Back-office management

The 2022 adaptation of back-office management into customer experience

To function properly, companies need to have a back-office management system that supports their client-facing roles in the front office. The sooner you understand what a back office is, the more the company’s operations system will make sense. As said, within this article, we define what back-office management is, why it is important to have its specific role within your company, and how you can integrate back-office management with customer experience (CX).

Back-office operations must be qualified in supporting evolving product development to help meet a business’s growth aspiration.

What is back-office management?

Back-office management is defined as the administrator of a company’s human resources, technology, and services. Initially, the back-office management oversees the work performed by individuals in different departments and delivers upon the objectives and promises of the front-office team.

The cooperation and coordination between the front-office and back-office management represent two distinct, yet essential faces of the company. While back-office goes by the name of “engine room”, in direct contrast, front office, is known as the “face” of the company.

Implemented at distinct levels and coordinated across various departments, from administrative and operational to functional and support services, the back-office management system can determine the necessary strategies to keep your business up and running.

As we mentioned previously, both front- and back-office teams are experts in what they do in their day-to-day jobs, but they do not always have the same priorities nor have the same responsibilities. The front office focuses on driving new business and highlighting the success of your company. The back office is the glue holding everything together.

The back-office functions are the enables of the customer-facing work of the company.

Even though working in the back office may not be viewed as the most glamorous job, you need to know it plays a vital role in ensuring an end-to-end customer experience (CX).

Why are back-office roles important?

Let me ask you this. How could you run a business if you did not know the goals you are aiming for? What is the problem-solving equation you promised to address and resolve?

It is the same thing with back-office roles because they are the backbone of your company. When back-office operations run smoothly, it automatically sets your company up for success. In addition to this, it also covers two of the most essential and discussed topics of today’s business – productivity and costs. By boosting productivity and helping keep costs low, you have an assurance that all company resources and strategic planning are covered and maintained. Not to mention the entire data information is kept secure.

This is helpful to the overall business process, of course with an accent on operations, because you can see in real-time how their company is performing.

Finally, back-office roles are meant to see where improvements and adjustments can be made for your organization. Most importantly, be mindful of the allocation of company resources.

How can you integrate back-office with customer experience?

Primarily, you need to know that numerous digital companies refuse to be limited only to monitoring and managing back-office processes. To drive the desired CX improvements, you need to balance efficiency with customer-centricity.

Secondly, developing automated digital tools to align with business departments, lessen manual overhead, and deliver a smooth customer experience across multiple channels, will increase customer satisfaction.

In extension to all the above, optimizing automation, orchestration, and workflows allow businesses to take full control of the end-to-end operations. Collecting case studies and appropriate reporting, lower agent effort, and customer service response time, will lead to increased customer satisfaction.

From a management perspective, having the right tools in place provides greater visibility with real-time insight into operations and performance against service-level targets.

Choosing the right strategy underpinned by an integrated, customer-centric platform improves ROI and makes it easy to demonstrate the business value delivered.

How can we help?

Recognizing the complexity of back-office operations, we have the expertise to help you create an original approach and add further enhancements to your operations, along with a strategy that would transform the end-to-end operating model.

We are going to start with a thorough understanding of your needs, improving operational costs management with the aim of leading to better-performing business. Not to be forgotten the level of empowered and engaged employees, as we have described the front-office team as the face of the company.

In one word – optimizing all the connected systems, from teams, workloads, and systems.

By identifying these opportunities, we will be able to drive peak performance throughout your customer’s lifecycle.

Proof of concept

Everyone says they are the best, but we going to do the opposite of that, by letting you decide what’s best for your business. You can find out in one of our case studies how we delivered digital customer support services to a worldwide organization for over 2 years.

blockchain interoperability

Web 3 series: blockchain interoperability

Over the last few months, there has been a lot of talk about Web 3.0. Web 3.0 is dramatically changing the World Wide Web, impacting everything from social media to the blockchain.

If you’re feeling clueless, don’t worry. Lots of people aren’t entirely sure what Web 2.0 is, let alone how it’s evolving.

So in a new series of posts, we’re going to start exploring Web 3.0 and its impact on next-gen technologies like the blockchain.

What is Blockchain Interoperability?

Today, we’re going to look at blockchain interoperability. Blockchain interoperability is the ability for different blockchain technologies to interact with one another.

As it currently stands, the walls between different blockchains are pretty high. There isn’t too much co-mingling allowed. While this may feel like an immutable aspect of the unchanging blockchain, we can potentially knock down these barriers with Web 3.0 technology.

If this were to happen, we’d begin to see interoperability open up between different blockchain solutions. That would allow users to move data from one blockchain to another, trade assets more easily, and maximize their use of the blockchain.

Why is interoperability important to blockchain?

Create a decentralized ecosystem

Blockchain interoperability will help create a truly decentralized ecosystem. One of the core goals of blockchain tech is to provide access to an asset that isn’t owned or controlled by any single entity. 

By opening up interoperability, users will have more freedom and access without the need for increased control or oversight.

New Web 3.0 opportunities

Blockchain interoperability could also create space for new Web 3.0 possibilities. You can use interoperability to mix and match blockchain technologies.

Each blockchain network has unique strengths and weaknesses. As a result, users often pick one over the other, missing out on some features in favor of others.

With interoperability, users can make the most of features across different blockchains — removing the need for an either/or choice.

Improve data transparency and verifiability

Blockchain interoperability will also allow for improved data transparency and verifiability. By getting different blockchains to “talk” to each other, we can enable validation between various blockchains, creating richer history for data and fewer chances for exploitation.

How to achieve interoperability?

Fortunately, the road to blockchain interoperability is already being paved. Businesses and startups are already working on an interoperable ecosystem for blockchain tech.

Interoperability relies on the development of cross-chain bridges to close the gap between blockchain networks and new ecosystems that support multiple blockchains. Developers are already working on these bridges with projects like Harmony and Polkadot. And Cosmos is a multiple-blockchain ecosystem already in use.

It’s only a matter of time before we see more interoperability solutions and move closer to a truly open blockchain universe.

Learn more about Web 3.0 and the future of blockchain technology

There’s a world of innovation to explore surrounding Web 3.0 and blockchain technology. To learn more about Web 3.0, blockchain, and more, head to the RebelDot blog.

And for a custom software development partner to help bring your ideas to life, get in touch with the RebelDot team today!

reactjs vs react native

Reactjs vs React Native – which one should you consider for your next app?

If you’re building an app in 2022, there are two immensely popular products to consider using – Reactjs and React Native. As you might expect, these two originated from the same stable, namely Facebook, with Reactjs being the 2011 brainchild of Facebook developer Jordan Valke (it was originally called FaxJs).

Reactjs is a Javascript library of components that can be assembled to create a web app. In 2013, Facebook made its app development library open-source, and its popularity soared. In 2015, in reaction to the ever-growing popularity of Facebook on mobile devices, the company created React Native, a development framework for native apps for both iOs and Android, as well as other IoT devices. React Native too is open-source.

In 2022, both development platforms are immensely popular. In Stack Overflow’s 2021 developer survey, Reactjs had overtaken the likes of jQuery, Angular, and Vue.js as the world’s number 1 web development framework, used by over 40% of respondents. React Native’s developer community is ever-growing, so although it’s the comparative newcomer, it’s increasingly well-supported.

This article will look at the big differences between Reactjs and React Native, their comparative advantages and disadvantages, and each product’s best use case scenarios.

Here's what we're going to talk about

What is React (Reactjs)?

