Challenges of Developing An iBeacon App

The evolution of Internet has provided a robust platform for the campaigns to make businesses online. However, with the gradual change of time, online marketing has become highly provocative. Apart from making profits, the one necessary aspect which every campaign looks out for, is to develop customers. Hence organizations should implement accurate marketing techniques to make their reach to the relevant customers.

Well, other than traditional advertising methods, the one factor which plays a crucial role in this regard is the technology. Yes! It’s true. Technology has emerged as an acute marketing source for the businesses. In this era of digitalization where more people are turning as smartphone users, there’s no better option than technology to make your presence among the relevant traffic. In fact there is a ready solution for this purpose too- the iBeacon.

Reframed by the techno giant Apple using its iOS development platform, iBeacon is a profile being designed on already existing technology of beacons which originated long time back, but lost its popularity somehow. Later on Apple came up with the same concept by creating its own profile on beacon renewing its core functionality which became highly effective for promotion of brands which works on Bluetooth Low Energy or commonly known as BLE.

Learning iBeacon Development

Learning iOS development is really easy specially due to resource availability about the technology. You can find many free iOS tutorials on web and learn on internet or from a good iOS book.

Learning iBeacon on the contrary is not very easy. There are very few resources available on web for free. Below mentioned book is a useful for iBeacon developers.

Learning iBeacon

(By: Craig Gilchrist )

As of now this is the only good book available for iBeacon technology. This book provides end to end details about all aspects of iBeacon technology and app development.

So, As A Developer What Could Be Those Facades To Put You Back From Your IBeacon Designing Project?

User Interface: The Utmost Requirement

While developing a product, one important point to keep in mind is its convenient interfacing with the users. Following this suite, you should be effective enough to define the core concept of the iBeacon while designing its product. The factors like locations, preferences, nearby places, details etc. should provide the required information for what user actually needs.

Achieving User’s Interest

To make its place among the users, iBeacon has to go through various phases such as its accessibility with user’s device, seeking permissions to access location of the device and likewise. Further, even if an app comes in contact with a device, it would be highly recommendable to take a halt before bombarding the users with ads and schemes. Rather, start providing the information gradually to the user thereby mentioning its usability and advantages.

Triangulation & Tracking

There is no two way interfacing between iBeacons and a device as iBeacon is a unidirectional app. While transmitting the information, it can’t be predicted whether a particular device has actually received the data from iBeacon. One of the best options to achieve this purpose is to opt for the fake method by keeping the app operational. When connected to backend, the app could update a record thereby registering user’s real time presence along with personalizing the app. This will serve the information about when and where the user operates the app resulting in a customized and particular usage experience.

Signal Interference

iBeacon apps work on radio signal transmission. It can prove to be of great wreckage due to multiple signal broadcasts. User’s device has to anticipate iBeacon’s distance as the signal bounces across the physical location because of the presence of various other users.
On the contrary, when it comes to the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) it has a matching bandwidth to that of Wi-Fi. This ultimately results in signal interference. Moreover, signal quality varies as per the iBeacon manufacturers. Besides, the signal transmission depends on distinct natural factors, such as device capacity, temperature, time interval, etc. Conclusively signal accuracy is highly under-achievable.

Managing The Security

Maintaining security feature of iBeacon could be a daunting task. One of the reasons behind this factor is the dependency of the app upon hardware as well as software components. Furthermore, it embroils the user device as well as authentication keys together for modifying the context over the beacon.

Specifying The Features

Developers should be specific while configuring the characteristic features of iBeacon app so that it may prove more lucrative. Additionally, avoiding such consideration may result in poor user experience with the onslaught of plenty of attributes. Hence, it should move the messages taking in account of the real-time condition and user preference.

Shielding Identity Theft

Managing the confidentiality of user record is of a great importance. No doubt, there are probabilities when multiple users might get towards a single beacon due to identical interest. In such a scenario it becomes a supreme challenge to keep the privacy of user identity while accommodating the list of users with filtered data.

About APP Store

Unlike other present day apps, the development of iBeacon technology is entirely different. It would be a bit helpful for the developers to make use of source libraries and formerly built tools in this regard. Things apart, this becomes operational in coupling this app to the real world users, location, etc.

Other Points To Be Considered

• Provide iBeacon trial accounts within the review section.
• Briefly explain about the working modules of your app and its values.
• Also include a waiver stating the effects of the app working on the battery usage.

Conclusion

While designing an iBeacon app, you ought to have some good skills at iOS development for enhanced user experience. However, this technology has a long way to go but at the same side there are many elements which may emerge as hindrance factor in the course of its development. Hence a thorough knowledge upon programming components would be truly helpful.