How to Improve Your Online Presence

Online presenceOnline marketing is all about engaging your customers and providing them with a customer experience that they will rave about. Traditional marketing takes place offline, but the rise of social media has meant that consumer attention has become more fragmented. It’s now even easier to find negative feedback and complaints online by searching for your company name or brand, so it’s important to manage your online presence and make sure that there are positive comments out there.

 

Without further ado, here are some ways you can help increase the online presence for your business.

 

Incorporate a Blog

An excellent way to improve your online presence is by incorporating a blog into your website. A blog provides you with an opportunity to showcase your knowledge and expertise on a specific topic. This will help to build trust in potential customers as they know that you actually possess the skills and background necessary to do what you are saying, rather than simply trying to sell a product or service.

A blog is also a good way for regular site visitors to get to know you on a personal level and see who you are as an individual. This can get the conversation going about your business with customers who want to learn more about you. 

If you try out this tactic, make sure that it fits in with your business. For example, if you are in the tech industry, then having a blog about your hobbies probably won’t work very well for attracting potential clients. However, it can be extremely effective for developing long-lasting relationships with customers and getting people to notice who you are as a person.

 

Community Engagement

Another way to improve your online presence is by participating in online communities and forums. Participating in these types of online platforms will allow you to get your name out there and have conversations with people who would not normally be exposed to your business. 

The most important thing is to participate actively if you decide to go this route. Don’t just post a message once, rather, keep it updated and keep the conversation going. When people see that you are active and involved in a community, they become more inclined to buy your product or service because they want to be associated with your online persona.

Make sure that you are putting out helpful content in these communities; otherwise you may give off the impression that you are only looking for sales opportunities rather than having a genuine interest in the groups you are posting in.

 

Get Active on Social Media Platforms

If you already have accounts on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, etc., make sure that you are utilizing them to their full potential. Participating in these types of online communities not only allows people to interact with your business, it also gives you the ability to create relationships with other people who have similar interests as you. Interacting with others on social media can help strengthen current and future relationships, which is extremely important for long-term success.

The great thing about these social media platforms is that they allow you to interact with people all over the world. This gives you a chance to connect with individuals who would not normally have an opportunity to do business with your company. It opens up the possibility of getting additional clients and/or customers because they can tell their friends or family members about your business.

It is also important to make sure that you are using the right type of content to get online users interested in what you have to offer. There are certain things you should avoid posting on social media platforms at all costs, because they will give off a negative impression and actually hurt your business rather than help it. For example, avoid posting about controversial topics because they will immediately turn away potential clients.

You should make sure that you have a strong online presence, as it can influence people when making decisions regarding your products and services. If your social media profiles are not up-to-date or filled with outdated information, chances are the individuals who do business with you will be unhappy. This can lead to a customer service nightmare and ultimately affect your business’ reputation.

In order to protect your online presence, you must make sure that any information about you or your company is up-to-date at all times. Some good examples of this include facts such as the date that your website was launched, the date that your company was established, etc.

 

Overall, it is very important to make sure that you have a strong online presence because it gives potential customers and clients the opportunity to learn more about you and what you have to offer. If they trust you and know what your business can do for them, they are much more likely to buy something from you.

 

Sunvera Software develops next-level software applications from start-to-finish. We are a premier software and mobile app development agency specializing in healthcare mobile app development, custom mobile app development company, telehealth software, sales dashboards, custom mobile app development services, retail software development, supply-chain software, ecommerce, shopify, web design, iBeacon apps, security solutions and unified access software.

We are proud partners with Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Schedule a free 30-minute call with us to discuss your business, or you can give us a call at (949) 284-6300.

Three Reasons Why You Should Invest in Digital Transformation

digital transformationOften, your business depends on data. Corporate decisions are based on information from various sources, including internal and external systems. This information is produced either in a searchable format or automatically converted to that format when it’s available. Every company needs data in an easily accessible state for effective decision-making processes – no matter what industry they’re competing in or how much competition they face. All this data is eventually stored somewhere, most likely in a database. And because you can’t get rid of it, you have to store the data securely and make it available whenever needed – 24/7 worldwide. Businesses that deal with large amounts of sensitive personal customer information are subject to strict reliability standards and regulations regarding access control over their data. That’s why they need to invest in digital transformation.

 

However, investing in data storage is not enough for any company that wants to succeed on the market nowadays. You have to process it as well – analyze and transform it into information and use that information for decision-making processes. The good news is, you can process your stored data at a lower cost than if you were collecting it from scratch and building a database from the start. If you are able to collect raw customer data through digital channels, then it would make sense to invest in big data solutions and apply advanced analytics techniques developed for processing this kind of complex information at scale. This way, your business will be able to automate key processes like order fulfillment while great insights will be available to help improve customer experience and boost sales.

 

But is digital transformation really worth all the effort? Yes, it is! Big data analytics platform solutions provide valuable insights that can only be revealed by analyzing massive amounts of data.  It enables better decision-making processes and cost savings in the long term. That’s why digital transformation is a great opportunity for any business willing to gain an advantage over their competitors.

