eCommerce Checkout: How To Optimize Its Process To Boost Sales?

The expansion of online shopping has made eCommerce the first stop for most customers. In order to create a great user experience, increase conversions, and reduce checkout abandonment, it is important to pay attention to the checkout process. A well-designed checkout process can increase sales and foster trusting customer relationships. A complicated process and a lack of information about pricing, shipping, and delivery, on the other hand, may cause customers to postpone and cancel their orders. According to Forrester research, shopping cart abandonment costs eCommerce brands an estimated $18 billion in annual sales revenue. So, the question now is “How to optimize the eCommerce checkout flow?”. To gain more insights about this topic, check the blog below!

1. What Is eCommerce Checkout?

The term “eCommerce Checkout” refers to the step-by-step procedure that clients must take in order to successfully purchase an item. The Checkout page is the most important step in the customer journey because it has a direct impact on sales. A smooth, frictionless user experience is what an ideal checkout sequence will provide.

Normally, the Tech Vendor will develop a checkout process in the eCommerce platform including some steps below:

• Shopping Cart: The checkout process begins when customers go to the shopping cart and proceed to make a purchase.  To make the process as seamless as possible, most eCommerce platforms include a “Buy Now” option. At this stage, many options are given on the checkout page for customers to choose from creating an account with the store (register) or continuing as a guest.
• BIlling Info: This step refers to the process in which customers choose an appropriate payment option and fill in the billing information. 
• Shipping Info: Customers need to fill in the delivery information, such as their home address, the preferred delivery time, etc. To streamline this process, create a checkbox for “shipping address same as billing address” so they don’t have to enter this information twice.
• Shipping Method: Normally, an eCommerce platform will collaborate with different logistics companies. At this stage, all possible shipping firms will be listed and customers can select one among them. Shipping options that are both fast and affordable can help avoid cart abandonment.
• Preview Order: Make sure shoppers can examine the entire order, including final costs after they’ve entered all of their information.
• Payment and Confirmation: The final step in the checkout process is to make a payment. There should be a call to action on the preview order page to encourage customers to complete the transaction. This call to action should be shown prominently.

2. Why Is eCommerce Checkout Important?

The success of your eCommerce platform development depends on various factors, including eye-catching images, web design, catchy product descriptions, and even the checkout process. A good UI/ UX design for checkout not only helps to reduce the cart abandonment rate but also serves as a valuable method for the gathering of customer data. When customers abandon the checkout page, your brand loses potential information that could have assisted the marketing team. Therefore, customer conversion and data collection should be balanced in the best checkout process. So, if you truly want to sell merchandise, increase revenue, and build trust with your customers, you must ensure that your checkout process is streamlined and secure on multiple levels.

A good UI/ UX design for checkout helps to reduce the cart abandonment rate

3. Top 05 Tips To Optimize The eCommerce Checkout Flow

a. Streamline The eCommerce Process

A study by Baymard Institute found that 21% of online consumers said their reason for abandoning checkout was due to the process taking too long or being too confusing. Therefore, keep in mind to build a platform that can offer shoppers a streamlined experience from the time they browse through your web, view your products, select items, and finally, checkout. 

One recommendation to streamline your site’s checkout process is by clearly indicating all steps along the way. Make it as simple as possible for customers to review their shopping carts, enter contact and delivery information, and confirm the payment information. By integrating a checkout timeline, you may increase both visual appeal and user convenience as customers can have a thorough overview of the checkout process, knowing which phases are complete and which are not. 