ReactJs, sometimes referred to as React, is a Javascript library of UI components that can be plugged together to build a web-based app. It has a huge user base and is entirely open-source. One of the big advantages of ReactJs is the speed with which you can create a workable web-based app. That is because most of the components you’ll need have been pre-assembled by other developers. In other words, there’s no need for you to reinvent the wheel!

ReactJs builds exceptionally fast web apps because it uses declarative views. This means that the sections of a page that change because of the user’s interactions are refreshed, leading to a faster page display rate (and an easier development process). Later in this article, we’ll look more closely at that and ReactJs’ Virtual DOM environment.

ReactJs was created when Facebook was primarily a website rather than the multi-platform entity it is today (requiring its products to be translated into mobile compatible versions). However, suppose you’re creating a primarily web-based app or complex interactive site. In that case, ReactJs is a fantastic way to work.

What is React Native?

In contrast with ReactJs, React Native is primarily used by developers working on mobile apps for both Apple and Android devices. Its biggest advantage is that it uses an innovative bridge to communicate between its core JavaScript code and the native coding of iOs or Android. It does this through both Java and C++ translation over the bridge.

This means that developers simply write one set of code for their app. That code will automatically translate to both platforms, eradicating the need for separate development teams to code platform-specific versions of the same app. This can save a great deal of time and money.

React Native can also be used to build web versions of its apps, but it is primarily designed for mobile app creation.

ReactJs vs React Native: The main differences

Before deciding what system to use, you need to know if your app will function primarily on the web or on mobile/IoT devices. This will help clarify whether ReactJs or React Native is best suited for your purposes.

Here are the main differences between the two platforms:

Environment

React Native is a full development framework, which means you don’t necessarily have to work outside its parameters (except for key APIs or emulation environments). ReactJs is a JavaScript library of components, so you’ll need other tools to build your site.

Platform compatibility

As we discovered above, React Native can create apps for both mobile OS and web apps. In contrast, ReactJs is very much a specialist JavaScript component library for app developers.

Coding

ReactJs uses JavaScript and underlying HTML5, whereas React Native will write code for the relevant devices’ native script (e.g., Swift/Obj C for iOs or Java for Android).

Styling

ReactJs uses HTML5 and CSS stylesheets for the UI display. React Native lets you write JavaScript stylesheet components that it then translates to their native equivalents.

Learning curve

You’re likely to pick up React Native quickly if you’ve already used ReactJs. Still, both rely upon an understanding of JavaScript. You don’t have to know HTML5 for React Native, however. Both have supportive developer communities.

Key Features of ReactJs

ReactJs excels in several key areas:

Use of a Virtual DOM

When changes are made to code, ReactJs will only re-render the branch which has been altered because it is constantly monitoring differences between the virtual DOM that developers work on and the underlying real DOM where it will make the approved changes. The speed savings this generates should not be underestimated.

SEO Performance

Support for server-side rendering speeds up the UI display as well as providing information for Google’s bots to identify the underlying HTML and evaluate your site with ease. This improves the SEO rankings of any site built in this way. However, a word of caution: sites optimized in this way take considerably longer to create.

Huge Component Library

With nine years of open-source development behind it, ReactJs’s library of components is second to none, allowing developers to put together a first iteration in record time. These components are further subdivided into libraries for specific purposes, so you can home in on exactly what you need.

Animation

ReactJs uses CSS for animation, which you can code alongside other stylistic elements without resorting to an animation-specific API integration.

Key Features of React Native

The headline benefits of React Native are as follows:

Cross-Platform Compatibility

The main advantage to using React Native is that you code once and your app should function across all mobile platforms. You can also create desktop versions with React Native for Web.

Hot Reloading

When you’re making tiny tweaks to an app it can be immensely frustrating having to refresh the whole thing to see the effect. With hot reloading, you can toggle immediate changes off and on in your editor so that you can use a trial-and-error method to get your UI just right.

Developer Tools

React Native comes with a suite of developer tools ready to use, including debuggers, live reloading, and code inspectors. You don’t need to use any third-party plug-ins to get your app just right.

Support and Networks

React Native may have finally been overtaken as the most popular cross-platform development app (Flutter stole its crown for the first time in 2021, according to Statista). However, it still enjoys a 38% market share and a huge support network of developers. Should you run into trouble, you’ll find someone to help before too long.

Why Use ReactJs for your Business?

Given all the above, you should choose ReactJs for your app development if the following criteria apply:

  • Your primary aim is to create a web-based app or interactive website.
  • SEO is of maximum importance.
  • Your developers are experienced in JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS.
  • You want your app to be up and running as quickly as possible.
  • You want to be able to swap modular components in and out with ease.

Examples of Companies using ReactJs for their web apps: Facebook, Netflix, Airbnb, Reddit, PayPal

Why Use React Native for your Business?

Companies building apps would be best to choose React Native if these apply:

  • You want to create mobile apps which work on both iOS and Android devices.
  • You care about speed and cost-saving in the development process.
  • Your apps are not primarily designed to handle large volumes of data.
  • Your developers are happy to use APIs for animation and JavaScript stylesheets for the UI.
  • Any web versions of your app will be secondary to their mobile counterparts.

Examples of Companies using React Native for their mobile apps: Instagram, Coinbase, Uber Eats, Pinterest.

Limitations of ReactJs

You can’t use ReactJs alone to build a mobile app. Therefore, it’s probably not the best tool if you suspect that your website-based application might also suit a mobile UI approach.

Coinbase, for instance, could easily have built a web app for their crypto trading platform, but they knew their clientele was highly mobile and tech-savvy. Therefore it made sense to go Native instead.

Should you want to adapt your ReactJs-created app for Android or iOS, you’ll largely have to start from scratch.

Another problem could be the speed of change of ReactJs. As an incredibly popular open-source product, many upgrades and revisions are taking place, not all of which are helpfully documented.

Ensuring you have a suitably secure and up-to-date version could require constant monitoring. It’s therefore not the best choice when creating FinTech or banking apps.

Limitations of React Native

As we’ve seen, React Native allows you to simultaneously create multiple versions of your app which automatically work across different platforms.

However, it doesn’t quite function straight out of the box. In order to run it on a Windows system, you first must download and install NVM and node.js to run JavaScript, then Java SDK8, React Native itself, and some other tools you’ll need.

Once you’ve done all that, you’ll find React Native doesn’t have as many modules as its older brother, ReactJs. If your developer can’t locate what they need, they may still have to create it from scratch.

Additionally, some of the included features, such as the onboard animation API, aren’t ideal. Lastly, learning and navigating React Native isn’t as easy as one might hope.

Which is Better - ReactJs or React Native?

That’s a bit like asking whether apples or oranges are better. They are different tools with various use cases. In short, though, if you need a fast-loading web-based app, ReactJs should be your best choice, whereas if you have an app that will work mostly on smartphones, React Native is the way to go.

ReactJs has been around longer, so it has a bigger library of components and support network. There are Github folders available for both ReactJs and React Native, fortunately, as well as numerous developer forums where you can source free advice if you’re stuck in your project, including Stack Overflow, Reddit, and Hashnode.

What is the Future of React Native and ReactJs?

These Facebook-originated app creators aren’t the only game in time. Strong competition is being mounted by Flutter and NativeScript, to name a few.

It also seems likely that Facebook (under its new parent company Meta) might mix aspects of both React variants. It’s possible they’ll create an all-in-one solution that includes more support for VR and augmented reality apps since that’s the direction the company is heading. They already have React VR and React 360 under the same brand umbrella, so it’s likely this trend will continue.