 

As previously stated, digitalization has become a new engine of economic growth in large corporations. For example, according to Accenture research “67 percent of executives surveyed believe that customer experience will be the primary driver of growth versus only 23 percent who think it will be price”. When we look at how consumers use internet today (and what they expect from brands), there’s no question about which direction our economy is heading towards – people are more interested in experiences than products or services. And good experiences are based on data, not intuition!

 

Here are three reasons why you should invest in digital transformation.

 

1. Improve Customer Experience by Automating Processes That Drive Customer Satisfaction and Retention

Improved customer experience is the number one reason for businesses to invest in digital transformation. This way, you can transform your business from an analogue “push” system into a digital “pull” system – a huge competitive advantage that will help you retain and please more customers than ever before. For example, when companies implement advanced automation processes they can reduce order processing time from days to minutes or even seconds. In addition, it will remove ambiguity of the process allowing every employee to be 100% sure what their responsibilities are while providing ability to manage at scale without violating service standards and policies.

 

2. Gain Competitive Edge Through 24/7 Worldwide Service

Another reason is that digital transformation provides new growth opportunities for businesses by making it easier to provide 24/7 worldwide service. By investing in digital transformation, companies are able to support customers at any time and from any location. This way, they can gain competitive advantage over brands who don’t invest as much into their business processes or data optimization technologies.

 

3. Get Precise Insights Into What Your Customers Want and How They Feel About Your Company

And last but not least – analysis of customer behavior based on real experience will give you precise insights about what your customers want and how you need to improve your services to become more successful in the future. With all this information collected from multiple sources (like social media channels, mobile apps, websites and live chat solutions), you can easily understand how your customers feel about your company. The next step is taking action to actually transform your business into a new digital brand!

 

There are many reasons for businesses to invest in digital transformation (as we have discussed above). It’s time to make the right decision based on what works best for you. By implementing smart technologies such as big data platforms, you will not only be able to transform your business from an analogue system into a digital one but also stay ahead of competition while adapting to new customer behavior patterns. Digital transformation brings competitive advantage that cannot be ignored by any business today!

 

Sunvera Software develops next-level software applications from start-to-finish. We are a premier software and mobile app development agency specializing in healthcare mobile app development, custom mobile app development company, telehealth software, sales dashboards, custom mobile app development services, retail software development, supply-chain software, ecommerce, shopify, web design, iBeacon apps, security solutions and unified access software.

We are proud partners with Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Schedule a free 30-minute call with us to discuss your business, or you can give us a call at (949) 284-6300.

Understanding the Rise of Connected Devices

connected devicesThe Internet of Things offers a plethora of fancy new ways to connect devices, apps and services. This vast network holds incredible promise for users worldwide, especially in terms of personal wellness. This is true regardless of the segment analyzed: health, fitness and wellbeing; connected home; or smart cars and transport services. Yet not all devices are equally easy to use, so how do we ensure that they are designed to be used by human beings? What will the experience of using these devices be like, and what factors may influence it?

Before attempting to answer these questions, we need a clearer idea of how the Internet of Things is likely to evolve in the coming years. The IoT market is becoming increasingly fragmented and heterogeneous. Early devices were often stand-alone products with little or no connectivity to other smart objects: wearable technology such as the Pebble watch, for example, or the Aria bathroom scales from Fitbit. But over time, the trend has been towards devices that connect to one another and to the Internet. Today, “smart” objects are proliferating in homes, workplaces and public spaces: smart light bulbs from Philips Hue or LIFX; smart thermostats from Nest or Honeywell ; wireless baby monitors from Motorola…

 

LIFX light bulbs are part of the Internet of Things trend on account of their smartness. But what does that mean? In our view, an object is a connected device if it connects directly to the Internet using its own IP address. At this stage, an IP address is the minimum requirement for being part of the IoT ecosystem. Moreover, in order to be connected to other smart objects, an object needs a network connection (for example, 802.15.4 or WiFi). And lastly, it should have some sort of wireless interface (Bluetooth Low Energy [BLE] or Wi-Fi). Using these criteria, we have identified 11 types of connected devices, which we will examine one by one.

 

The simplest and most widespread type of connected object is a sensor. A sensor continuously monitors properties such as temperature, pressure or humidity. The data it produces are often used to send alerts and control other devices (for example, to switch on a light when the front door is opened). In the future, we can expect sensors to monitor many more parameters in different fields: from health and sports to industrial uses. We will be able to measure our blood sugar level with greater accuracy, detect leaks faster or optimize an engine’s performance.

 

We are already familiar with the first generation of connected objects, such as wearables. These are primarily wristbands that combine digital technology and wearable design (such as the Fitbit or Jawbone UP bands), smart glasses (Google Glass) or watches (the Apple Watch). Wearables usually measure physical activity and sleep patterns and have a social dimension: we can use them to stay in touch with friends through connected apps.

 

Connected vehicles are also a relatively familiar category of smart objects. The first Internet-connected cars (such as the Audi Q7 or the Tesla Model S) offer advanced driver assistance systems that warn drivers about dangerous maneuvers and automatically brake when they detect an obstacle. These features will be available on more affordable new vehicles in the coming years.

