Overview
How MetaDesign Solutions (MDS) was approached to Create a comprehensive Instant Contact Exchange App
Client
Established in the USA in 2015, CIrcles.io has been at the forefront of innovation in Business Card Exchange services by leveraging cutting edge technology.
Circles is an innovative business card & contact information exchange application which is available on Android and iOS devices and provides a comprehensive set of tools to the user for adding new contacts and setting up meetings.
Requirements
Circles.io came to MDS with their requirement of an intuitive and feature-packed Instant Contact Exchange App. The desired extensive feature list was designed keeping the user’s convenience in mind. Circles directive was to be able to exchange contact information instantly and to start a group (Circle) whether you already know someone or had just met.
Circles was designed from the ground up to replace the very concept of Visiting Cards.
Therefore, it was required to have the following features on release.
- Ability to initiate contacts and create Circles (Meetings) via Bluetooth
- Ability to share contact info via a secure code
- Multiple Profiles which could update even after being shared with a new contact
- Ability to create Meetings (Circles) with contacts
- Privacy settings per user
- Comprehensive Visiting Card scanning, including being able to interpret Social Media profiles and collate their details accordingly, and also set meetings via this feature
- Extensive Salesforce integration - Ability to create leads from within the Circles app itself
- Set meetings via Google Maps integration - Sync your existing meetings to a location.
MDS Solution
To ensure the success of the Circles application, it was essential that it be easy to set up and run on the maximum number of devices possible thus establishing a larger user base. The MDS team divided the Circles Application into multiple segments due to its extensive feature list and to prevent the app from getting unwieldy or slow.
Modularization also enabled the addition of new features to the Circles app if needed, allowing for better long-term prospects for the app.
MDS utilized Ruby on Rails to create both the Front-end and the Back-end framework which allowed for a fluid and robust user experience. Native Android and iOS development were utilized to enable this Ruby on Rails framework to work seamlessly on both Android and iOS devices, which was essential considering the app was reliant on mobile devices to further its reach.
Salesforce SDK was used to allow Salesforce to integrate seamlessly within the application. This empowered users to be able to create leads from within the app itself and sync it with their existing salesforce accounts.
The MDS team used Firebase to enable instantaneous push notifications which would pop-up at opportune moments and notify users of potential Circles (meetings) nearby.
Due to the Application’s modular nature, the following critical features were successfully integrated into Circles
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SalesForce Integration, which could save new contacts as leads if so desired by the user and seamlessly sync the information with the relevant server
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A facility to set up meetings or find new contacts nearby
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A business card scanner capable of scanning photos as well as social media accounts present on the business card
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Ability to create and share multiple profiles
Challenges
The Circles app features an extensive feature list which was seamlessly integrated together. To achieve this, Circles’ development posed several challenges:
01
Creation of local meetings in the app was a problem. We solved this by integrating the Google Nearby service with Circles. This provided a reliable and efficient method to search for local contacts.
02
Contact Sync issue. There was a recurring issue in which multiple contacts were being created for the same person. We solved this by creating a private key which would be embedded within each profile, allowing for easier identification.
03
Numerous challenges faced while scanning business cards. Business cards contain a lot of information, including QR codes, Social Media account links. Many types of phone formats had to be considered during development.
Business Impact
MetaDesign Solutions delivered a comprehensive contact exchange app to Circles.io, successfully overcoming all hurdles faced during development. The app delivered was intuitive, scalable and reliable and is a useful tool for those looking to further their connections with like-minded professionals or individuals, be it at a restaurant or at a conference.
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