Whatever the future holds, it seems likely that the React name will be here for many years to come, continuing to create award-winning apps for some of the world’s biggest brands.

Get in touch with a team of ReactJs and React Native experts

Having worked with international clients in more than 15 industries such as fintech, healthcare, infrastructure, greentech, social, blockchain and many more, we got a team of 150+ skilled engineers and kind people ready to assist your throughout the entire end-to-end development process. 

Should you look for a team to play both the consultant and implementor role, don’t hesitate to reach out. We will shortly schedule a meeting with you to learn more about your idea, the vision you have and challenges that you want to overcome in developing your web or mobile app. 

web 3.0 for businesses

Everything you need to know about Web 3.0 for businesses

With the emergence of Web 3.0, the perception of the internet that we’ve all been used to until not so long ago has been shifting gradually. It became clear that businesses have been exploiting private consumer data with minimal protection surrounding that data, which generated a storm of customer privacy issues, hence affecting users’ trust in day-to-day platforms. This, in turn, encouraged more and more people to get excited for a more secure and democratized internet. In fact, early-adopters, mostly blockchain geeks have already started to migrate towards Web 3.0 platforms.

While the internet helped entrepreneurs better assess their possibilities, data mining and exploitation did not necessarily benefit brand perception. A lack of confidence has been growing by the scale of some recent data breaches. Fortunately, blockchain will change that. 

In this in-depth guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about Web 3.0 for businesses, how it works, some examples in practice, and why you should leverage this concept to achieve business growth.

What is Web 3.0 and how will It differ from today’s Internet?

Web 3.0, commonly referred to as Web 3, is a notion for a new version of the World Wide Web based on blockchain technology and includes principles such as decentralization and token-based economy. Some journalists and engineers have compared it to Web 2.0, which claims that data and information are concentrated in a small group of businesses known as “Big Tech.”

The terms “Web 1.0” and “Web 2.0” relate to different periods in the history of the World Wide Web as it progressed via different technologies and forms. Most web pages were static during Web 1.0, which occurred from around 1991 to 2004. The great majority of users would be considered consumers of content rather than producers.

Web 2.0 is centered on user-created content published to social media and networking platforms, blogs, and wikis, among other services, and it’s founded on the concept of “the web as a platform.” Web 2.0 is thought to have started around 2004 and is still going strong today.

Web 3.0 ideas vary, but they all revolve around the concept of decentralization and frequently include blockchain technology like cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens.

Key Characteristics of Web 3.0

The main characteristics of Web 3.0 include decentralization, permissionless technology, and increased security. Web 3.0 could also potentially balance creator economics and lower the barrier to entry.

Decentralization

Data is stored in central repositories in Web 2.0, which is problematic for a variety of reasons. It gave birth to tech conglomerates, otherwise known as Social Networks and concentrated market power in the hands of a small number of people. It also put data and private information at danger.

On the other hand, when it comes to Web 3.0, data is kept on the blockchain in “blocks” and “nodes” scattered over a vast network of computers, which means that your priceless private information is secure and private.

Permissionless Technology

What if someone told you that you needed permission to use the Internet? You’d most likely disagree. Instagram, Facebook, and other Internet services are, after all, free and open to use. This is the control illusion that haunts modern thinking.

In truth, tech giants like the previously mentioned ones have complete influence over how you and I utilize these services. Looking towards a normalized Web 3.0 future, you could join any network without asking for permission; all you have to do is press a few buttons. There’s no need to give up your privacy or relocate before using a service.

Security

Web 3.0 is a more secure version of its older sister, Web 2.0.

Decentralization, for example, makes it more difficult for unscrupulous individuals to get access to vast volumes of data. Users have more control over their information. Customers can select whether they wish to sell information about their online activities or stay anonymous.

Why is Web 3.0 Important for Business

To put it simply, when it comes to Web 3.0, there are several commercial opportunities. Until now, big tech companies have handled and exploited the data provided by consumers.

End users will have total data ownership with Web 3.0 powered by Blockchain. The data that is sent across the network will be completely encrypted. Users will be able to choose whatever information they wish to share with businesses and advertising agencies, and they will be able to profit from it.

To some, this may appear to be a stumbling obstacle for enterprises. On the contrary, it’s the exact opposite. For the benefit of both enterprises and consumers, data sharing will significantly alter.

Consider a current example of web 3.0 in work. Steemit is an excellent example of a web 3.0 social network. It is a decentralized reward system based solely on the Steem Blockchain social media platform. It compensates content authors or bloggers with the STEEM cryptocurrency in exchange for their contributions to the site.  

What are the Opportunities for Business That Web 3.0 Creates?

The main opportunities for businesses under Web 3.0 include interoperability, data safety, and improved privacy.

Web 3.0 can also be advantageous for businesses when it comes to operating across borders, selling tokenized assets via NFTs, and building apps on blockchain nodes that create transparency and immutability.

Interoperability

Users will be able to access data from numerous applications without having to be on a certain platform thanks to Web 3.0 capabilities. This means you won’t have to worry about a single device supporting Web 3.0 when others don’t.

Date Security

Web 3.0 will be far more secure than previous versions. Hackers will be unable to access the network without the activity being traced back to them, thanks to decentralization and dispersed nature.

Enhanced Privacy

Pro-privacy and anti-monopoly models will be on the table thanks to Web 3.0 capabilities. It will not incentivise centralized platforms that retain control over consumers’ data. With decentralization and privacy at the forefront, we will witness a shift. The hegemony of digital corporations will expire as consumers gain control over how their data is viewed, and there will be fewer, if any, data privacy attacks.

What does the decentralized blockchain protocol mean for businesses?

While discussing future use scenarios, it’s vital to understand that, although being hosted on a blockchain, these apps will not operate in isolation. All of these dApps (decentralized applications) will operate together in Web 3.0, just like they do now, to deliver integrated functionality that makes them more useful. The insurance contract mentioned above, for example, may receive data from a healthcare application and transmit a signal to a supply chain management contract. APIs will act as the “glue” that unites various disparate apps, just like they did in Web 2.0.

When it comes down to it, we’re not suggesting that Web 3.0 or blockchain will fix all of the world’s or even your company’s problems. What we’re saying is that you shouldn’t be hesitant to try out this new technology.

It will most likely be well worth your time due to the benefits of improved openness, verifiability, availability, and confidence it provides.

Ignoring Web 3.0 now is the same of ignoring the Internet 25 years ago.

Is Web 3.0 a Scam?

Some regard Web 3.0 as a scam, while others see the future of technology. And the discussion frequently devolves into ideology rather than technology, in most cases. Some people claim that consumers are being tricked into believing they possess a digital asset because of the growing popularity of NFTs. Others regard NFTs and Web 3.0 as having a lot of promise.

The current status of NFTs foreshadows a scenario in which your property deed, auto loan contract, and college diploma will all be recorded on the blockchain, together with all pertinent history and information, in an immutable and transparent manner.

As it happens, the internet has too many intermediaries, whereas NFTs can provide a more direct and pure means for artists, musicians, and producers of all types to interact with their audience.

There are many pros and cons associated with Web 3.0. However, we don’t believe it’s a “scam”. Rather, it’s a new, complex form of the internet that is still in its youth.

Trends and what to expect of Web 3.0 for 2022 Onwards

In the coming year and beyond, we can expect to witness a few trends in the context of Web 3.0. For starters, Artificial Intelligence is one of the most crucial Web 3.0 advancements of our generation. A.I is becoming more powerful and pervasive in all industries with each passing year. It is intimately linked to human intelligence. Artificial intelligence can put new products on the market without having to deal with a slew of issues.