 

The smart clothing category currently consists mainly of intelligent shirts that track heartbeats and BP measurements. In the future, we can expect many more types of bodywear to join this market. For instance, it is perfectly feasible to imagine connected underclothes able to track our body temperature and other vitals.

 

The Internet of Things, as the name suggests, connects objects based on protocols that govern their communication. This means devices are not only connected but also can communicate with each other or interact autonomously. For example, home automation systems allow us to control lights, energy and air conditioning remotely. Sensor-equipped devices can be used to automate our homes by switching on the oven when we leave work or turn off a light when no one is in the room. As these systems become increasingly complex, they will require more powerful interfaces (for example, via mobile or TV apps). Connected home devices will also allow us to monitor in real time whether everything is as it should be.

 

What’s Next for Connected Devices

The trend toward greater connectivity in everyday objects will continue over the coming years. The Internet of Things will become the main channel through which many business sectors interact with their customers: we can expect connected devices to influence consumer behavior, improve product design and enhance product development.

 

In the short term, we can expect an increasing number of devices to be connected to both local and global networks. In fact, the five scenarios in which connected devices will play a dominant role (providing comfort, services and security; acting as gateways; collecting critical data; interacting with the physical world; and connecting objects themselves) will generate a colossal amount of data.

 

Sunvera Software develops next-level software applications from start-to-finish. We are a premier software and mobile app development agency specializing in healthcare mobile app development, custom mobile app development company, telehealth software, sales dashboards, custom mobile app development services, retail software development, supply-chain software, ecommerce, shopify, web design, iBeacon apps, security solutions and unified access software.

We are proud partners with Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Schedule a free 30-minute call with us to discuss your business, or you can give us a call at (949) 284-6300.

How to Automate Advertising for Your Business

Automate AdvertisingThe perfect advertising strategy is to have the most relevant content automatically showcase your ad and offers to your ideal customer.  Learning how to build an effective online advertising campaign, automating it, and getting more sales with less effort requires a great deal of knowledge before executing such strategies.

The new dimension for advertising has arrived, and it’s called online advertising. With all of the social media marketing tools that are popping up on a daily basis, it is safe to say that the way people consume information is starting to change. Everyone has a computer, smartphone, or tablet, and they are constantly online browsing the web for various reasons. If you can effectively deliver any message to them at any time then have you not already won? The tools required to build your own automated advertising strategy have never been so affordable and available to everyone.

The real question is, how do you build an effective advertising campaign that your audience will not only find truthful but also have the ability to buy from?

Here are some great ways to automate your advertising.

 

Automatic YouTube Video Advertising

Creating a YouTube channel and video content that is relevant to your audience is one of the best ways to get views. Capturing those views can translate into potential customers for you, so you want them to have as many opportunities as possible to see what you have put out there. It’s no longer enough just to post videos online and be done with it. Audiences today need constant attention and stimulation from the content they are consuming, so you need to be there for them while they browse YouTube looking for videos to watch.

Using a tool like TubeTargeting can automatically promote your video content on targeted keywords that will get additional views and traffic directed towards your channel. You don’t have to constantly be online refreshing your videos in the hopes that they will get more views. Let TubeTargeting do it for you.

 

Automatic Display Advertising

With display advertising, all it takes is setting up an account with any of the major social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter and then choose which of their ad options you would like to use. You can then easily target your audience based on their interests, relationship status, and the browsing history they have left behind for all to see. This is an extremely effective type of advertising that can be done on a budget.

With Display Traffic, you are able to create automatic display campaigns and get more traffic coming to your website. You have complete control over how much money you want to spend, what websites you wish for your ads to appear on, along with the ability to choose from hundreds of ad templates.

 

Automatic Email Advertising

Email advertising still remains one of the most effective ways to get your message out even though it is getting harder and harder every day with all of the spam email nowadays. With this method, all you have to do is setup an account with Yahoo! or Gmail and then create a list of people that will be receiving your ads at specified times depending upon which methods you choose. It’s really that simple but keep in mind if you’ve opted to go through Google Adwords, Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube, there might be restrictions placed on these options. You can also use newsletter creation and distribution sites such as MailChimp or ConvertKit.

 

Automatic Press Release Advertising

Press releases are still one of the most effective ways to drive tons of traffic to your website and with today’s technology, all you need is a Word document and an email address to send it out in seconds. You can use any number of free press release sites such as Business Wire.   

 

There are many other methods capable of helping you automate advertising for your business, but these are just some of the best options. It’s simple, affordable, and extremely useful if done correctly. We hope that you keep these tips in mind whenever making decisions regarding your next affiliate marketing campaign!

 

Sunvera Software develops next-level software applications from start-to-finish. We are a premier software and mobile app development agency specializing in healthcare mobile app development, custom mobile app development company, telehealth software, sales dashboards, custom mobile app development services, retail software development, supply-chain software, ecommerce, shopify, web design, iBeacon apps, security solutions and unified access software.

We are proud partners with Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Schedule a free 30-minute call with us to discuss your business, or you can give us a call at (949) 284-6300.