Besides, you can make it easier for your loyal customers by using information stored in a customer’s profile to speed up the process, allowing them to confirm the purchase with a single click. This is advantageous for both companies and consumers because it provides a quick checkout and a pleasant experience for your customers, as well as driving recurring purchases from a loyal client base.

b. Deliver Clear Shipping and Payment Info

According to the Baymard Institute, half of the total customers claimed that high additional costs as the primary reason for canceling their order. Customers frequently want to know the expected shipping costs; otherwise, they may be disappointed with the overcharged cost, and such goods will be returned. Therefore, make sure to include clear shipping and payment information during the checkout process. If applicable, you can even provide free shipping for purchases of a certain amount, which benefits brands by encouraging customers to spend a certain amount to avoid shipping fees.

c. Integrate Multiple Payment Options

When building an eCommerce Platform, you should require your Tech Partner to integrate into your operations some common payment choices, including e-Wallets, bank transfers, debit/ credit cards, and cash on delivery. The variety of payment options will help customers to easily choose based on their convenience. 

Businesses should integrate multiple payment options in their eCommerce checkout process

Furthermore, by providing a wide variety of convenient payment options, you can reach a larger audience. Different generations and demographics of shoppers favor various payment methods. If you cater to all of them, your audience will grow faster. Gen Z and millennials, for example, prefer alternative payment methods such as in-app purchases, mobile wallets, and mobile payments, whereas Gen X prefers to use debit or credit cards.

d. Utilize Trust Badges

It is critical to provide enough security in order to keep clients on the checkout line. For instance, customers always want to know that their credit card information is secure. As you probably know, trust badge tests have delivered between 3% – 30% uplifts in conversion. Therefore, remember to display security and trust signals clearly throughout the checkout process to give customers confidence in your service’s security. This will give customers confidence that their financial information is protected.

e. Optimize for Mobile App 

It’s estimated that 54% of eCommerce purchases in 2021 were made from a mobile device, so you should ask your Software Provider to deliver a final product that works well on mobile apps:

• Do Quality Assurance on different mobile devices. Remember to not only check the latest phone model but also the old types. Your customers will be purchasing from a variety of devices with varying screen sizes, etc. So, try to test as much as possible.
• Turn on autofill. Entering information is difficult enough on a desktop computer, let alone on a mobile device. Anything that allows users to expedite the process will benefit your brand.
• Keep an eye on the site’s load speed. Prior to the 5G Technology era, mobile load speeds are frequently slower than desktop, so it is recommended to remove any unnecessary images, and processes,… to speed things up and reduce rage quits.
• Make sure you have the right default keyboard for each field. If you are asking for numbers, the customer won’t thank you if you give them keys that are 60% smaller than they should be.

4. Final Thoughts

Because the checkout process is so important for conversions, it should be tailored to the demands of customers for clarity, convenience, and efficiency in order to reduce the risk of cart abandonment. The goal of optimization should be to provide a pleasant customer experience while also reinforcing the relationship of trust between eCommerce firms and their customers.

Do you want to hire a Custom eCommerce Software Development Company? Drop a message to let us know. SotaTek, which was founded in 2015, has delivered numerous eCommerce solutions for our global clients, assisting them in their efforts to increase sales and build a customer base. Our IT experts ensure that our clients’ needs are highly adaptable to merchandising and eCommerce requirements, CRM, customer data storage, and analysis. Whether you want to only optimize your existed eCommerce checkout flow or build a completely new eCommerce platform, SotaTek can help you!

A New Type Of Software Development: Low Code Platform

With the growing demand for digital transformation, traditional software development appears to be falling behind. The number of organizations looking for a Technical partner to build their own software is rising remarkably, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the hopes of supporting business operations, engaging customers, boosting sales, and revenue. Therefore, a new type called Low Code Platform has emerged. It reduces the amount of required hand-coding and relieves the burden on IT teams. Gartner predicted in February that the global low-code development technologies market would rise by 23% this year alone. And if you want to gain more insights about Low Code Development, keep reading!

1. What Is A Low Code Platform? 

Low-code development is a visual drag-and-drop technique to development that enables enterprises to build applications considerably faster and with less hand-coding. These platforms enable developers to create websites and apps with only a basic understanding of:

• Concepts in computer science or software engineering
• Latest software development frameworks and libraries

With the minimum amount of hand-coding, low-code allows users to quickly and easily construct solid apps with appealing UI, modern integrations, and intelligible logic. As a result, organizations can increase their agility and productivity by using low-code builders. Besides, low-code also provides end-to-end digitalization, which implies that a platform may be used throughout the whole application development cycle, from collecting and organizing all business data to designing the app architecture and managing testing, development, and deployment.

