8allocate/Case Study/Smartifying SolarGaps Product with Native Apps

Smartifying SolarGaps Product with Native Apps

Solution:

Native mobile Android and iOS applications

Business domain:

Electricity engineering

Technology and tools:

Java (Android), Swift 3.0 (iOS), BluetoothBLE

SolarGaps is a Ukrainian technology startup that has invented the world’s first smart blinds that not only protect homes from bright sun but also convert it into the electricity that powers these homes. Having started as a Kickstarter crowdfunded project, SolarGaps gained recognition from the European Union that resulted in funding as part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The company’s mission is not to connect homes to the grid but rather make the grid connect to each home.

Executive Summary

The SolarGaps project brought in 8allocate as a software development partner to provide the Client with a qualified project team of six (6) software development professionals, to include a Team Lead, two Android Developers, two iOS Developers, and an experienced QA Engineer. The close cooperation of the project team and the Client made it possible to craft sleek and efficient native applications for the world’s biggest device platforms in just three months.

Challenge and Objectives

SolarGaps had just switched from a crowdfunded idea to a fully efficient company, so they obviously lacked experience and skills in what they needed at most—mobile software development.

To compensate for this deficit, SolarGaps wanted the following:

Find and hire a reliable software development firm
Get a professional and experienced development team
Make full use of the latest software development technologies
Have their project successfully completed as soon as possible, in order to not lose the time and prevent competitors from winning the race
Obtain a set of thoroughly designed mobile applications to ensure remote control of the smart blinds
Ensure the maximum coverage of potential customers and users by the developed apps

SolarGaps challenge - Smartifying SolarGaps Product with Native Apps

How Product/Service Helped

8allocate helped SolarGaps to get perfectly designed mobile apps that ensure:

Purely native UI and fantastic UX due to the use of the native development approach — we opted for Android’s and iOS’s native tools, technologies, and designs as the native apps provide an absolutely different experience as compared to the cross-platform ones
Remote control of the SolarGaps’ smart blinds from any place of the world thanks to functional yet intuitive in-app controls
Detailed reporting on the blinds operation, with breakdown by a desired time period, be it day, week, month, or even year, on the screen of a user device
100% connectivity to and compliance with the SmartHome devices, thanks to the support of all WiFi bands and Bluetooth Low Energy protocol

Wrap-Up

Three months of development have resulted in the production of beautiful mobile apps that not only look like being designed and crafted by Apple’s and Google’s in-house engineers but also enable the Client to market their innovative product — smart blinds — complete with the reliable and efficient software. This project also helped two companies — 8allocate and SolarGaps — find each other and establish a solid foundation for potential future projects.