Attendance Management System: Uses, Benefits, and Cost

Attendance Management SystemAn attendance management system is a tool that can help in tracking an employee’s attendance, leave, and absence. It will help in solving many of the problems faced by companies, and it is easy to keep track of who attends your sessions through an attendance management system. You can easily view a student’s attendance records on a map, view information about their refunds, and more. An attendance management system can also help you manage the time it takes for students to attend a course.

 

Which Industries Can Benefit From an Attendance Management System?

A typical time and attendance software is used by industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, sports clubs, and schools. The most common type of attendance management system is a time clock. The primary purpose of an automated time clock system is to record the time that employees start and finish working for the entire day. This information can then be accessed by supervisors or payroll and HR departments to analyze timesheets to pay wages, and generate payroll reports, manage leave requests, or process any other pay-related tasks.

Here are some industries where attendance management systems can be used:

 

Healthcare

The objective of a healthcare employee attendance system is to improve the efficiency of patient care. A healthcare time clock system can help employees record entering and leaving time. Apart from employees, custom healthcare systems can also keep track of the patents too.

 

Manufacturing

An attendance management system can also be used in manufacturing plants to record employees working hours on their computers or smartphones. Managers and HR departments can use the information recorded by attendance management software for various purposes including decision making, payroll-related tasks, or analyzing employee productivity trends.

 

Sports Clubs

Sports clubs can also use an attendance management software to record the timings of employees. Time information recorded by attendance management software can be accessed by club managers on their mobile devices, or by payroll and HR departments to analyze timesheets.

 

Schools and Educational Institutes

A school attendance management system is a time clock where teachers track their daily working hours. The time clock records the information which can then be accessed by HR departments to generate payroll reports and manage leave requests.

 

Government Departments

A government worker’s online attendance management system can be used to record the timings of citizens at certain offices or clients. The information recorded by attendance management software can be accessed by supervisors on their devices.

 

Retail Industry

A retail store cloud-based attendance system is a time clock that enables employees to record the time they start and finish working for the day. The information recorded by attendance management software can be accessed by store managers on their devices to analyze the performance of the employees and their working time.

 

 

5 Benefits of Attendance Management System for Business

Businesses need a way to track employees that are out sick or on vacation, or simply need to be absent for whatever reason. To do this, they should consider investing in an attendance management system. Here are five benefits of an attendance management system for businesses:

 

1. Reduce Absenteeism

Absenteeism is the percentage of an individual’s time off as indicated by the absence of records in the attendance logbooks of their employers. Absence may be due to illness, vacation, or parental leave for domestic workers.

 

2. Improve Performance

Absenteeism typically results in poor work performance with no or low morale and low productivity. Therefore, absentee rates should be monitored regularly to identify problems and take appropriate corrective measures at the earliest stage, to improve performance.

 

3. Minimize Costs

Absenteeism is also expensive for organizations. Absent employees cost money in salaries, replacement costs, and time lost. Higher rates of absenteeism are associated with reduced organizational performance and productivity. Almost everyone has some level of unplanned absences or absenteeism in their work schedule but it can be managed effectively with the use of attendance management software.

 

4. Assist in Payroll Processing

Human resource managers need to know whether people are at work or not to ensure that they’re getting paid as well as to plan for future staffing needs that their business may have. This can be done by using an attendance management software system.

 

5. Increase Employee Morale

Absenteeism can lead to increased levels of stress and dissatisfaction amongst employees. Good attendance management software will therefore boost morale and help to reduce staff turnover which is often due to absenteeism.

 

 

Cost for Off-the-Shelf Attendance Management System

The cost for off-the-shelf attendance management systems is an average of $60 per month for a small business. The price depends on the number of users, the features each system has, and other factors. The exact cost of the system may vary depending upon the platform from where you bought or subscribed to the system. In general, you can expect to pay $2-$10 per employee each month.

 

 

Get a Custom Attendance Management System

If you don’t want to pay monthly costs and want to get rid of additional charges, you can hire a software development firm for custom solutions. This approach will not only allow you to get better control over your business but you can also avoid paying monthly charges and subscription fees.

Attendance management systems that are readily available in the market pose different challenges and limitations. On the other hand, software developers can create custom time and attendance software as per your business requirements. A custom employee attendance system is the best way to monitor employee performance and attendance.

 

Sunvera Software develops next-level software applications from start-to-finish. We are a premier software and mobile app development agency specializing in healthcare mobile app development, custom mobile app development company, telehealth software, sales dashboards, custom mobile app development services, retail software development, supply-chain software, ecommerce, shopify, web design, iBeacon apps, security solutions and unified access software.

We are proud partners with Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Schedule a free 30-minute call with us to discuss your business, or you can give us a call at (949) 284-6300.

Ultra Wideband Can Replace These Three Technologies

TechnologiesTraditional wireless technologies like WiFi, Bluetooth and other 2.4GHz ISM bands are being pushed to their limits by the increased number of users requiring higher performance. The demand for broadband access is also driving operators to increase cell sizes in order to ensure wider coverage.

 

Below is a list of three technologies that can be replaced by UWB and its future successors.

 

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances (using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz) from fixed and mobile devices, and building personal area networks (PANs). It was originally conceived as a wireless alternative to RS-232 data cables.