We may also expect to see blockchain as a service becoming increasingly prevalent. It’s a new blockchain trend that numerous corporations and enterprises have already embraced. BaaS is a cloud-based service that allows clients to collaborate on digital products using blockchain. Smart contracts, decentralized applications (or dApps), and other services that don’t require the entire blockchain infrastructure to work are examples of digital products.

When it comes down to it, there’s nothing to fear from a business standpoint considering Web 3.0. Rather, this new trend in technology could benefit businesses just as much as it benefits consumers.

Blockchain development isn't out of reach

Developing blockchain technology for business use cases isn’t a pipe dream anymore.

Businesses of all shapes, sizes, and sectors can start putting this technology to work today to achieve any of the applications in this article and beyond.

To discuss opportunities for blockchain development within your business and how you can get started, reach out and let our blockchain development engineers at RebelDot support you as close consultants in developing and launching your digital product idea.

rebeldot intern Mihai

Rebel Tech Stories: Looking back on my .NET internship

As part of our conversations with the younger rebels, those of us who started out as interns and who are now an integral part of the team, this time we’ve asked Mihai to share a little about his own journey.

Mihai has been with us for almost a year now, having gone through a 10-week .NET internship initially, where, under the mentorship of some of our smartest engineers, he and his colleagues learned to work effectively as part of a team, learning, failing and growing together.

Like many of the rebel interns, he has quickly blended in and learned along the way how to aim towards a healthy balance between work, life and university. Today, he is building digital solutions to one of our key accounts, and he’s confident that the learning process won’t stop in the near future.

When he got some spare time, you can find him jamming to some classic rock ballads. Occasionally, on a good Friday evening, he’ll show off his cook skills, preparing some of his epic signature hamburgers, having everyone stay for this treat, and mingle in the backyard of our office for hours into the evening. 

When and why did you choose an internship?

I started looking for an internship because the university encouraged but kind of suggested that we should find a place to get some proper work experience. The options were to either work for the university or in an actual company and so I decided to go for the latter.

Did you have a specific pattern when looking for companies to apply for?

I just knew that I wanted to get to a place where people were nice and where I could get along with all my colleagues, although it sounds a bit utopian. I just felt it was a real possibility.

Around the time I decided to go for an internship, a career fair took place which I thought was going to be helpful but ended up confusing me even more.

There were about 30 different companies at that fair, a mixture of everything, You’d attend a presentation, then you’d jump from one to another, without understanding anything about their actions and their culture.. It seemed quite tough to make a choice.

How did you end up choosing RebelDot?

I remember there were a lot of pictures from barbecues / team-buildings, and Christmas parties.

Clearly it looked like a place where people feel good.

Seeing all this, I asked the girls at the RebelDot booth for details about the professional opportunities and, of course, about the technical aspects of the available internship.

I really wanted to do back-end and I saw that the internship was based on the .NET technology which was just what I wanted.

It was a perfect match, in fact, the first internship I have applied for.

How did you feel after the interviews?

To be honest, after the HR interview, I remember telling myself that this is where I want to be. It was a very nice and friendly conversation.

Feeling this oddly familiar vibe from the very beginning, I realized that this is the kind of mood I would like to have at work constantly .

As serious and professional as the conversation was, I didn’t feel it was something procedural, but rather a genuine and casual conversation.

I felt like a human being and not like a “human resource”.

Tell me about your first week as an intern at RebelDot.

I was happy to see that everyone was excited to meet us, me and my fellow intern colleagues, get to know us and support us with any question we had. That day was also when we met our mentor, Emi, kicking off a 4-week training period.

The really interesting part came when we started the actual internship project.

I don’t think any of us have worked in a team in this way before. That is, to try to organize ourselves, each with his bit and his responsibilities, so that in the end we can synchronize and organize as a team.

How was the team-work like as an intern?

To give you some context, everything I had done in terms of “team-work” until then had been in college where someone would come up with ideas and we’d try to help each other. It was very superficial, though…

At the internship, however, everyone had their own piece. We were self-sustaining, but also responsible for the team’s work. When we didn’t know something, we would communicate with each other and teach each other.

I realized that things go much faster and that you learn from others. I saw that as long as everyone does a little bit and we’re transparent to each other, the puzzle comes out until the end.

Besides, I was constantly motivated by our mentor to learn more. I remember him handing out the usual tasks and then telling me “Mihai, this one seems like a breeze. Don’t you want a challenge?” This had me prove to myself that I have a lot of potential to explore and materialize.

Do you have any memorable moments throughout the internship?

Yes. The 3 years anniversary.

It was very nice because I met a lot of people. In the following days after the party, I was even more excited to go to the office because I knew I would recognize a lot of the people I met there.

Everyone was super friendly and I felt comfortable making conversation with every person present there.

This is one advantage of RebelDot being a highly selective company when it comes to people’s character. You can clearly see that, although everyone is kinda different, you are surrounded by nice people.

There ain’t a super-specific -specific pattern. I would say that we rather complement each other with our different personalities.

Which is amazing.

What is one aspect that you enjoy the most as part of RebelDot?

The fact that everyone is open to communication. You can ask anyone for help, no matter what you ask. People will not judge you. When you have open-minded people who care about you and your opinion, it is very easy to come up with suggestions and simply speak your mind up.

That is, in fact, actively promoted within the company – the spirit of initiative, the desire to experiment and implicitly to develop both the business and yourself as a professional and as a human being.

What do you like to do outside work?

I like to play the guitar. I haven’t done it in a while, but I’m still trying to recover on this side.

I like to spend time with people and I have time for all this even if I work.

Sometimes the faculty also intervenes, but even so, I am in a position where I manage to make time for university and the projects for university as well as work and of course, social life.

Did the internship help you as a student?

What I noticed is that the way I am now studying and completing my uni projects has started to be the same. I’m much more organized now. Somehow this way of doing things came organically, a way I learned during the internship, constantly collaborating with my team, but also developing independently.

I like to take things in stride and see how it all works.

I now see programming quite similar to playing the guitar – divide it into small pieces until you get a result.

When you learn a new song, for instance, you try to divide everything into smaller pieces. Take a small part and do it until it’s okay.

The same goes for programming – I have a function to do – I do it in small pieces and I check that each piece works properly. It’s also about the structure.

What advice would you give to a student looking for an internship?

Say what you have in mind at the interviews.

Be exactly the way you are and speak your mind. Be honest with yourself and to the people you’re talking to.

That’s because you can’t get anywhere by being someone you’re not.

If you don’t like the way you are, try to change and get to your best option, or if you like the way you are, just be yourself.

People will appreciate that you are committed and genuine and eventually you will get to the right place, along with the right people.

Let's grow together!

While our internship positions are currently closed, chances are you will find an attractive role on our careers page anyway. Take a shot and apply for it and let’s see if that’s the kind of place where you’d like to kick off a career in tech. 

app reputation management

App reputation management and why your business needs it

Let’s all agree on this, once something goes online, it is usually there forever.

This makes it vital that you keep track of your online reputation and do what you can to minimize any harmful statements about you or your brand.

On the other hand, reputation, in the case of an app, can be defined as the process you need to go through as a brand when a user highlights positive reviews about specific characteristics or features, deemphasizing negative feelings about your solution on the internet.

You must place this matter on the tip of the iceberg because it’s not an actionable goal but more of a result of several actions related to it.

