How building a traveling app with real-time monitoring and analysis of potential threats in any given area enabled a US-founded startup to take the international market by storm, with one hundred thousand active users worldwide downloading the app in the first post-rollout month.
The company’s current portfolio consists of web client and mobile apps for iOS and Android, while a more complex and functional version of the platform for corporate travel managers is being currently developed.
The main goal of the project was to build a functional backend and a web application, as well as a mobile app with a simple, user-friendly UI. Data exchange speed and security were the key requirements for the app since it would need to quickly update maps and enable users to download threat updates, even in remote areas over slow mobile connections.
Due to the innovative nature of the product, it was initially assumed that many of its aspects would be designed and formalized in parallel with the development process, which made *instinctools recommend Scrum for flexibility and optimal performance.
The use of the agile approach enabled the company to quickly start developing the skeleton of the future solution and to add extra details and features in subsequent iterations.
The mobile clients were built using Angular 2, Ionic 2, and Typescript. The desktop-based management dashboard for Windows and Mac was based on the cross-platform Electrons.js framework – the same framework that was used for developing the desktop version of Slack. In addition, a special Windows service was developed to enable the product to send push notifications to mobile devices.
The solution with all of its components heavily relies on a RESTful API, which ensures future scalability, reliability, modifiability and portability.
Several months of hard work resulted in a successful release of the first version of the product, an online service based on a unique concept and possessing a number of outstanding characteristics. The service provides recreational and professional travelers with a reliable source of trustworthy information about threat levels at any global location and helps them travel with confidence about their safety. This partnership was a gratifying experience for *instinctools and its customer. Not only has the team delivered a powerful and functional solution, but it has also established a friendly relationship with the customer. Thanks to the team’s valuable input, the solution included multiple new features that were not part of the original specification.
Real-time updates about emergencies, crime-related or potentially life-threatening situations that may take place or have taken place at a particular location
Tracking of the movement of people and/or their property
Plotting of the safest routes
Tips about local culture
Direct communication with service members and growth of the network of contacts
Near-instant updates about crises arising in the user’s destination area