 

It has also been used in telecommunication systems for terminating the subscriber loop on ISDN circuits.

 

The Bluetooth Implementers Forum, which oversees development of the specification, describes it as “a wireless networking protocol that provides simple secure connectivity between devices such as keyboards, computers, printers, cell phones and personal digital assistants.” The logo is intended to depict the Bluetooth symbol, a runic letter ‘B’ that stands for “Bearer”.

 

The Bluetooth standard is licensed by technology companies which compete to produce implementations of varying functionality and cost. Due in part to these issues, an effort has been initiated by major industry players such as Ericsson (the originators of BAP) and Nokia (which is buying into Motorola’s initiation of GAAN). This effort was originally intended to merge the competing standards into a single specification under the name “Wibree”, but it has since been dropped.

 

Bluetooth operates at frequencies between 2402 and 2480 MHz, or 2400 and 2483.5 MHz including guard bands 2 MHz wide at the bottom end and 3.5 MHz wide at the top end of each band, with an effective radiated range of 10 m (32.81 in). This is roughly four times as far as infrared (IR) technology can transmit signals before audio quality degrades, but about half as far as standard Wi-Fi devices transmit data and comparable to IR when taking attenuation due to walls into account. Bluetooth uses the IEEE 802 protocol family so all Bluetooth-compliant devices are Wi-Fi (802.11b) compatible. Bluetooth is also completely interoperable with the IrDA protocol family, using infrared for short range communications between mobile devices and base stations; however, it can be used without a cable connection due to its use of radio transmission for some applications.

 

Ultra wideband is quickly displacing the traditional Bluetooth as the primary technology used for wireless connectivity between mobile and fixed devices.

 

 

ZigBee

ZigBee is an IEEE 802 standard for a suite of high-level communication protocols used to create personal area networks built from small, low power digital radios operating in the sub-1 GHz frequency band (868/915 MHz in Europe). It uses much less power than WiFi or Bluetooth technologies and can operate battery powered electronic devices lasting years instead of just hours as is the case with WiFi and Bluetooth. ZigBee’s most significant application has been in home automation, but it can also be used for wireless sensors, lighting control, smart electricity metering, and to interconnect low power technologies such as medical implant devices or sensors. Other applications include security systems, industrial controls and building automation system networking.

 

ZigBee was originally intended to build an alternative protocol stack to those that were being proposed at the time (Thread, 6LoWPAN/IPv6-based stacks), firstly for 802.15 WPANs using IEEE 802.15.1 (Bluetooth) PHY layer plus a new MAC layer based on GFSK modulation and CSMA/CA with Manchester coding; when these efforts merged, the protocol stack was transferred to the new IEEE 802.15.4e task group for WPANs using IEEE 802.15.4 MAC layer plus a new PHY layer based on GFSK modulation and CSMA/CA with Manchester coding (ZigBee). There are several ZigBee protocols specified for various applications. The highest level is called “ZIGBEE” which is a main class that contains many profiles called “Service Profiles”.

 

So how is ultra wideband superior to ZigBee?  ZigBee uses sub-1GHz bandwidth for short range communications, but it depends on line of sight transmissions and can transmit at data rates up to 250kbps. Ultra wideband is able to send 100x more data than Zigbee over a greater range without needing line of sight, so Zigbee is just another technology that is slowly becoming outdated in the light of UWB.

 

 

LPWAN – LoRa

LoRa has been described as a combination of Bluetooth and ZigBee, but with longer range and less bandwidth . In LoRa networks, gateways take the messages transmitted by sensor nodes at 900 MHz and convert them to 433 MHz signals sent through wired powerline or Ethernet cable that is connected to the Internet. Nodes can be battery powered using inexpensive CMOS batteries for many years. A typical “in-network” gateway uses 10 times more energy than a node so it needs its own independent source of power like solar panels . The RF transceiver chips typically have < 1 mW transmit output power which enables devices to run for years on small coin cell type batteries. Using a technique called “Airtime Fairness” the LoRaWAN protocol stack ensures that all devices get an equal share of available bandwidth, making it possible for sensor nodes to send data very infrequently. In addition, nodes can be configured to send messages at time intervals as short as one second or as long as several months without using any more energy than if they were sending every few hours or days. For example, temperature sensors can report their values every minute (24*60=1440 samples/day) and sleep most of the time unless there is a significant change which would trigger them to wake up and report 1000 new samples per day (1440-140)/1000=6 times per year; many other applications like asset tracking and supply chain monitoring can use similar duty cycles.

 

LoRaWAN works in both licensed and unlicensed frequencies from 865 MHz to 928 MHz, it uses spread-spectrum radio technology for long range communication; the LoRa Alliance estimates a maximum reliable range of 4–20 miles (7–30 km) depending on terrain, infrastructure, antennae and power used .

 

While most LPWANs focus on connecting devices used indoors or in buildings like factories & warehouses, LoRa is focused exclusively on outdoor applications that need longer battery life than less demanding ones such as asset tracking. It has been endorsed by several carriers and other organizations who are using it to link sensors and actuators across continents.