To sum up, reputation is defined as the voice of users.

What is app reputation management?

Several businesses use reputation management software to respond to negative reviews while encouraging positive ones. To give you a more in-depth definition, brand reputation management monitors how consumers perceive your business and take strategic action to improve your brand’s image.

Nowadays, app reputation management is centered around monitoring and protecting your brand’s online image in reviews, social media, forums, app stores and Google.

As we already know, most customers rely on online reviews by past customers when researching products or services online. This means if your business receives overwhelmingly positive reviews, acquiring new customers becomes an easy job.

According to our internal research, it seems like 71% of social media users recommend a product or a service if they have had a positive experience. Such recommendations are going to increase your sales pipeline.

By connecting the dots, you would be able to put words into action.

Without doing anything out of the ordinary.

As a business owner, to measure your brand’s share of voice, you need to listen first. You couldn’t have been called a brand in the first place if it weren’t for them.

The benefits of app reputation management software

App reputation management software is suitable for all companies. It’s also proven to be useful for small businesses that want to improve their services and increase sales. It’s an indispensable tool for attracting customers, keeping the existing ones engaged and, in the end, building your brand’s image.

Here are the benefits of using reputation management software for your business.

  1. Finding out about customer complaints – It makes you aware of your customers’ problems and helps you find timely solutions.
  2. Improving customer service – Lets you access all your client queries, complaints, reviews, and other issues in one place, enabling a faster response.
  3. Building customer trust –  The system helps you maintain a more trusted brand.
  4. Word-of-mouth marketing – An app reputation management software helps you market your business via positive word-of-mouth reviews.
  5. Enhancing transparency – The software can make this effortless if you struggle with ensuring transparency.
  6. Identifying business opportunities – New opportunities can be identified for your business via online reviews.
  7. Increasing online activity – Building consistency on social media can be a challenge to most businesses, but an app reputation management software can help you be more active online.
  8. Building a strong customer base – The software can help you build a solid database of your customers.

Can tech be the overall solution?

Technology can help and support app reputation but cannot be an overarching solution.

Why? We have a few insights on this.

Personalized experience for the users

Personalization has played a key role in user experience for many years now.

If we think about how many products and services have grown to become on-demand, users have set their expectations along with it. This means you need to upgrade your methods to keep them happy and engaged in the long term.

A study by Forrester found that “77% of consumers have chosen, recommended or paid more for a brand that provides a personalized service or experience.”

Going back to 2020, according to Salesforce, 51% of consumers expect that companies will anticipate their needs and make relevant suggestions before they make contact.

Most commonly, users expect products and services to be tailored to them, and many users will now switch to another brand, because they know they can find that level of personalization they are looking for elsewhere.

“Personalization allows a product or a service to fit seamlessly into a user’s lifestyle or routine, making the entire back-end process feel so invisible.”

What’s the trick?

Always include personalization as one of your key pieces when building out the user experience.

Ability to generate proper reporting and actionable insights

Transform your data with actionable insights!

Learn how to effectively use data and analytics to inform your marketing strategy. It might be overwhelming, but just think about how lost we’ll be in this digital world without proper reporting and actionable next steps.

To build a brand and to become one is the most important thing for your success.

Compliance constraints

Certain regulations in effect or to come into effect (like Digital Services Act) require human intervention when acting on or replying to certain customer concerns.

It is also a good practice to have a system in place for reviewing tech-driven decisions, as even the best tools can mislabel certain posts, especially when it comes to sentiment analysis.

While this is not in effect yet, rules and regulations regarding AI systems’ biases are discussed worldwide, so the human element can be a solid complement to your tech stack.

How can we help?

We promise you this by fully embracing the meaning of “the guardians of your app”.

We’ll encourage more users or members from your online community to leave reviews (or ratings), efficiently influencing your rating (the rule of thumb is to be above 4.0, ideally 4.5).

Paying equal attention to your existing and potential customers, keeping an eye on how we can support, maintain and personalize their lifetime value.

What else?

Due to the SLA agreement, we cannot treat your customers or users with preferential support.

One of our beliefs is hidden between the words care and fulfillment, which gives us the responsibility and a different level of maturity to treat all with respect, no matter their corporate background or title.

Last but not least is the ability to feel the pulse of your customers, especially because ratings aren’t set in stone. As well as reading between the lines for those influencer types of reviews.

If we didn’t list all your concepts and thoughts on this matter, let’s talk.

You can also read our latest content moderation article and check the customer experience services that our team can offer to your business. 

dApps development

dApps 101: How to start dApps Development

It’s no secret that blockchain technology has been a hot topic for the last few years. One of the key features behind the growing popularity of blockchain tech is dApps development. If that sounds like a made-up word, don’t worry. This post will cover everything you need to know about dApps and their development so that you and your business can start taking advantage of them.

What are dApps?

First things first, what are dApps? Short for “decentralized apps”, dApps are apps that are built on the blockchain. This means that no one owns them, and anyone can use them. If you know what a smart contract is, a dApp is just a smart contract with a user interface on the front end.

Because dApps are decentralized, the user has total control over the data that is entered, transformed, and created through the dApp. This is different from a traditional app, which stores data in a central location, such as a database.

For the same reason, dApps are also significantly slower than traditional apps. So they’re not necessarily better than a standard app — they just have certain advantages that make them ideal for unique situations.
Below is a breakdown of some of the key features unique to dApps.

dApps use peer-to-peer networks

One of the most unique things about dApps is that they use peer-to-peer networks. This is done through the blockchain, and it’s why no single entity has control over a dApp.

That means that the dApp runs on a network supported by everyone using it. If that sounds vague, you can think of it like the internet. There is no magic box that contains the internet. Instead, the internet is created by everyone using it every time they use it. dApps work similarly in that each person’s use of and interaction with a dApp keeps it running.

dApps are more secure than regular apps

Because no single entity owns a dApp, there isn’t a centralized place where the dApp, and importantly the dApp’s data, exists. And that enables them to be more secure than a traditional app.

With a traditional app, a hacker only needs to gain access to the central database or the accounts with access to that database. But with a dApp, neither of these entry points exists. There’s no way to “access” them because they aren’t there.

dApps development can be less expensive

dApps development can be less expensive because it is essentially simpler. Most businesses aren’t creating dApps with the same level of intricacy as a traditional app. 

Usually, a dApp just executes a few basic tasks for the user. And since they’re being deployed on the blockchain, a lot of the framework is already in place. All that needs to be developed are the functions and interface for the app, and you’re done. They’re easy to deploy, too!

The benefits of developing dApps

There are several benefits to building a dApp over a traditional app. Here are just a few:

  1. Data integrity. You get complete data integrity because dApps have increased data security and use peer-to-peer networks to store data. Every user knows that the data is accurate because every user has verified the data.
  2. Privacy. dApps provide higher levels of privacy because there is no governing body behind the dApp. This means that no one can own, manipulate, misuse, or even ask for your personal information.
  3. No downtime. Since dApps exist on the blockchain rather than on a server, they don’t have downtime. There will never be a time when you can’t access your dApp.

How are dApps made? Starting dApps development

Now that you have an idea of what dApps are and why people choose to create them, it’s time to explore that creation process. Below are the steps to create a dApp from start to finish.

Identify the problems you need to solve

First, you need to identify the problems you want to solve with your dApp. This is just like creating any other app, so it’s something your development team should be familiar with.
What’s unique to dApps is that they are specialized solutions to a problem. You need to evaluate if a dApp is the ideal solution to that problem. What advantages does a dApp have that a traditional app doesn’t that will make it the right option for your team?

