling techniques in content creation and find a way to put your audience in focus. Moreover, you need to find a way to make your content provide value to your audience. Sometimes, it’s the fact that they learn something new. At other times, it provides valuable information on the product they intend to buy/service they intend to use (review). Then, sometimes it’s all about creating an entertaining piece of content for the amusement of your audience.

In conclusion

While the above-discussed list doesn’t really have anything completely new to it, however, search engines are evolving and changing every single year. This is something that every SEO expert has to get accustomed to, sooner or later. Having experience from previous years will give you a head start, yet, there’s still a lot of new features and factors to get accustomed to. Nonetheless, if you’ve followed 2018 SEO trends, so far, the adjustment process shouldn’t be that hard.

Development SaaS

How Scrum Became the Dominant Agile Approach

Miley on December 19, 2018

The term “Scrum” was first introduced back in 1986. At the time, very few people suspected that what seemed like another buzzword would go on to blow other methodologies out of the water. And just so there is no misunderstanding: there is no shortage of other agile frameworks out there. So, what are the main reasons behind this meteoric rise?

The reasons are many and as covering all of them would take up an entire book, we will focus on the most impactful ones today.

Keeping it simple

One of the main selling points of Scrum is the fact that it has a very simple and fixed and limited set of roles, tools (artifacts), responsibilities, and events (ceremonies) that give structure to software development. For example, there are only three roles to begin with— Scrum Master, product owner, and development team.

It is actually quite interesting to find out that many Scrum naysayers mention how Scrum is too complex or rigid, when in fact it only provides a very limited number of guidelines.

Scrum has been consciously pared down to the very basic roles, responsibilities, events, and artifacts that interact so as to provide a framework for delivering valuable software. The teams are actually encouraged to build on this and to find the best ways to make Scrum work for them.

How it plays out in practice

Furthermore, Scrum increases team velocity, collaboration, and creative thinking. It equips you with everything you need in order to face practical issues and shifting requirements that arise during the project. Change is not only accepted but embraced and planned for. Meetings happen on a daily basis and progress is openly discussed. In this stage, it is common to see team leaders using visual tools such as Scrum boards and visual charts.

Scrum also values transparency over everything, allowing the entire Scrum Team full insight into how they are doing, whether there are areas in which the team can improve. Through inspection and adaptation, the team can find new ways of doing things and identify parts of the product that no longer hold any value and that can be put on hold or abandoned altogether. This significantly reduces waste in the development process.

Along the similar lines, incremental software releases also help in tackling different problems on the go. Namely, Scrum lays the groundwork for early and continuous delivery of software releases and encourages heavy user involvement. Feedback is gathered not only from end users, but stakeholders and customers as well. As a result, developers are able to assess product performance and see how well it matches market needs and expectations.

Moving out of software development

While Scrum began its life in software development, over the years, it has been applied in a number of different industries and business fields – from manufacturing to marketing, from healthcare to HR and more. In fact, if you want to run a business more efficiently, Scrum can be something that you can try out for fit.

This is enabled by Scrum’s underlying structure which is based on common sense and pure empiricism which can be applied to any kind of a team and organization. Scrum simply provides you with certain mechanisms to inspect your work and adapt how your team operates based on those findings.

In other words, Scrum is great at shining light on areas of your organization that might require improvement. This applicability of Scrum to industries other than software development has also contributed to its ever-increasing popularity.

Still not a silver bullet

It should be obvious by now that Scrum is no fad. It has an impressive track record for teams as small as several developers, but also organizations with hundreds of employees. If you do not believe us, check out a huge body of documented use cases. Likewise, note that you can tap into a whole ecosystem of standardized certifications and educational resources to overcome the learning curve. Additionally, you can take advantage of free scrum software like VivifyScrum that can help support your team.

That being said, Scrum is not for everyone. It may take a while for newcomers to grow accustomed to Scrum and those who are used to “command and control” culture are likely to find themselves on unfamiliar ground. Therefore, you need to know what you are getting yourself into (read the Agile Manifesto) and ensure this methodology suits current work styles and flows.