 

LoRa has a much smaller range than UWB because its frequencies overlap with TV broadcast bands and its data rate is much lower.  Also, LoRa works only with gateways and there are a lot of other protocols to choose from like Bluetooth 4.0 + BLE, Zigbee 3.0, Thread or 6LoWPAN which means it has a much smaller market share than telco data lines; however, it is far more suitable for long range applications than UWB.

 

 

Final Thoughts

UWB has many advantages over the above-mentioned technologies like low power, high security, bi-directional communication, etc., which make it suitable for various applications. However, the success of any technology depends on how quickly it is adopted by the market and how aggressively its promoters are in marketing their brand.  It is not enough to develop a technology that will last for a long time, or even change the world, as many technologies like these are introduced every day. If UWB does not do all that it can to be adopted by the public and supported by third-party companies who are willing to build products around it, then its best days will remain behind it.

 

Sunvera Software develops next-level software applications from start-to-finish. We are a premier software and mobile app development agency specializing in healthcare mobile app development, custom mobile app development company, telehealth software, sales dashboards, custom mobile app development services, retail software development, supply-chain software, ecommerce, shopify, web design, iBeacon apps, security solutions and unified access software.

We are proud partners with Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Schedule a free 30-minute call with us to discuss your business, or you can give us a call at (949) 284-6300.

Ultra Wideband Explained in Simple Terms

ultra widebandIn recent days there has been a great deal of hype surrounding “UWB” or Ultra Wideband. There have been stories about how this absolutely amazing technology will revolutionize everything we know and do. There is some truth to this hype, but there’s also a lot of misinformation out on the net as well. We thought we would break it down into simple terms for you, and how you can use it in your daily life as well as your business.

 

 

History of UWB Technology: Where Did it Start?

The concept behind UWB was originally developed for use by the military, but recently things have changed and now companies such as T-Mobile and Intel are starting to get involved with its development.

The origin of UWB is somewhat obscure but several universities including MIT and the University of Maryland are credited with pioneering the concept. The basic theory behind UWB communications is to take advantage of the fact that when a radar pulse reaches a target, some part of it reflects off while another part passes through. In other words, there is “backscatter”. The ratio of backscatter to forward scatter is known as the “transmit-to-receive gain” (the larger the transmit/receive gain, the better). When this transmit/receive gain is large enough then it becomes possible to have an ultra wideband communications system.

 

 

How Does it Work?

In a typical UWB communications system, a transmitter generates a very short pulse of radio frequency (RF) energy. This RF pulse travels over a path to the receiver. At the same time, some of the energy also reflects off an obstacle in its path and returns back towards the sender. The amount of energy that reflects is dependent on the transmit/receive gain.

The receiver has a well-known pulse shape and waits for the reflection to return and match that pulse shape. If you can configure the transmitter and receiver with an ultra wideband radio, then it becomes possible to send large amounts of data over short distances very quickly — particularly if there are a lot of reflectors within range of your UWB device.

If you control the impulse response of your ultra wideband device, then in theory, it will become much easier to distinguish signals from background noise. For example, imagine observing a room full of people talking simultaneously. If you’re not familiar with some particular person’s voice (and he/she isn’t speaking loudly enough) it will be difficult to distinguish what that person is saying from all of the other background noise. However, if you know the person well and he/she speaks clearly then you’ll understand almost everything being said — even with a lot of background noise present. This same idea applies to ultra wideband devices. If they’re configured properly, an ultra wideband receiver can discern a specific signal even from very poor reception conditions due to interference or low levels of power in the UWB pulse itself.

 

The transmit-to-receive gain depends on several different characteristics such as:

 

1.) The impulse response (the shape of your transmitted pulse).

 

2.) The amount of power in the transmitted pulse.

 

3.) The reflectivity factor of the objects within range of your UWB device.

 

4.) The distance between the transmitter and receiver.

 

 

The Last Word

Some principles explained above are not specific to ultra wideband systems only, they apply to all kinds of radio-based communication devices and systems including radars. For example, a police officer uses similar techniques when aiming his/her radar gun at an approaching motorist as he would use with his/her headlights if trying to see into a building from out front or behind. This is an example of reflection and the two receivers (headlights/radar) work in the same manner – transfer information about reflected signals to humans, who can interpret received data. So, what’s ultra wideband? It’s a communication concept that uses reflection technology to transmit very short impulses (instead of continuous signals) at around 100 GHz.

As you can see, when you break down UWB communications systems they’re really not that complex and it’s not all that difficult to understand what makes them work. Of course there’s more involved but understanding just how ultra wideband works at a basic level is actually fairly simple if one takes the time to do some research into these matters. The important thing to remember here is that while the technology may be rather new; its underlying principles are by no means anything unique. For example, sound waves (acoustics) follow much the same rules as light waves; i.e., any time an object moves air particles around in a certain pattern, sound is produced. The only distinction here lies in the fact that ultra wideband devices are capable of producing movement at a slightly higher frequency than those we hear when someone talks to us (generally around 16 kilohertz).

 

Sunvera Software develops next-level software applications from start-to-finish. We are a premier software and mobile app development agency specializing in healthcare mobile app development, custom mobile app development company, telehealth software, sales dashboards, custom mobile app development services, retail software development, supply-chain software, ecommerce, shopify, web design, iBeacon apps, security solutions and unified access software.