Create a proof-of-concept

Next, you’ll want to create a proof of concept for your dApp. This is where your ideas for your dApp become a prototype that you can test. The goal during this stage is to see if your solution works.

For instance, you may find that your interface is off or that you should be coming at the problem from another angle. Or maybe you’ve realized that the problem isn’t significant enough to warrant dApp development. Whatever the case, you want to start prototyping and pushing the limits of your dApp concept.

Choose a blockchain to use

Next, you’ll want to choose a blockchain for deploying your dApp. Ethereum is probably the first one that comes to mind as it’s the most popular, but there are several other options you can go with. You can even put in the time to develop your own blockchain if that’s what’s right for your organization.

Launch your dApp

With all of the dApp development out of the way, you’re ready to launch your dApp! This happens after rigorous testing to make sure that your dApp runs as it’s supposed to. 

Remember not to rush things during this step! You can’t make changes to a dApp after it’s launched. That’s one of the reasons it’s good to keep things simple. So take your time and make sure you get it right.

Get help with your dApp development from our smartest engineers & product specialists at RebelDot

You don’t have to build your dApp alone. You can just reach out and start realizing your vision today!

DeFi smart contract development

Smart contracts development: what product owners need to know

If you’ve spent some time looking at the world of blockchain, you’ve probably heard of smart contracts or even thought about smart contracts development. They’re a popular feature of blockchain and particularly cryptocurrencies like Ethereum.

But what are they, and how can they be useful to you? In this post, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about DeFi smart contracts, from what they are to how to start using them.

What are smart contracts?

In short, a smart contract is a program stored on the blockchain. However, unlike a regular program, which runs whenever you tell it to (like when you double-click an app icon), a smart contract only runs whenever certain conditions are met. 

For instance, say you agree to give someone the title to your car if they pay you $5,000. You could create a smart contract in the blockchain that emails the person the title to your car (assuming it were that easy, of course) whenever they send you $5,000. The contract is executed by code, so both parties know there’s no room for funny business. 

This creates a clean value exchange, which can be difficult to achieve in the real world. You can build smart contracts on a few different cryptocurrency blockchains, including:

  • Ethereum
  • Bitcoin
  • Cardano
  • EOS.IO
  • Tezos

3 DeFi smart contracts use cases

To help you better understand how you can use DeFi smart contracts, here’s a look at three popular proposed use cases. It’s important to note that this technology is still in its “proto” phase, so these are projections of what the technology can do and not necessarily what it can do right now.

Mortgage loans

A mortgage loan could be executed with a smart contract in much the same way as a car title transfer. What makes the prospect of turning these types of loans into smart contracts beneficial is how much paperwork and processes go into a traditional mortgage loan.

There are middlemen, sometimes weeks of waiting for approval and analysis, and other time-consuming steps standing between the lender and the borrower.

With a smart contract, you can cut down on all of these extra steps. The parties can create a smart contract that executes as soon as someone has the right information and requirements to be approved. This also creates a single place where both parties can easily view all information associated with the transaction.

Insurance claims

Another paperwork-intensive financial process is making an insurance claim. There’s a ton of analysis, going back and forth, and investigation that goes into processing these claims. Plus, making and taking payments from the right people can get complicated.

With a smart contract, this can all be done automatically. You can use the contract to check if a party meets certain claim criteria and can automatically send payment to their account.

This saves a lot of time and headache for all people involved, streamlining the process significantly.

Financial data recording

Financial data recording is one of the most versatile and important use cases for DeFi smart contracts. This is a crucial process that the slightest error can completely disrupt.

So it makes sense that financial data recording is perfect for automation through smart contracts. Businesses and individuals can set up parameters that cause data to be recorded, and data that comes in as input can be stored on the blockchain.

This can eventually remove the need to keep up with documents like invoices by executing the information and function of these documents through smart contracts. It will reduce the errors associated with record-keeping while also saving time and energy.

The basics of DeFi smart contracts development

Now that you know what DeFi smart contracts are and how you can use them, let’s cover the basics of how you can develop them.

Pick what blockchain technology you want to use

First, you need to decide which blockchain technology you want to use. The go-to choice for pretty much everyone is Ethereum, as it is the most popular solution built around smart contracts.

You could use some of the alternatives to Ethereum or go the extra mile and develop a proprietary blockchain technology that caters to your DeFi smart contract needs.

Define your "tokenomics"

“Tokenomics” is a trendy of way of saying “how a cryptocurrency works.” It’s the rules, parameters, inputs, outputs, etc., that define a particular cryptocurrency and blockchain system.

When diving into DeFi smart contracts development, you need to establish these parameters for yourself.

Will you be using cryptocurrency tokens or exclusively smart contracts? How will you use them? And how will they fit into your broader blockchain strategy?

Integrate with crypto wallets

During DeFi smart contracts development, you will also need to consider whether or not you will integrate with crypto wallets. For those that don’t know, crypto wallets store the information that gives you access to your cryptocurrency, similar to how a debit card and PIN work.

While you don’t have to integrate with crypto wallets to make smart contracts work, it can open up several doors for you. For instance, it allows you to create contracts tied to financial transactions.

Decide which data feeds you need to rely on

Finally, you’ll need to know which data feeds your DeFi smart contract development will rely on. Data feeds refer to information outside of cryptocurrency and the blockchain that will be pulled into your smart contract application.

For example, weather, location, and eligibility could all be required for a smart contract to properly execute, though that data will need to come from an external source.

Partner with RebelDot and start your DeFi smart contracts development today

You don’t have to wait to start your DeFi smart contracts development. By partnering with RebelDot, you can bring your vision to life easily and effectively. Reach out to our team today and see how we can help!

blockchain applications

8 applications of blockchain technology for businesses in 2022

Blockchain is one of the most exciting (and, arguably, least understood) technologies on the scene in 2022. But its buzz for blockchain more than makes up for the questions business owners have around it — and now, organizations everywhere want to stake their claim with their own innovative solution. 

If you know you want to invest in blockchain development, but you don’t know how (or why!) to go about it, then this post is for you. 

We’ll be covering eight applications of blockchain technology for business so that your organization can put it to work in a meaningful way. 

8 inspiring applications of blockchain technology to consider in your business

1. Smart contracts

First on our list of blockchain development solutions is smart contracts. Smart contracts are essentially automated contracts written in code rather than on paper. 

Say an enterprise agrees to buy a product from your business for $100,000. Rather than making this deal over the telephone, Zoom, or through a bunch of emails and signatures, you can create a simple smart contract instead. This contract is a bit of code in the blockchain that will automatically approve the purchase of the product when the enterprise sends over the money. It executes the contract for your business.

Why is this use of blockchain technology exciting for business?

Of course, this is just one use case for a smart contract. The same technology can be used to hire new employees, secure clients, merge and acquire, and a plethora of other activities. Because it’s automated, there’s less room for error and less oversight required.

By using smart contracts, businesses can benefit from increased transparency, faster negotiations, and automated transactions. There’s no need for external parties to execute or secure the contract since the contract itself handles this. This allows involved parties to be more confident in the success and management of the contract.

2. Decentralized apps

Next are decentralized products, namely apps. Sometimes called “dApps”, a decentralized app works just like a standard app you use every day on your phone or computer. However, unlike these other apps, there is no one managing your data, account, or orders on the other end. 

Instead, the blockchain is handling all of this. It’s storing and updating user accounts and processing transactions (financial as well as general interactions) for the users. 

