Mobile App Development Services

• Solution: Mobile App, eLearning.
• Technologies: Xamarin.Forms, Android, iOS, UWP, SQLite, HybridWebView, OData, SCORM, Xamarin.Insight.
• Effort: 6 man-months.

The main product of our Client is a Learning Management System (LMS). This software is being installed on customers’ desktop computers and used as an interface to access the data that is stored on the Cloud Servers. However mobile and tablet devices internet usage exceeded desktops worldwide and this trend is expected to penetrate until 2020. To meet that demand our Client needed a mobile strategy and that is why Belitsoft was asked to create mobile apps for this LMS to increase current customers’ loyalty: a lot of them use mobile and tablet devices more often that desktop one.

Belitsoft successfully developed the required mobile apps (both for Android, iOS, and Windows operating systems). Now Client’s customers actively use not only a desktop version of the LMS, but also a mobile and tablet one to train their employees or students from all over the world (the app has 12 language versions).

FUNCTIONS OF THE MOBILE APPS

Personal Account of a Learner:

• List of the courses a user is passing at the moment;
• Data on each course: status (in progress, or completed), current progress (what percentage of the course is completed), due date or completion date and more;
• List of acquired certificates;
• Data on each gotten certificate: its status, issued and expiry dates;
• An ability to sort the courses a user is passing, the courses a user has already passed and gotten certificates;
• An ability to print reports with educational activities.

Management of Courses by an Administrator/Teacher:

• Add, edit, manage courses (drag-and-drop functionality for documents, eLearning packages, links, videos, quizzes and much more);
• An ability to change courses’ sequence;
• The opportunity to appoint face-to face classroom meetings with all the registered learners;
• Analytics including automatic reporting based on learners’ results.

RESTful API development and integration:

These mobile applications interacts with Cloud-based LMS via Open Data Protocol (which is approved by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for building RESTful APIs). Using API, mobile apps of our Client get the information from the Cloud-based LMS about the courses where a user is enrolled, user’s attempts, and course progress.

Embedded SCORM player:

SCORM is a format for saving e-learning courses for further uploading it to different SCORM-compliant LMSs using SCORM players. With a SCORM player user of these mobile application can pass their courses not just online, but also offline. When Internet is available, the mobile applications automatically synchronizes courses’ statuses with the LMS’ cloud servers.

Security:

All data is kept in the Microsoft Cloud, Office 365, and Azure.

MOBILE APPS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Our development team for this project included 1 Xamarin developer, 1 QA-engineer, 0.25 Technical writer, and 0.2 Back-end developer.

During the project implementation, the team of Belitsoft used a cross-platform framework Xamarin as an optimal solution for development mobile applications both for iOS, Android, and Windows OS. This solution let reduce the duration of the project, saved Client’s costs, and provided the possibility for continuous improvement of the mobile applications. 

We use Agile and Kanban-based project management approach with monthly releases, so all our development process was transparent to our client. Jira, Confluence, Skype, and GoToMeeting were used during the project implementation to communication with the Client and reporting to him. Face-to-face meetings in our office supported emotional contact with the Client.

Regular brainstorming and roadmaps creation provided the app’s development according to the wishes and requirements of our Client. The team of Belitsoft was highly motivated and worked fast due to clear tasks set by the marketing department of the Client.

TESTING

Automated and manual functional testing allowed our Client to be sure in compatibility of the apps with the required operational systems and devices (iOS 8.0 or later (iPhone, iPad and iPod touch), Android 4.0.3 or later, Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile) and its high usability (user-friendly design).

In addition, our QA engineers applied stress testing (simultaneous use of the app by 6,000 users) and performance testing (applying various load scenarios) to be sure that an application is fast and reliable.