We are proud partners with Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Schedule a free 30-minute call with us to discuss your business, or you can give us a call at (949) 284-6300.

Will All New Smartphones Have UWB Technology?

UWB technologyFor home and office use, the preferred method of connecting your phone to a computer is using USB or Bluetooth. However, if you’re in an area where Wi-Fi isn’t available, NFC (Near Field Communication) also comes into play. With this technology, recently used by Google Wallet for paying for goods at certain shops with your mobile device, the phone can make a transaction just by being tapped onto a specialized reader, without the need for any passwords or slower data transmission.

 

One other technology that was widely created due to the development of mobile phones is UWB (Ultra Wideband). This feature enables wireless connectivity over short distances with high-speed data transfer rates. It’s an alternative to Bluetooth, and it allows you to share files between devices in a matter of seconds.

 

However, the most notable use for UWB is in imaging technology. In fact, it’s a core component of many camera-enabled smartphones. The chips that contain this feature allow you to capture high-quality images and HD video without any wires or cables involved.

 

Although UWB technology can now be found in smartphones, this was not always the case. Back in 2005, before Apple introduced its first iPhone, there were only a few models with support for this feature. The reason it didn’t become more popular is that UWB technology requires very precise component positioning and alignment during manufacture. It’s also quite power-hungry, so it can drain the battery rather quickly.

 

One of the main obstacles for this technology is that it makes smartphones heavier and thicker. The reason why Samsung abandoned UWB in favor of NFC or Bluetooth was because they were looking for ways to reduce the overall size of their Galaxy S III .

 

However, times have changed. Smartphone manufacturers have found a way to incorporate UWB into new models without all of the cons. This is possible thanks to the use of tiny transceiver chips. Unlike earlier versions, these are very small in size and mass. They are also more energy-efficient than previous models (in fact, they can operate at lower voltages), and as a result, they don’t drain your battery as quickly.

 

The idea is to make devices compatible with the UWB technology. So, if you want to buy a new smartphone or a pair of earphones, you might find that they come equipped with this feature already. The more popular it becomes, the more likely it will be for companies to create products which use this feature.

 

So, if you want a smartphone with UWB enabled, then you will need to make sure your device is compatible.

 

Fortunately, this is easy to find out. If your phone uses a Broadcom chip with the part number BCM20794XS, then it’s likely to feature UWB technology. You can always check by looking in the manual or on the box of your new handset before you make any purchases.

 

Although UWB might not be for everyone, it’s certainly a cool and exciting technology, and it is expected to be the future of wireless communication.

 

Sunvera Software develops next-level software applications from start-to-finish. We are a premier software and mobile app development agency specializing in healthcare mobile app development, custom mobile app development company, telehealth software, sales dashboards, custom mobile app development services, retail software development, supply-chain software, ecommerce, shopify, web design, iBeacon apps, security solutions and unified access software.

We are proud partners with Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Schedule a free 30-minute call with us to discuss your business, or you can give us a call at (949) 284-6300.

5 Ways to Use Apple AirTags

AirTagsApple AirTags are little wireless sensors that you can stick on things around your home. With the free Apple AirTag mobile app, you can detect when they move and even tell them to put themselves away in a drawer or closet.  In this article, we will talk about five different ways  you can use Apple AirTags to track items and find items. Apple AirTags can also be used for indoor positioning and indoor navigation.

There are many more custom mobile applications that can be developed with Apple AirTags limited only by your imagination.

 

 

 

Use as a Pet Finder

If you have an impulsive pet, then Apple AirTags is the perfect accessory for them. You can attach AirTags with your dog’s and cat’s collar so that they are not going to run away from home anymore. If you want to make sure that your pet is at home while you are out, just use AirTags, and you will know its exact location.

If your pet runs away from home and is injured or lost then you can search with AirTags installed on the collar of that specific pet. All you need to do is press a button for 10 seconds, and it will start to ring and send out an alert message (with contact information) through iCloud.

 

Use as a Safety Tag

AirTags is also a perfect safety tag that you can attach to your important bag while traveling or any other activities. Again, you just need to press the button on AirTag for 10 seconds and it will send out an alert message (with contact information) through iCloud to let family, friends, and police know of the location of your bag.

 

Use as an Activator for In-App Actions

AirTags is going to be a game-changing accessory for the app developers. It will enable them to create customized actions with the existing apps. Now, what they have to do is just add an in-app action that activates AirTag when the user taps the specific button inside an app.

For example: When users tap “Locate Me” button in the app, AirTag will perform an action to send out an alert message. Then users’ friends and family know where they are.

 

Use as a Finder for iTunes Control

If you have ever accidentally deleted the music files from your iPhone/iPad or any other devices, and if you want to find them then AirTags is going to be useful. You can choose this option from the iCloud system preference panel and it will start scanning through all available Wi-Fi base stations in your iPhone/iPad to find out the deleted music files.