Minimum amount of hand-coding allows users to quickly and easily construct solid apps.

2. Top Low Code Development Use Cases

With the prediction of reaching $187 billion by 2030 in the global low-code development market, it means that it can be a good fit for various types of apps:

• Customer Engagement App

Normally, these apps encounter demanding use cases in terms of seamlessness, usability, and multi-channel access. And low code can help. Considering that a lot of enterprises don’t have sufficient UX resources, low-code app development platforms have the advantage of offering an incorporated UI framework with numerous handy widgets and building blocks that aim to simplify the development of multi-channel apps for users without any UX background.

• IoT apps

IT Developers can easily use the low-code development approach to integrate IoT platforms with their apps, whether they are web or mobile apps. The IoT data obtained from such platforms can then be transformed into actionable insights to provide end-users with a variety of services such as real-time traffic updates. Companies can also use the insights to make better business decisions.

• Operational Efficiency App

The primary goal of operational efficiency apps, such as supply chain management, claims and invoice processing, university registration, and order management apps, is to cut costs through automating complex and time-consuming manual and/or paper-based processes. And the low-code approach will somehow contribute to such a goal. It is well-designed and simple to use while cost-effective, so, it can enable the development of advanced operational efficiency applications and significantly simplify their processes.

• Omnichannel Solution

In the banking industry, low code platforms have some effective use cases. The use of a low-code approach can save time and energy when developing applications such as online banking (which allows customers to access their business and personal accounts at any time, from any location, and on any device).

Low code platforms has some effective use cases in banking.

These requirements necessitate that the application retrieves data from various data sources (APIs, Custom Business Logic, databases, files, cloud services, legacy apps) and generates mobile and web-ready dashboards. Low-code data science solutions include these integrations with business logic and APIs and live data grids, real-time charts, and live lists that provide instant data visibility.

3. What Are The Limitations Of Low Code Platform Development?

Despite the fact that the goal of low-code development is to make the software development process easier, it is not a good fit for every development task due to these limitations:

• Restricted customization options: In low-code platform development, customization tools are limited. This means that businesses must modify their processes to accommodate low-code application capabilities.
• Limited flexibility: Low code platforms have a limited number of components. When a company wants to add a specific feature, the drag and drop building blocks may not be sufficient. In those cases, the company must write custom code to enable specific functionality. And, in terms of maintenance, these additional codes within apps can be ignored, resulting in unplanned outages or bugs.
• Limited integration options: When using low code to build an app, they may experience integration issues, especially when migrating legacy applications.
• Security: Because low code platforms are cloud-based platforms, they are developed by users with limited experience in information security and do not have complete control over the development. As a result, security breaches are a risk in low code development, particularly those that are exposed to the outside world must be audited for security flaws.

4. Final Thoughts

In conclusion, low code development appears to be very promising and is set to continue reshaping business IT by allowing anyone to participate in the development process. Although this type of software development can provide numerous advantages, it is recommended that you examine the specifics and requirements of your business, consider the customization and integration capabilities of the various platforms, and decide what functions you want your application-to-be to perform before selecting it.

Feel free to contact us if you want to build a fully-fledged, robust, and secure solution for your business needs. SotaTek is a Top Custom Software Development Company in Vietnam that employs world-class developers to create complex yet distinctive and multi-functional applications. We will design a digital solution that meets all of your requirements and, more importantly, we will create an all-encompassing roadmap outlining the key aspects and minutiae of the entire project. When you join our partnership network, you can be confident that your end-users will be satisfied, resulting in a significantly shorter application development lifecycle time, a reduced time-to-market, increased IT output, and improved ROI.

