Category Archives: Research

Social Network Integration

Social networks offer businesses numerous ways to influence users and to communicate messages. Marketing your business through social media can be an ideal way to encourage brand-engagement.

Embitel Mobility has successfully integrated social networks in apps:

• LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter integration with apps
• Integration of profile picture, updates, etc.

Benefits of Social Media Integration:

• Expanding your business network – Social media connections are often the first to see the latest news about your products or services and have an ability to easily share that information with their network of friends. This helps with indirect and rapid promotion of your business, brand, products, and services across a wide audience.
• Enhanced credibility – Social networks can help enhance the credibility of a business. If someone notices that a friend or other trusted person in their network has mentioned your company in a positive light, they are more likely to trust and use your product or service.
• Improved sales – Several surveys and statistics confirm that the proper use of social media helps to improve business sales by increasing brand visibility and awareness.

Push Notifications

What Are Push Notifications?

Push, or server push, describes a style of Internet-based communication where the request for a given transaction is initiated by the publisher or central server. It is contrasted with pull, where the request for the transmission of information is initiated by the receiver or client.

Embitel Mobility has successfully used Push Notifications in apps:

• Evaluated Parse, Urban Airship, Django, GCM for push notifications
• Developed a chatting application using push notifications

Push notifications can be used for:

• Warehouse operations and construction sites: to inform the arrival or departure of goods; or the moving of heavy machinery
• App-specific reminders: Appointments, prescriptions, events, game reminders, etc.
• Traffic Drivers [to drive traffic to the app]: Sweepstakes, contests, last minute sales, deals, etc.
• Emergency Alerts:Alarm system alerts, suspicious activity alerts [banking, e-mail apps, etc.], natural disasters alerts, public transport alerts, etc.
• App Functionality: Critical reminders, message notifications

Payment Gateway Integration

Payment Gateway refers to an E-commerce service that authorizes payments for E-business & online retailers. It in a way represents a physical POS (Point-of-sale) terminal located in most retail outlets. Payment gateways encrypt sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, to ensure that information passes securely between the customer and the merchant.

Embitel Mobility has successfully integrated Payment gateway in apps:

• Payment Gateway integration for iOS, Android
• Integration of PayU, PayPal, etc.

Near Field Communication

Near field communication [NFC] is a set of standards for smartphones and similar devices to establish radio communication with each other by touching them together or bringing them into proximity, usually no more than a few inches.

Embitel Mobility has built an NFC-file transfer application to transfer any kind of files between NFC-enabled devices.

Uses of Near Field Communication

Mobile Test Automation

Embitel Mobility has evaluated a few mechanisms in Mobile Application Test Automation:

User agent-based automation: This approach leverages user agent add-ons that come with popular browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. The user agents help render the specific Web content that would be displayed on the device onto a regular desktop browser. The functionality can be automated by using popular tools such as Selenium, etc. — which supports all desktop browsers.

Lab-based automation [devices/simulators]: This method involves setting up tools in a test environment and leveraging simulators or physical devices to automate testing using popular open-source tools such as Selenium. Web driver–supported device browsers and simulators are best suited here.

Benefits of Automation Testing:

• Improved accuracy
• Smaller timeframes; thus lesser expenditure

Middleware Development

Embitel Mobility has successfully executed CAN bus to smart device communication via Bluetooth to receive various kinds of data from an automobile.

A Middleware component was developed and deployed on both the Freescale i.MX6 processor platform and a mobile device , to transfer commands over Bluetooth; thus facilitating the display of automobile data [speed, RPM, etc.] on both the device and Smartphone, and remote control of car features such as lights, AC, door unlock, etc.

Other expertise areas:

• Expertise in GStreamer Multimedia framework on Linux
• Audio effects like acoustic echo cancellation, Noise Suppression, Automatic gain controls on Android middleware platform
• Bluetooth Stack integration on Android platform
• Customization of Media Framework for Android
• Bluetooth Stack Porting
• Customizing/adding Android profiles
• Modification/optimization of modules, plug-ins, components of middleware

Geofencing

A geo-fence is a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area. A geo-fence could be dynamically generated – as in a radius around a store or point location. Or a geo-fence can be a predefined set of boundaries, like school attendance zones or neighborhood boundaries.

Embitel Mobility has successfully achieved the following in Geofencing:

• 3D object marker detection
• Change Profiles on enter and exit of geo-fencing zones

A Few Real World Uses of Geofencing:

• Warehouse operations and construction sites: to inform the arrival or departure of goods; or the moving of heavy machinery
• Fleet management: When a truck driver breaks from his route, the dispatcher receives an alert.
• Human resource management: An employee smart card will send an alert to security if an employee attempts to enter an unauthorized area.
• Compliance management: Network logs record geo-fence crossings to document the proper use of devices and their compliance with established rules.
• Marketing: A restaurant can trigger a text message with the day’s specials to an opt-in customer when the customer enters a defined geographical area.
• Asset management: An RFID tag on a pallet can send an alert if the pallet is removed from the warehouse without authorization.
• Law enforcement: An ankle bracelet can alert authorities if an individual under house arrest leaves the premises.

Cross Platform App Development

Xamarin

• Allows to write native apps for iOS, Android, Windows using C#
• Share on average 75% source code across platforms.
• Re-use existing C# skills, teams, code and tools.
• Xamarin exposes 100% of the native APIs for iOS, Android and Windows.

Cross Platform App Development

Embitel Mobility has successfully developed the following cross-platform applications using Xamarin:

• Power Analyzer app
• IVI Head Unit and Smartphone Integration
• Cross-device messaging app
• Product type-based online retail store
• Vehicle Diagnostics app
• Home appliances Power Usage app
• Media player
• Fleet Management app
• Photo and Image management app
• Device location and alerts app
• Multiplayer game

Augmented Reality

Embitel Mobility has successfully developed the following Augmented Reality apps:

• 3D object manipulation using live camera feed – Can be used to place 3D objects and manipulate them within the camera feed. For example: Can be used in for an online retail store to demo furniture pieces
• 2D image recognition: Metadata [information, video, etc.] display on image recognition.
• OpenCV: Face Detection
• 3D Object Marker detection for Geofencing
• Metaio SDK, Vuforia SDK, Unity 3D Engine have been tested and evaluated

Applications of Augmented Reality:

• Next-level navigation systems with integrating virtual and live camera feed
• In Healthcare Education for mock surgeries
• In Automotive environments, to assist mechanics detect an issue
• In Advertising, to embed additional information [audio, video, etc.] within a print advertisement
• In Retail, to enable “mock-trials” of accessories, clothes, furniture, decorations, etc.