Typically, you would need an intermediary to do all of this. That intermediary is usually the developer, who has to maintain a database after launching an app. Since decentralized blockchain solutions are self-sustaining, there’s no longer a need for the intermediary party. This keeps things simple, secure, and private for the individual.

Why is this use of blockchain technology exciting for business?

For smaller developers and businesses, or for those who have developed more apps than they can manage, a decentralized solution presents a long-term management option. You don’t need to be as involved in the day-to-day responsibilities of taking care of your app. At most, you just need a customer support team.

Additionally, privacy-centric companies (which is quickly becoming all companies in 2022) can advertise decentralized solutions as a privacy-first mechanism. It decreases the involvement the developer has in the users’ data and gives the user more control over their data and how it’s used.

3. Increased transparency and traceability

Increasing transparency and traceability is a more broad application of blockchain technology for business, but it’s still worth mentioning. As the amount of data companies are taking in, transforming, and outputting increases exponentially, these are two features that are becoming more and more important. 

On the transparency front, blockchain development can be used to provide everyone with a clear view of how data is used within your company. They can either view just their data or everyone’s, depending on how transparent you want to be. They can see how this data is accessed, modified, and implemented throughout your systems. 

Similarly, all of these features of blockchain can be used to improve traceability. You can cut down on fraud, track it down when it happens, and avoid lost or corrupt data.

Why is this use of blockchain technology exciting for business?

As mentioned before, privacy-first policies are becoming critical to your public perception. Individuals are becoming more educated and concerned with how their data is collected and used. 

In a way, it’s fitting that this rise in awareness is coinciding with the rise in blockchain’s popularity. Blockchain is the perfect tool for removing the blackbox nature of your business’s data policies and practices, boosting consumer trust, and improving your internal data procedures.

4. Employee compensation

Employee compensation is a very pragmatic use case for blockchain technology. It leverages something blockchain is already good at (processing financial transactions) and applies it to a real-world need for businesses. 

And of course, just because the blockchain is primarily used to process cryptocurrency transactions, that doesn’t mean you’ll need to start paying your employees in Bitcoin. With “smart” blockchains like Ethereum, you can create your own apps on the blockchain that process any kind of transactions you like. 

This can provide you with a faster, more transparent, and more flexible way to pay your employees every period. 

Why is this use of blockchain technology exciting for business?

While putting your employees on a blockchain payroll might seem redundant (“But… I already have a payroll system in place…?”) it offers a few unique benefits.

First, it allows you to pay employees in cryptocurrency if that’s something they’re interested in. It can also make it easier to pay customers in a fiat currency of their choosing (Stellar is particularly good at this).

And second, with contractors, freelancers, and remote workers becoming more commonplace, a blockchain payroll can standardize and secure the way these workers are paid. This gives everyone more confidence in your payroll system while keeping things simple, too.

5. Securing digital identities

For the most part, the way we keep up with our identification is pretty outdated. Whether we’re talking about hospital records, government IDs, or just the badge you wear to work, there’s a lot of room for improvement with our IDs.

Fortunately, blockchain development can help here, too. Businesses can store digital identities in the blockchain and access them from there across a variety of services and products. This is opposed to the more traditional solution of a database, which can become cluttered, slow, costly to maintain, and difficult to keep in sync.

Not to mention that, eventually, the blockchain can be used to make our digital identities universal. You’ll have just one account that connects your information to any platform, business, or service you sign up for.

Why is this use of blockchain technology exciting for business?

The largest benefit of applying blockchain to digital identities is convenience. It serves to make things as simple as possible, both for the user and for you, the business. 

And in more security-driven applications like healthcare and finance (or anything where an account is used for more than accessing digital goods and services), the blockchain creates a more transparent, traceable, and secure solution.

6. More trustworthy voting processes

Thanks to the Greeks, we’ve all (mostly) agreed that voting is pretty great. The problem is, we haven’t really updated the way we vote since the time of the Greeks. Much of our voting is still conducted on pen and paper, and even when it is digitized, concerns of fraud and error are high.

This is as true of government voting as it is for voting within a business context, whether that be a board of directors coming to a conclusion or a workers-based decision.

Blockchain can help you modernize voting in a way that is fast, convenient, and most importantly, trustworthy. You can ensure that every vote is authentic, immutable, and incontrovertible.

Why is this use of blockchain technology exciting for business?

Ensuring that a voting process is legitimate is critical no matter the context. However, this can sometimes come into conflict with our more modern need to have voting also be convenient and easily accessible.

Blockchain can bridge this gap for your workplace. It can give a voice to various stakeholders throughout your company via a channel that they can trust and access at their convenience.

7. Transportation and logistics

The transportation and logistics sector is becoming increasingly automated and digitized. This has the benefit of making it more cost-effective, sustainable, efficient, and safe for workers.

It also comes with the drawback of data vulnerability. The more communication that occurs between vehicles and management systems, the more chance there is for vital data to be corrupted or stolen.

By implementing blockchain technology, businesses can mitigate these drawbacks. They can secure the data that’s being moved, prevent it from being altered without oversight, and generally create a safer digitization process for their transportation and logistics departments.

Why is this use of blockchain technology exciting for business?

The benefits of blockchain development within logistics go beyond keeping data safe. It can also be used to improve freight tracking, which grows increasingly important to consumers and businesses alike.

8. Give users control of their data

We’ve mentioned it a few times throughout this post in other points, though it’s potent enough to garner its own position on this list: blockchain development has the power to give individuals control over their data. 

Currently, when you use an app or digital service, you take for granted that the business owns your data. Purchasing digital media, adding your sign-in information, and keeping a digital record of your usage — each of these things is left to the developer/business behind the software. 

With blockchain, you can put data back in the hands of the user. Not only can they get a better view of what data is being stored on them and how it’s being used, but you can also give them options and features tied to manipulating that data. Since no one needs to manage a blockchain, you can introduce anonymity into your service more easily.

Why is this use of blockchain technology exciting for business?

The data of individuals is becoming a hot-button issue around the world. Users are more educated and aware of their digital footprints than ever before, and increasingly they’re asking for control over this data.

Blockchain development can put users back in control without minimizing or removing the abilities of the developer. It’s a win-win solution and one that could become a new default in the future.

How does the blockchain app development process work?

The blockchain development process is not too unlike that of traditional software development. It involves building the back-end, then the front-end, designing the UI, deploying it on various platforms, and finally testing it for quality assurance.

This can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months and, due to the complexity of blockchain technology, is best left to experienced developers. Of course, businesses don’t have to build a blockchain solution from scratch. They can lean on existing solutions like Ethereum and Stellar, which already have frameworks in place.

How much does it cost to build a blockchain app?

Generally, it will cost anywhere between $20,000 and $200,00 to develop an original blockchain system. This includes the cost of hiring developers or outsourcing to a development agency.

If businesses instead choose to create blockchain apps on existing systems, like Ethereum, then the cost can be much lower as this is far simpler to do.

Can you build your own blockchain?

Of course! Nothing is preventing any business from creating its own blockchain aside from expertise. Generally speaking, there’s no reason to create a blockchain if an ideal solution already exists. This is kind of like developing a programming language when all you need is an app.

That said, building your own blockchain can be valuable if there isn’t an ideal solution available. For instance, Ethereum, which is perhaps the most popular blockchain for app development, can be slow to run due to its popularity. Others have environmental concerns, are bloated, too broad or narrow in usage, or can be otherwise less than ideal. In these cases, it can make sense to create a new blockchain from scratch for your business.