An Advanced EdTech Solution: Machine Learning in Online Education

Due to the lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new form of education known as e-learning has emerged and is still growing in popularity. This EdTech system allows anyone to use the Internet to access educational resources, communicate with experienced lecturers, and obtain official qualifications. Furthermore, technical advancements are transforming e-learning into a more comfortable learning environment. Users nowadays study in virtual classrooms equipped with interactive whiteboards, shared workspaces, progress-tracking software, and other teaching and collaboration tools. Among various technologies to power the E-learning and make it more user-friendly, it would be insufficient if not mentioned to Machine Learning. To know more details about the benefits and use cases of Machine Learning in Online Education, let’s check the blog below!

1. What Is Machine Learning? Types Of Machine Learning in Online Education

Machine Learning is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science which focuses on utilizing data and algorithms to imitate the way that humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy. Algorithms are trained to generate classifications or predictions using statistical approaches, revealing crucial insights in data mining initiatives. These insights then help businesses to make effective decisions, which contribute to growing sales and revenue. 

Normally, Machine Learning methods are divided into 3 main types, depending on the way they receive information:

• Supervised learning: In the presence of uncertainty, supervised machine learning generates a model that makes evidence-based predictions. Using a known set of input data and known responses to the data, a supervised learning algorithm trains a model to generate reasonable predictions for the response to new data (output). As a result, the algorithm is capable of making sound decisions and producing accurate forecasts.
• Unsupervised learning: Unsupervised learning analyzes and clusters unlabeled datasets using machine learning algorithms. Without the need for human intervention, these algorithms uncover hidden patterns or data groupings. Its ability to detect similarities and differences in data makes it an ideal solution for exploratory data analysis, cross-selling strategies, customer segmentation, image, and pattern recognition. It’s also used to reduce the number of features in a model via the dimensionality reduction process; principal component analysis (PCA) and singular value decomposition (SVD) are two popular approaches for this.
• Reinforcement learning: This is similar to a trial and error method in which a machine seeks the best actions to take in a set of different scenarios. It understands how to act under specific conditions, both in the short and long run, after receiving either a successful or an error result.

Types Of Machine Learning in Online Education

2. Top 5 Use Cases Of Machine Learning In Online Education

a. Delivery Of More Personalized e-Learning Contents

One of the benefits of machine learning in online education is its ability to use pattern recognition to predict learning outcomes. Machine Learning integrated into online learning can detect students’ problems, where they are struggling, what they find difficult to learn, and so on. After identifying the issues, it automatically makes adjustments by providing useful information to help the process better. If a student demonstrates a specific skill gap, the system will automatically recommend personalized content to assist the learner in acquiring knowledge.

b. Chatbot Development

Chatbot Development is a must-have tool in any software development project, and the Elearning platform is no exception. Learners may have many questions, and staff may not always be able to respond immediately. At that point, a chatbot can support it. Chatbot, which is powered by AI and Machine Learning, can assist learners in completing tasks, addressing problems, or answering questions at any time, including late at night or on holidays, without the need for human intervention. Such virtual instructors never get tired of assisting users simply by inputting predefined rules, triggers, and events.

      Related: Chatbot Development: An Indispensable Virtual Assistant In Software

c. Apply Smart Grading For Your EdTech Solution

Assessment is required in education to determine how far a student has progressed. Machine Learning in the Elearning platform will provide an objective assessment of students’ knowledge. They look at students’ answers to see how well they understood the material rather than how well they repeated it. SotaTek’s development team, for example, assisted clients in launching a BondLingo Learning Platform, which also included a level check test for students to assess their progress after watching all of the videos. This functionality is also available in Quizlet, a well-known EdTech solution. Their smart grading option goes beyond simply comparing a student’s answer to the correct answer stored in the database. Instead, the algorithm analyzes the meaning of what is written and assigns a fair score, even if the answer is rewritten or contains typos or minor grammatical errors.