Conclusion

For better or worse, Scrum is the king of agile approaches. This coveted position has been secured largely thanks to a fine blend of performance and simplicity. Ready to use right away, this methodology features fixed-length iterations (sprints) and a limited set of rules. Among other things, it allows you to juggle a variety of priorities, track progress, improve collaboration, and receive invaluable feedback.

Development teams are able to exhibit a high level of flexibility and communicate openly and regularly without compromising the end result. Everyone is on the same page, has a sense of real progress, and is focused on the set goals. Consequently, the organization as a whole benefit and becomes versed in accommodating changes impediments.

Development Martech Products

Hi-Tech is Making its Way into High-End Rentals

Miley on November 29, 2018

The concept of IoT is no longer foreign to the most of us. While homeowners have had the liberty to experiment with house automation, latest gadgets, and voice-activated devices, renters have been more restricted when it came to their living space. But leave it to investors and developers to come up with intelligent ideas that cater to the increasingly bold housing needs of a new generation of smart renters. While some smart home technologies were in development even before Bill Gates published The Road Ahead in 1995, The Internet of Things has enabled many aspects of the smart home to become reality.

Shifting focus to automation and a new generation of renters

Hi-tech rentals from Bloomington, Indiana to New York City have now become reality due to increasing demand in home automation from a fresh demographic entering the real estate market. With 20-somethings looking for apartments for rent, the spotlight is no longer on classic amenities like indoor swimming pools and gyms. The housing industry is rapidly catching up with the new wave of smart amenities that any tech-savvy young renter finds appealing when looking for their first home.

It comes as no surprise that developers now focus on innovations designed to rethink residential amenities that match the lifestyle of potential renters in the current market.

Mobile apps at the front and center of the IoT landscape

IoT has come a long way from long tangled wires and hard code. The increasing use of mobile apps has drastically changed the entire connectivity experience in a relatively short time span. Millennial-geared apartment technology is slowly becoming the norm when incorporating smart home systems to rentals. Cities like New York, San Francisco or Portland are already offering smart alternatives to those looking for a rental in an app-controlled apartment building.

A good example is Portland’s IOTAS, which is based on an adaptive system that allows the app to better understand your habits and create patterns based on your personal preferences. Through the app, renters have the possibility of controlling lights, outlets, switches and motion sensors around the house. Other app-based technologies like Dwelo allow renters to adjust their thermostat, close or open doors, turn lights on or off and operate appliances throughout the house. It’s a matter of selecting the right mobile app that suits each renter’s daily needs.

Voice-activated devices experience surge in user popularity

Voice-activated features are becoming the standard for the rentals of tomorrow, especially in urban hubs. This trend can be attributed to the popularity of devices like Amazon’s Alexa, particularly among the younger demographic. Virtual assistant-type devices are in high demand and are already featured in recently-built luxury apartments. For example, 120 luxury units in Jackson Park come with voice automation for lights and switches, a smart thermostat that can be adjusted through voice command, and smart appliances and entertainment systems controlled through Amazon’s Echo Show. All this smart comfort comes at a price – the monthly rent for one of the 1,871 apartments that showcase such features goes up to $10,000.

At the core of all this drive for innovation lies a new type of renter for whom convenience goes hand in hand with aesthetics and efficiency. Technological developments are moving at such a rapid pace that it’s essential for the real estate industry to keep up. As they evolve, smart apartments incorporate everything new and dynamic that the housing sector has to offer, while also proving to be cost-efficient. And we are here to witness it.

Development Martech

How Your Business Can Introduce A Multi-Cloud Strategy

Miley on November 29, 2018

As we head towards 2019, most businesses will continue to use the multi-cloud strategy approach and will harness the exceptional benefits of available cloud service providers to drive their business forward. With this trend only set to grow, this will be a decision that many IT decision makers will be looking to take. However, businesses need to understand what these clouds can do for them as this will allow you to better manage your strategy effectively to use each cloud’s amazing benefits. Here, we are taking you through how your business can introduce a multi-cloud strategy and its benefits.