Blockchain development isn't out of reach

Developing blockchain technology for business use cases isn’t a pipe dream anymore. 

Businesses of all shapes, sizes, and sectors can start putting this technology to work today to achieve any of the applications in this article and beyond.

To discuss opportunities for blockchain development within your business and how you can get started, reach out and let our blockchain development engineers at RebelDot support you as close consultants in developing and launching your digital product idea. 

healthcare software types

Healthcare Software Types to keep an eye on this year

Previously, we have discussed the state of healthcare app development, presenting each of the stages of this process in depth. We’ve also summarized the different types of medical apps that healthcare institutions are using.

For this article, we thought we might list a couple of rather broad healthcare app categories that are being used by both medical institutions, as well as patients.

EHRs

Unless you work in healthcare, you probably don’t have any access to EHRs, or Electronic Health Records. These types of healthcare software are used by clinics and hospitals, to manage patient records. They work a little like a CRM, but instead of past employers and hobbies, they list procedures, treatments, and health conditions specific to each patient.

Medical Databases

Medical databases are sort of like EHRs, but instead of organizing records by patient, they categorize information by disease or condition. This allows doctors and specialists to look up case files for specific conditions, so that they can compare symptoms, treatments and more. This helps doctors to make better diagnoses and offer better and more effective treatment options.

Medical Research Software

Most ordinary people don’t read medical research papers – but doctors do. Medical research software organizes and publishes the latest peer reviewed medical research papers, so that doctors can stay on top of developments in the industry. This also alerts them to new treatment and medication options for their patients.

PubMed is a good example of a medical research service.

Medical Diagnosis Software

Medical diagnosis used to involve consulting big, heavy books, cross referencing symptoms, and a fair amount of trial and error. Thanks to technology, things are a lot faster and easier.

The solution comes in the form of medical diagnosis software, which allows doctors to answer questions about the patient, their symptoms, and their medical history, and uses advanced technology like AI to determine the most likely diagnosis. It doesn’t replace a doctor’s skill and training, but it makes their jobs a little easier!

Some examples of medical diagnosis software are OSP Labs and Human DX.

Medical Imaging Software

It’s hard to believe it’s only been about 130 years since x-rays were first invented! Since then, we’ve added many other kinds of medical imaging to the medical toolbox, including CAT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds.

Medical imaging software works with the equipment that does those scans, to give us pictures doctors can interpret to identify and diagnose problems. Some of these kinds of software can even be used with 3D printing technology to print medical devices and prosthetics that fit each patient perfectly.

Vepro and materialize are both medical imaging software packages.

Telemedicine Software

Telemedicine apps have been used for a while, usually for people who can’t leave their homes, or those who live in remote areas. However, when the pandemic hit the world in early 2020, many doctors in cities around the world pivoted most of their practices to telemedicine for safety reasons.

Telemedicine allows doctors to have their appointments with patients via phone or video chat. The doctor will discuss the patient’s symptoms and concerns, and only if they deem a physical examination necessary will a follow up, in person appointment be scheduled. This has made doctor’s visits more accessible for more people and is still a popular choice while the pandemic continues to ebb and flow around the world.

Doxy.Me and Maple are both examples of telemedicine software.

E-prescribing Software

E-prescribing software actually works hand in hand quite well with telemedicine software.

In the past, if you needed a prescription, your doctor would write one out in a prescription pad and give you a copy that you would take to your pharmacy for filling.

With remote doctor’s appointment becoming the norm, that’s not as simple. Enter e-prescribing software, which allows doctors to complete prescriptions and send them to patients and pharmacies. It also serves as an easy way to view a patient’s medication history, and to renew or cancel recurring prescriptions.

ScriptSure and MediTab are both examples of e-prescription software.

Booking Software

Booking and managing appointments in doctors’ offices used to be a tricky proposition that usually required at least a few enormous diaries and a huge stock of pencils. Appointments needed to be written in, erased, manually moved and more.

Appointment booking software takes all the diaries and pencils out of the equation and replaces them with easy-to-use digital calendars.

Patients can book directly from doctor’s websites without needing to call and can often change and cancel appointments too. Vacant appointment slots are automatically available until they are booked, and everything goes onto a digital schedule.

There are even apps and push notifications that allow busy doctors to stay on top of their upcoming appointments.

Billing Software

Anyone who has never done any medical billing should count their lucky stars. It’s a long and tedious process, with codes for every kind of treatment, drug, consumable and more. Invoices can include dozens and dozens of items, and if there is health insurance involved, along with split billing that comes with it, it only gets more complicated.

Medical billing software is designed to solve the problem of complex billing. Doctors, dentists, and hospitals can create lists of all their billing codes, which can then quickly and easily be looked up an applied to invoices. Most billing software also include insurance information, so both the patient and the insurance company are billed accurately. This cuts the medical billing process down dramatically and saves money on administrative costs.

One example of medical billing software is Epic Care.

Medical Equipment Management Software

Using medical equipment is a complex process that requires many years of study. But the machines themselves are just as complex. They require frequent servicing and maintenance in order to work correctly, and because they are so important to patient health, it is critical that they do.

Planning the maintenance of medical equipment used to be a full-time job, but it has become simpler since medical equipment management software was created. Many machines that are used in hospitals will now tell technicians when they require repair or servicing. But there are also software programs but remind hospital administrators and others when servicing and routine maintenance is required. This helps to ensure that all the machines in the hospital or clinic you go to are in good working order. Most also include an inventory all equipment, consumables, and parts on hand. So, everyone knows when it’s time to reorder.

Sortly is one of the medical equipment management software programs out there.

Hospital Management Software

Managing a hospital is one of the most complex things you could do. There are a million things that need to be taken care of on a daily basis, and even with a full team, sometimes things still fall through the cracks,

However, in a hospital environment, mistakes could literally be a matter of life and death. Which is why hospital management software was invented. This does everything from manage individual beds and the patients in them, too inventory, accounting, and more. Imagine the most complex project management software you’ve ever seen. This is probably it.

One of the hospital management software tools out there is called Availity.

Habit Breaking Apps

If there’s one thing most people find difficult, it’s breaking bad habits. Fortunately, there’s an app for that. Habit breaking apps are designed to work like a sobriety coach in a 12-step program. They help people to track their progress, often include live chat features that people can use when they are tempted, and usually have some form of reward when a milestone is reached. These kinds of apps can make it easier for people to walk away from their bad habits, which of course is better for their health.

QuitNow is a habit breaking app that helps people to stop smoking.

Health Apps

Most people probably have at least one health app on their smartphone. Some use them to track their running or cycling. Others use health apps to count calories. While others might even use them to track the ovulation and fertility. There is an endless array of health apps out there for nearly every health concern and situation. There are even health apps that work with wearable technology to track things like insulin levels in type one diabetes.

Weight Watchers and Calm for meditation are all examples of popular health apps.

A Limitless Market

The truth is the most valuable thing any of us have is our health. The healthcare software types we have listed here barely scratched the surface of what is available and what is yet to come. Telemedicine will remain a huge part of the health care future, and they are sure to be many more e-health digital products on the market, both for consumers and for healthcare professionals.

It’s a very exciting time in the health care software marketplace, and we can’t wait to see where it goes next.

Are you looking for a reliable healthcare app development company to bring your idea to life through the latest tech and a user-centric design?

Don’t hesitate to reach out. 🚀

You might want to read our latest case studies where we present how we developed a telemedicine app, as well as a management software provider for healthcare facilities.