Take a look at BondLingo – an Elearning platform made by SotaTek

d. Machine Learning In Online Education Improves Return On Investment

A high-profit margin is guaranteed with machine learning. Why? So, your business can spend less money building your online training while still providing high-quality instruction. Besides, you can track your learners’ progress and other learning experiences with the help of predictive analytics. This will enable you to use your eLearning resources at the appropriate time and location.

e. Suggest Disciplines To Study

It is a norm that many students are unsure about what they should learn, and luckily, Machine Learning can be a solution. It will provide unbiased advice based on the interests, test results, and school diploma scores of the users. As a result, users are more likely to select the curriculum that is most appropriate for them.

3. Final Thoughts: Adopting Machine Learning In Online Education

To sum up, E learning development software has now gained more popularity, allowing anyone to access qualified education no matter where they are. Because of this, many traditional educational institutions are attempting to adopt the most innovative technologies, such as Machine Learning, to power their EdTech solutions.

If you are wondering “How to get into EdTech?” or “What are Educational Software Development Companies?”, let’s contact SotaTek for more detailed information. Our development team can integrate not only AI and Machine Learning technology but also other cutting-edge ones into your e-Learning platform. We create compelling experiences for educational institutions by offering exceptional Edtech services such as AI assessments, immersive learning experiences, interactive E-learning platforms, real-time monitoring of the educational process, skill assessment, and certification awards. Our service has also been used successfully by organizations to incorporate training pieces at various levels and departments. So, if you have a project idea in mind, our IT experts will quickly learn about it, provide an estimate, and get your project up and running.

A Brief Overview Of DAO Platform: Why Does It Matter?

The blockchain and cryptocurrency worlds are constantly developing, assaulting people with new technologies. One of the most notable achievements of blockchain has been the introduction of DAOs — decentralized autonomous organizations. This follows the race of DeFi, yield farming, NFT Development, and, more recently, Metaverse. DAO is a system based on the internet and blockchain technologies, and Smart Contracts are used to automate its core functions. Furthermore, this new term replaces centralized organization and intermediation with a new organization that is highly decentralized, effective, and capable of raising cash collectively. If you want to go a little deeper into the concept of DAO Platform, let’s keep reading!

1. What Is A DAO Platform?

DAO is the abbreviation of Decentralized Autonomous Organization, an automated and sustainable platform based on open-source codes. DAO was unaffiliated with any specific nation-state or authority in order to be entirely decentralized, instead, it did use the Ethereum network at first. DAO rules and policies are embedded in code and executed using smart contracts, removing the need for a centralized authority. Once the smart contract has been launched on Ethereum, those rules are impossible to change except by a vote. All members have equal power over the DAO, and they can use governance tokens to vote on various rules and adjustments. Their voting power is roughly equivalent to the number of tokens they own. To sum up, DAOs are truly revolutionary, with the potential to fundamentally alter the way organizations are controlled. Grant financing, pool investment, collecting, charitable funds, worker collectives, freelance networks, and other fields have adopted them successfully thus far.

2. The Core Constituents of DAO

The underlying mechanisms of DAO are different from one project to another, however, there are 3 key stages that any DAO has to undergo. They are Smart Contract Implementation, Token Creation, and DAO deployment.

a. Smart Contract Implementation

DAOs operate with Smart Contracts, which are utilized to identify and encode DAOs’ rules. Smart Contracts will automate the creation of rules and policies as long as a specific criterion is met, such as a stock or commodity price reaching a previously specified level or when a date and time are fulfilled. A well-thought-out smart contract setup is critical to establishing a long-lasting and adaptable DAO. Otherwise, mistakes made at the start of the project can derail the entire project.

