Chat API Provider Overview
Instead of generating app functionality from the ground up, an increasing number of product teams are opting to acquire it from a third-party chat API provider or software development kit (SDK) vendor.
According to a survey on APIs, three out of every four professional app developer depend on APIs provided by third parties to readily include features that need complex coding into their applications.
The choice to purchase a solution off-the-shelf is often influenced by the need to decrease long-term expenses, enhance time-to-market, cut costs associated with maintenance, and develop a backend infrastructure that is dependable.
However, after a choice has been made on whether to purchase or build, difficult decisions still need to be made. The decision of which third-party technology supplier to work with presents an equally challenging conundrum for proprietors of mobile applications (apps).
It’s time to bid farewell to traditional chat APIs and instant messaging SDKs. The real-time messaging service provided by MirrorFly is exceptional. The robust communication system was developed in-house by a team of dedicated developers and has extremely customizable hosting alternatives, which adds added mileage to the process of building your chat API provider.
In this article, you will discover the crucial factors to look for in a chat API provider, as well as how to pick a technology partner that facilitates the development of your business and the questions you should be asking.
Determine the Primary Functionality of the System
Provide an overview of the primary motivation for your decision to contact a third-party chat service. Is it essential for the development of your app to have this functionality? Will it enable your product to differentiate itself from those of your competitors? Or is it a fun addition that will please your current user base and encourage them to stick around? Your team will be able to search for APIs and SDKs that excel in this essential area if you highlight the fundamental reason why your product needs In-app chat API.
Outline Additional Characteristics
You should now be able to specify the features you want to add in your app now that you are aware of the basic functionality your app needs. When looking for a chat API, it will be helpful to know your core and secondary values, as well as the business case that supports them. This can assist shape your search for a provider.
Using Mirrorfly’s messaging APIs, you may create healthcare software that is both more efficient and less expensive. Provide individualized care by collaborating with the treating physician in real-time from any device, or location, and sharing patient medical information and diagnostic imaging on the safest, most dependable platform available.
Align Your Values
Find an in-app chat SDK provider that can be your success partner as well as your vendor if your app is looking for a chat solution that requires engaged customer support. This is a wonderful option for applications that are looking for an in-app chat solution. You will be able to build a reliable working connection with a third-party chat API if you align and communicate the product values of your organization.
Conduct an Analysis of Reliability
When you purchase rather than construct, the downtime experienced by your service providers becomes your downtime. Because of this, it is very vital to have a solid grasp of the reliability of the service before you spend time integrating it. Any delay between messages will annoy your customers and may even lead to churn if it occurs often enough. Modern app users anticipate that in-app chat will behave just like text or direct messaging.
Make sure you do your research by inquiring with your chat provider about the frequency of server failures in the past and how fast problems are fixed. You may also study each server’s operating condition by visiting the dedicated status page that is provided by the majority of significant chat API/SDK solutions.
Search the SDKs
Make sure that your technology supplier offers support for a chat software development kit (SDK) in the language that you want to use. This may seem like an obvious thing to do. When it comes to the integration process, SDKs save your developers a ton of time and provide functionality like channel headers and emojis that would otherwise take your technical team weeks to implement.
Ask Strategic Questions
Examine the documentation for a chat service’s SDK if the provider has an SDK in the language of your choosing. Documentation that is useful is often simple to understand and access, well-organized, and consistently updated. It also typically includes examples, code snippets, and use cases. Chat connections may be sped up even further with the help of customizable user interface kits for a variety of business sectors.
Try before buying
Product managers who have been entrusted with selecting a chat API should seek the assistance of an engineering lead who will be working closely with the SDK in order to make an informed decision. Even highly knowledgeable product managers shouldn’t be the only ones involved in the decision-making process.
Product managers should place their primary attention on evaluating the functional needs of an API, while engineering leaders should assess the technological requirements. Utilizing the knowledge and experience of a reliable member of the technical team will also establish a healthy connection between the product manager and the developer.
Conclusion
Even after doing in-depth research, using a chat API is often an effective method for determining whether or not a certain tool is suitable for your needs.
Free trials are often available with the vast majority of reputable chat API options. Because of this feature, you are able to experiment with the API, download the UI kits, and test out the SDKs. The MirrorFly will get you unrestricted access to the free chat API. Because of this feature, product teams and developers are able to see how the MirrorFly chat API may function on their respective platforms.
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