• Technologies and platforms: Intel XDK, AngularJS, PHP, MySQL
• Effort: 180 man-hours
• Site: https://play.google.com
• Site: https://itunes.apple.com
• Site: https://www.joomlalms.com

To develop such a mobile application, we spent 100 hours for mobile development itself using Intel® XDK, AngularJS and 80 hours for the Back-end, API work using PHP, MySQL.

With the JoomlaLMS mobile application, students can easily keep track of the announcements, check information about the courses and teachers, access certificates, view course, quiz, SCORMs and assignment grades. Users can download the JoomlaLMS mobile application from the Google Play market or Apple’s App Store.

To start using the mobile application, users need only enter their login, password, and the LMS website URL. A Single Sign-On (SSO) solution allows a user of the JoomlaLMS mobile application to start a course in the mobile version of the LMS website without additional authorization.

• Technologies and platforms: Native iOS development
• Effort: 6 man-months
• Site: itunes.apple.com/lb/app/musicreach-music-social-network/id980834810?mt=8

PROFILE TYPES

Three types of user profiles are available:

Fans And Followers

• It allows you to find new friends and music bands;
• Find music events in your own town and start discussions;
• Create your own playlists with ability of sharing with your friends.

Musicians And Bands

• Ability to create and share new events with your followers and fans;
• Syndicate your own tracks and creation to the audience;
• Find new connections in music industry;
• Also the ability to share your social hubs.

Industry And Venues

• Provide professional services for music bands and individuals (photographers, sound engineers and etc.);
• Promote future events with the abilities of sharing information about it.

UNIQUE MOBILE FEATURE

Besides these main features of social network our client asked us to implement some unique feature - the ability to create multi-track (channels) audio recordings using iPhone or iPad.

Belitsoft has used special iOS Audio Framework to provide easy use of this feature. Users are able to combine their talents to record what they want. For instance, your friend can record drums, the other one can use guitar for that, and the last one can record his own voice. As a result, you receive the record with all listed instruments and voice. With the integration of sharing options in music social network, users are able to share pre-records so easily and they don’t need to use any external application of sharing.

RESULTS

Within 6 months we’ve created iOS application for MusicReach social network with all its features available for web version, and also with a unique mobile application feature. Our music social network creation is a cloud-based cooperation platform for music fans, industries and bands.

• Technologies and platforms: Native iOS, Android development
• Effort: 3 man-months

MAIN FEATURES

• Customizing and placing orders directly at selected locations;
• Scanning codes to earn Points per visit;
• Earning rewards by checking in and receiving special store promotions;
• Staying in the know with special events at local restaurants.

• Technologies and platforms: Native iOS, Android development
• Effort: 3 man-months
• Site: itunes.apple.com/lb/app/mosenergosbyt/id544123637?mt=8

Belitsoft created a custom solution according to client's needs at the agreed terms. Now users are able to have an instant access to the most important data.

MAIN FEATURES

Users are able to:

• Make payments using their credit cards;
• See transactions history;
• Read tariff plan information;
• Send request to contact center;
• And etc.

• Technologies and platforms: Native iOS, Android development, PHP, MySQL
• Effort: 4 man-months

APPROACH

To simplify the development process, decrease some risks in estimation and find the easiest way we divided the development process into three stages:

• First stage was a research. It was clear for us that creating in a manual way hundreds of mobile applications from PDF files will take a lot of time. So in order to decrease project budget we agreed with customer to develop special framework for iOS and Android platforms, which will automate converting PDF files into mobile application. A few developers started to find the most appropriate PDF viewer and then tried to develop the initial mockup to compare quality of presenting the learning data - texts, formulas, live links inside the text, video tutorials + multimedia.
• Second stage was developing fully functional and stable prototype (based on chosen PDF viewer) which would be used as single Framework for each platform to automate the process of creating hundreds of standalone mobile applications.
• Third stage was developing fully functional “iOS/Android store applications” and server side for them. Applications have a list of proposed schoolbooks, user profile with list of available purchased schoolbooks and license terms for them.