Smart Contract Implementation is among the core constituents of the DAO platform.

b. Token Creation

After developing Smart Contracts, it is essential to create its native token. These tokens will then be used for member voting mechanisms and to incentivize specific activities within the DAO. The following are some examples of activities required to vote on Decentralized Autonomous Organization Platforms:

• External expenses incurred or anticipated by the organization
• Products to be included on a DAO’s roadmap are chosen.
• Several protocol enhancements and new technological implementations have been made.

c. DAO Deployment

A sufficient budget is required for the deployment of a DAO. From the time enough funding, DAO’s members with token holders will become stakeholders, who have the right to vote and contribute to the platform’s operation, such as propose changes to the DAO’s future work and how its funds should be distributed.

2. Which Benefits Does A DAO Platform Offer?

High Transparency Levels: Transparency is one of the many advantages that the DAO platform can provide. Because all activities can be seen and tracked by users, voting, funding, and decision-making can’t be modified. Everything that happens in a DAO is automatically recorded on an immutable and secure blockchain, ensuring the highest level of security for all files.

Trustless: Because it does not rely on a third party, this platform works dynamically and collectively with the individual interests of its members. Furthermore, everything is done automatically via Smart Contracts, which are in charge of guiding participant behavior and executing automated consensus. As a result, a DAO significantly contributes to optimizing network decision-making and helps reduce management costs.

Open-source: DAO is an open-source platform, which means that its code is publicly available, allowing people to collaborate and improve the platform. Because a global community of IT developers can support them, open-source platforms are far more reliable. As a result of everyone’s fair participation and transparency, the DAO’s mechanism improves.

3. Are There Any Challenges Related To DAO Platform?

Delays In Making Decisions: A lack of centralized authority can have an adverse effect on decision-making procedures. It means that stakeholders, or members with tokens, deliberate or unintentionally, take too long to make a decision. These delays cause issues and impede the overall work progress of the decentralized autonomous organization.

Complex Bug Fixing: Because of the complexity of a DAO’s code, any bugs that arise may be difficult to fix. Once the code has been uploaded, it is nearly impossible to change it. As a result, if a bug is found, the entire code must be rewritten from the ground up. To avoid this and ensure the correctness and reliability of your code, it is strongly advised that you hire a team of world-class IT developers who will be responsible for writing high-quality, reliable code.

Complex bug fixing can be a challenge for the DAO platform.

Legal Issues: The precise legal status of decentralized autonomous organizations is unknown and varies depending on the jurisdiction. Furthermore, because DAOs exist all over the world, legal issues may arise as a result of different regional laws and cross-border contractual relationships. This barrier, however, may be overcome if more jurisdictions take a welcoming stance toward DAO adoption.

4. Final Thoughts

To wrap up, decentralization’s core principle has piqued the interest of a wide range of industries and has proven to be a real driving force behind innovation and improved efficiency. DAO platforms will become important in our future society, bringing about better and more equitable management as well as increased transparency.

Contact our IT experts in case you are interested in this topic and desire to build your own DAO Platform (as in our previous project – Jigstack Ecosystem and Lemonade). As a Top Blockchain Development Company, our in-house employees are equipped with the most up-to-date Blockchain-related knowledge, including not only DAO but also NFT Marketplace Development, Smart Contract Integration, Cryptocurrency Exchange Platform, etc. SotaTek will provide you with the best Tech Solutions and ensure that your application’s development, deployment, and support run smoothly. Whatever industry you’re in, let’s join our partnership network to outperform your competitors.

Are You Ready With The Next Crypto Trend: Move To Earn Concept?

The world of NFTs and cryptocurrency is giving rise to all kinds of new applications. By the end of 2020 and mid-2021, all tech-savvy and gamers were getting used to the term “Play-to-earn game”, a type of NFT Game Development allowing players to gain tokens while playing games. Only the Axie Infinity GameFi platform has had roughly 2.8 million daily users and a total trading volume of $3.8 billion. Although this term still caught the attention, a new concept Move-to-earn has emerged with notable projects like STEPN and Genopets. It’s leveraging motion-sensor technology to create a new GameFi niche that rewards customers for being active. Players can earn in-game currencies that can subsequently be exchanged for real-world fiat currencies as the move-to-earn paradigm shifts to crypto, delivering actual benefits for their engagement rather than merely paying to play a game. And if you’re interested in learning more about this new trend, stay reading!