Business Benefits To A Multi-Cloud Strategy

There are lots of amazing benefits to be had from implementing a multi-cloud strategy with the main one being that you will no longer be constrained by just one framework across your whole business. When you invest in multi-cloud strategies, every department will have the ability and flexibility to choose the service that is going to work best for them and what exactly they need. This also means that your business does not have to worry about being locked in with just one single vendor, as this can potentially leave your business at risk of being exposed to lots of different problems such as changes in their service or price hikes. When you invest in lots of different multi-cloud providers the business will the choice about where they are going to run cloud workloads, and this will give them the tools they need to try and minimize extra costs.

What’s more, using this type of strategy also means that you can get added geographical flexibility when handling data. When using all the leading cloud providers, they will have data centers across the world and many will require data for specific workloads is stored in specific national boundaries. Using the multi-cloud system, you will be able to meet these requirements but still, use the global cloud platform.

However, you do need to ensure that your cloud technology is effectively managed and that you are minimizing any risk of widespread data loss. If this were to happen, you would need to implement disaster recovery as a service, which is also commonly known as DRaaS. DRaaS allows you to recover your data with minimum downtime and data loss. It will reproduce and recuperate virtual machines to the cloud and it does this by failing over from your data center to UKCloud’s trusted, value for money and well-connected cloud.

Security

GDPR is now in effect and data security is not more important than ever before unless you want to face a very hefty fine! New technology including machine learning and serverless computers are becoming more and more popular due to the extra security benefits that they bring to the cloud. We predict that there will be a continued big rise in serverless computers as they allow cloud instances to be scaled and patched instantly. This can then massively reduce your cyber risk. Using a multi-cloud system means that it is easier to prevent big scale data loss if you are hacked, as your information will be spread out across multiple clouds and platforms. However, you do need to make sure that these clouds are all being effectively managed.

The multi-cloud sector is making advancements rapidly and so this is something that you should definitely consider for your business as it quickly becomes the new normal. Adopt a multi-cloud strategy today to get all of the amazing benefits for your business that it has to offer.

Development Insights Martech

Update Your Dealership Website For Holiday Sales

Miley on November 21, 2018

The holiday season is upon us once again and that means a huge boost to sales in every industry. Of course, the auto industry is no different. Whether it’s for a gift, due to sales promotions, or because of a big yearly bonus, people seem to welcome any excuse to purchase a new vehicle at the end of the year.

Every dealership manager knows that this is the time of year to ready their location for what could be their busiest selling season – usually that week between Christmas and the New Year. It takes weeks of planning to deliver successful holiday promotions aimed at driving up foot traffic to gain an advantage over the competition, but one massive part of today’s market that’s easily overlooked is a dealership’s website.

Passive Versus Interactive Online Presence

A website can be much more than an advertisement meant to lure customers to the door. If all you’re offering is a selection of photos or digital flyers meant to entice customers to keep on clicking – or leave home and physically travel to your dealership – then your strategy may be holding you back. Why should your website just sit there waiting for clicks when you could employ a technology that allows your sales team to interact with new customers?

24-hour Live Chat Services

The simple addition of new dealer chat software can open up a satisfying range of experiences for anyone browsing your website. Within seconds of finding your site, a small window will appear in the lower corner of the screen, immediately connecting that potential customer with a live operator.

Better Customer Service

In today’s world of automated customer service, it’s nearly impossible to avoid annoying chatbots and connect with an actual person in real conversation. Live operators on dealer chat software can give your customers the rare satisfaction of feeling respected and assisted online. They’ll also have access to your dealership’s local inventory while allowing your sales team to jump into chats to provide enticing incentives and further information about individual vehicles.
The major benefit of this personal interaction is that it allows operators to help customers find exactly what they’re looking for, at a price range that’s tailored to suit their budget. This may not result in instant sales online, but it will allow you to generate excellent leads for your in-house sales team.

Customer Information

With the ability to track analytics on your website, operators can keep a personal profile on any customer that registers. You’ll get well-informed documentation on every potential buyer based on information gathered by live operators and data collected from their browsing habits. This dual strategy allows you to make informed suggestions for your clients and increase the potential of leads.
If you’re holding out on updating your dealership’s website with more interactive technology, you’re giving the competition an enormous advantage on the online market. All it takes are a few clicks for online customers to find a competitor with more attractive online services and you’ve lost them for good. Instead, update your website with the latest features to increase your holiday sales and jump to the top of online automotive sales.