 

Use as a Sound Recorder

If you are searching for an easy way to record any voice or meeting without having to worry about any wires, AirTags will be the best choice for you. You can simply place your iPhone/iPad on the table and speak into it while AirTags is doing its job in recording audio. It will also send an alert message through iCloud if you forget to turn off your iPhone/iPad before walking away from it.

 

There are a lot of things users can do with Apple AirTags, but the point is that AirTags is going to be something meaningful for users.  It is not going to be just another accessory that users can wear on the collar and forget about it. AirTags will help people in various situations, and it will connect them with their family and friends across more distances.

By combining AirTags, Apple’s iCloud system and iOS-based devices, we can truly make the wireless world around us a better place.

 

Sunvera Software develops next-level custom software applications from start-to-finish. We are a premier software and custom mobile app development agency specializing in healthcare mobile app development, custom mobile app development company, telehealth software, sales dashboards, custom mobile app development services, retail software development, supply-chain software, ecommerce, shopify, web design, iBeacon apps, security solutions and unified access software.

We are proud partners with Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Schedule a free 30-minute call with us to discuss your business, or you can give us a call at (949) 284-6300.

Ultra Wideband: Factors to Consider Before You Get Started

UWBThe new series of technology is becoming more and more prominent in our society. The introduction of Ultra Wideband (UWB) has revolutionized the way we do things. This technology is used in different types of applications, and can be utilized in a variety of conditions such as strong magnetic fields, high-speed environment, or in harsh conditions.

 

 

 

In the short term, while standards for UWB operation continue to evolve, we will see devices that comply with various aspects of these standards – operating at different power levels and using different transmission modes. It is useful to understand some of the issues raised by UWB operation in order to avoid problems when deploying systems containing UWB devices.

If you are looking to incorporate UWB into your business, here are some factors to consider before embarking on this journey.

 

Factor #1: UWB Data Transmission Is Highly Susceptible to Interference

UWB works by sending a large number of evenly-spaced pulses over very short time periods. This high density of pulses enables the UWB device to carry more information per unit time than traditional wireless technologies. It also means that in each pulse, there are many opportunities for outside interference sources to jump into the communications channel and corrupt the signal. And since conventional digital receivers can not tolerate any missing or altered bits, it follows that these kinds of random (and generally small) errors can be quite disruptive to UWB systems.

 

Factor #2: Power Levels Will Affect How Much Interference You See

Based on some studies that have been done with early implementations of UWB across a variety of frequency bands, the amount of interference that UWB can cause to traditional wireless technologies is quite significant – roughly 20 times greater than traditional digital technology when transmitting at equal power levels. Because of this, it is important that UWB devices are operated at the lowest possible power level in order to minimize interference and maximize overall system performance.

 

Factor #3: Bandwidth Is Another Key Issue To Consider

Interference from UWB comes in the form of energy across a broad portion of the frequency spectrum, and can therefore be difficult to filter out. Since there are frequencies present that are traditionally unused in most commercial wireless devices, this means that an effective tool for mitigating interference is a band pass filter. Some early implementations of UWB have used digital signal processing (DSP) techniques on analog signals at various points in their communication infrastructure as well. In addition to using DSP, some data rates allow signaling with multiple channels in parallel, which helps mitigate the impact of interference further by eliminating any one channel’s contribution when only one or two channels are affected. At least for these bands, a fairly good level of interference rejection can be achieved with dual channel systems (and possibly triple channel in the future) – but at a cost of roughly twice as much digital hardware.

 

Factor #4: UWB Is Subject to FCC Regulations for Spectrum Usage and Control

In addition to potentially high levels of interference, since UWB operates in part on a spectrum that is traditionally unused, it will also need some sort of regulatory approval to ensure system compatibility and control.  The FCC is currently drafting new rules for UWB that will outline sharing requirements and other important factors regarding the deployment of UWB devices.

 

Factor #5: UWB Is a Relatively New Technology, and May Require Hardware Changes in Some Situations

While there have been several different implementations of UWB radio chipsets available over the last few years, there are still many more options to come in terms of commercial solutions. The nature of this technology requires some fairly precise timing by both the transmitter and receiver, so it will be interesting to see if the existing industry standards are adopted for use with UWB – or not. There is also a consideration that the wide bandwidth of these devices might induce interference into other systems that would otherwise work fine on single-channel products – but time will tell as we begin to see products released on an ongoing basis.

 

As mentioned previously, UWB is a technology with the potential to deliver tremendous value across a variety of markets. The ability to deploy high data rate solutions that do not suffer from multipath interference or other issues related to wireless in general is certainly an attractive proposition for a wide range of applications. On the other hand, however, there are some challenges that must be overcome before UWB can be deployed without concern of interference or regulatory issues. As a result, it is important to start thinking about these factors up front when you begin planning how to implement UWB into your network design.

 

Sunvera Software develops next-level software applications from start-to-finish. We are a premier software and mobile app development agency specializing in healthcare mobile app development, custom mobile app development company, telehealth software, sales dashboards, custom mobile app development services, retail software development, supply-chain software, ecommerce, shopify, web design, iBeacon apps, security solutions and unified access software.

We are proud partners with Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Schedule a free 30-minute call with us to discuss your business, or you can give us a call at (949) 284-6300.