1. What Is Move To Earn (M2E)?

Move To Earn, or M2E is a new term but not a new concept. In the last few years, gamers around the world were really excited about a game called Pokémon GO, a movement-based Mobile App Game Development. It requires players to move around to find out the characters or rewards. In 2020, Pokémon GO earned $3B in revenue. As of 16 March 2022, Pokémon GO has averaged 8.6M DAU over the last 30 days. Similarly, M2E requires users to participate in more outdoor physical activities such as soccer, running, etc. but has an appealing feature that allows them to earn rewards such as tokens or rare items. In other words, this concept is the ideal combination of Gaming Finance and Fitness Apps, with the goal of motivating users to eliminate a sedentary lifestyle to change for a healthier one.

Move to earn is an ideal combination between Gaming Finance and Fitness Apps.

2. How Does Move To Earn Concept Work? Are There Any Differences With P2E?

When it comes to P2E, players will earn tokens for winning battles, progressing through levels, and exploring the in-game cosmos. These tokens are then used to purchase equipment, clothing, and other items for the game’s characters. It means that in order to receive prizes, people must spend a significant amount of time in front of their devices playing games, which can be harmful to their physical health. Move-to-earn apps, on the other hand, employ the sensors in the player’s mobile device to detect their movements and automatically reward them for physical activity. So, it can be said that the M2E concept extends the benefits of blockchain-based rewards beyond gaming to inspire people to live healthier lifestyles. This corresponds to the increased popularity of fitness trackers and workplace wellness programs that encourage employees to exercise. M2E based on fitness has the potential to cut health insurance prices and sick leave. As a result, M2E apps have the potential to reach a wider audience than P2E apps.

3. Take A Look At Outstanding Move To Earn Projects

STEPN: As one of Solana projects, STEPN is an M2E fitness app allowing players to earn the in-game currency, GST by wearing a sneaker NFT while traveling on foot. This program will track players’ movements and award them with M2E tokens based on the GPS signal from their devices. The amount of $GST players can earn is influenced by the Components of footwear, such as Attributes, Types, Levels, and Quality, as well as the Energy system (reward capping). Furthermore, customers can increase their revenue by installing a superior GPS and mobile data signal. With a Web3 interface that integrates both Marketplace and Wallet in the same app, STEPN has access to all user files regardless of whether they are familiar with crypto or not.

STEPN is an example of an M2E Fitness App.

Genopets: Genopets is a Move-to-Earn NFT mobile game on Solana that makes it fun and rewarding to live an active lifestyle. Genopets are generative NFTs that can evolve, be upgraded, and customized as they progress through the game. The main in-game currency is $KI, which players acquire and use to improve their Genopets, while the governance token is $GENE. Anyone can mint a free Genopet infant, but its value is determined by the amount of XP acquired by accumulating steps.

WIRTUAL: WIRTUAL began in 2019 as a website to test their prototype product in Thailand. WIRTUAL expanded the app and released version 2.0 in the first quarter of 2022, incorporating cryptocurrency, NFT avatars, and a tracking system linked to smartwatches such as Strava, Fitbit, and Garmin. Like STEPN, WIRTUAL is a Metaverse fitness app. However, the core product is quite different and is based on a pay-as-you-go model, allowing users to compete on distance traveled, pace, and so on. Users are rewarded for tracking and submitting data on their physical activity, with challenges ranging from running to walking to swimming to dancing to working out to cycling.

4. Final Thoughts

To summarize, we are only seeing the beginnings of a long journey of Move to Earn. Long term, if this new wave is properly invested in and expanded in the market, there will be enormous potential. It has the potential to give the Crypto market a new lease on life.