The most important part of the project was also providing security of using purchased schoolbooks. It was connected with the ability to protect all purchased schoolbooks (by school or exact students) from unauthorized access by third parties and using purchased products by passing license (for example using single license for group of students and etc.). To solve this issue, project team developed special server method for sending unique ID of device to the Store applications and creating and providing special unique ID of schoolbook for this device.

RESULTS

After passing all the stages our Customer got fully working software set consisting of: Automation Framework for iOS and Android for fast creating schoolbooks and fully working iOS/Android store application to sell those schoolbooks.

We have tested our Automation Framework on tens of PDFs and in average it reduced time to create one schoolbook mobile application by 20 hours. Considering customer has 3 hundred of PDFs we helped customer to go faster on market and saved him a lot of his budget: around 12,000 hours for converting PDFs (6,000 hours(300*20) for each Android and iPhone platform) into schoolbook mobile application.
 

THE MAIN PROJECT AIM

Providing the possibility to create hundreds of schoolbooks as mobile applications in the shortest terms and sell them via iOS/Android platforms in a safe way was successfully reached.

• Technologies and platforms: Windows Mobile, Native iOS, Android development
• Effort: 8 man-hours

The mobile application for accessing the SharePoint-based LMS and information in it has the following features:

• Easy-to-use and intuitive user interface with laconic design;
• Possibility to save user's login and password after first application launch;
• Ability to save personal user's settings;
• User's settings batch upload into the application.

The developed mobile application gives fast access to the SharePoint-based LMS and information in it to all registered users by means of mobile devices with Windows Mobile, Android and iPhone/iPad platforms. Starting the mobile application takes a few simple steps: download the application to a mobile device, install it using the corresponding button of the interface and that's all. After installation is complete, one may begin using this mobile application.

User interface displays 11 buttons which stand for 11 sections of the LMS (Courses list, Announcements, Grades, etc.). Clicking one of the buttons user jumps to the necessary LMS section, which is presented as a sub-site, and gets the full access to the information of the section. Each sub-site is displayed like a usual web page in a web browser. The mobile application saves personal settings of the user between sessions.

With this mobile application the provider of e-learning solution has a possibility to offer distant learning organization services of higher quality to the users of the LMS. Using mobile devices faster and simpler access to the LMS and materials that are provided in it. This application gives advantage in the market of eLearning solutions and raises the level of comfort of LMS usage. The application is useful for any person who uses the SharePoint-based LMS for which the application is designed.

• Technologies and platforms: Scorm 1.2, 1.4; Windows Phone, Native iOS, Android development
• Effort: 8 man-months

Implemented features allow Students to:

• Download SCORM packages to their mobile devices and play them.
• Learning activities are performed in offline mode or out of the learning system network.
• SCORM packages passing attempts information when connection to learning system is available.

And Tutors can download data about attempts to their mobile devices for control, grading, etc.

Offline SCORM Player is implemented as three-tier application. These are web service located on the Learning System side, offline SCORM player itself and SCORM Player embedded into the second tier. The first tier is a web service located on the Learning System side, that provides general functionality for teachers and students to download SCORM-compliant content packages and upload performed attempts back to the system using Offline Player. During this process, business rules of learning system are applied for processing just uploaded attempts. While interacting with Learning System, Offline Player uses credentials provided by the user registered in the Learning System. The second tier is Offline Player itself. It acts as a container and as a storage on a side of mobile client that allows users to manage their SCORM packages and related content by downloading new and removing old packages, uploading and viewing user attempts. The third tier is actually SCORM Player embedded into the second tier. This Player is capable of loading SCORM package, performing all the necessary activities for preparing SCORM package to be played, playing it with adherence to the SCORM specifications, and sending back SCORM intermediate or final information back to Offline Player to be stored as an attempt in secure storage.

Using offline SCORM player one can learn and pass exams even without constant network connection. This new tool takes e-Learning to new level where learners almost have no limits.