Want to take the first steps in the M2E Market? Feel free to contact our world-class developers. SotaTek is a leading Blockchain Development Company with 8 international offices in Vietnam, the US, Australia & Japan. With 750+ in-house employees, we are always up to date on the latest IT trends so that we can provide the best Tech solutions for our global clients, assisting them to skyrocket their business and outperform their competitors. Whether you are a start-up, a medium-sized business, or a large organization, you can be confident that we will create the best roadmap for your company’s blockchain adoption.

A Complete Guide On Software Development Methodology

Software Development has become an essential component of almost all organizations in order to serve as a means of business development. Even the smallest project requires a dozen IT specialists, numerous meetings, plannings, and discussions, as well as strict deadlines to meet. As a result, a specified Software Development Methodology is required for any team. It contributes to the standardization of the process, making it clear to both clients and internal team members what is going on with the products. However, with the rise of numerous software development methodologies to simplify operations over the last decade, how do you choose the best? What are the benefits and drawbacks of some commonly used ones? Follow this blog to gain a better understanding!

1. What Is Software Development Methodology?

In the simplest definition, Software Development Methodology refers to the process to build Software. In reality, a Custom Software Development Company can create a platform in a variety of ways, like advancing from less important to more important duties, completing tasks alphabetically or based on preferences, etc. And a Development Model will help to provide a systematic software development approach by defining which parts of functionality will be completed first, in what time period, and when results will be presented to clients. To put it another way, software development methodology provides a framework for developers to build seamless communication and work effectively as a team. It streamlines communication and establishes how information is shared among team members.

2. What Are The Most Commonly Used Software Development Methodologies?

a. DevOps Development Methodology

One of the latest methodologies to be used widely is DevOps Development Methodology, which combines software development (Dev) and information technology operations (Ops) participating together in the entire service lifecycle, from design through the development process to production support. These two departments work as a single team to complete all processes throughout the life cycle. The continuous integration and delivery models enable development and operational teams to perform all tasks in development, quality assurance, security, and other operations simultaneously. According to research, when adhering to DevOps:

• 63% report improvement in the quality of their software deployments
• 63% release new software more frequently
• 55% noticed improved cooperation and collaboration
• 38% report a higher quality of code production

Take a look at DevOps Software Development Methodology.

Advantages of DevOps:

• Because multiple ongoing processes are running simultaneously, the time it takes to complete a product is much shorter.
• DevOps enables businesses to continuously innovate and improve their products, resulting in a better software products.
• With increasing changes in the product and infrastructure, the developed products are more robust and secure, giving them a competitive advantage over their peers.
• Increase the productivity and efficiency of your employees.

Disadvantages of DevOps:

• Incompatibility with various development environments.
• DevOps does not always result in increased speed and security. Some companies may not be able to guarantee both in a single stage for some critical software engineering projects, and you may need to consider a separate plan for security at each stage of your DevOps workflow.

b. Agile Methodology

It is hard for any methodology to take over the position of Agile over the past few years. This model is used in many projects because it allows for changes during the development phase. With an Agile approach, the IT team frequently divides the project into smaller sprints that can be completed in 1-4 weeks. Each sprint is treated as a separate project and must go through the entire process of designing, coding, testing, deploying, and reviewing. Once each sprint has been completed and combined, the final product will be completed.

Advantages of Agile:

• Customer satisfaction is achieved through the timely and continuous delivery of useful software.
• Easy to adapt and change to suit the market.
• The final product comes up with minimal defects due to real-time testing and fine-tuning. 

Disadvantages of Agile:

• Too many changes can lead to the derailed focus of the project.
• Agile focuses on working software rather than documentation, hence it may result in a lack of documentation.
• The discussions and feedback time after each sprint can be time-consuming. 

c. Waterfall Methodology

The waterfall is one of the oldest methodologies, but it is still an effective tool, with 10% of global users. This methodology is quite linear and strict; once you enter the next phase, you can’t go back to the previous one to handle changes in requirements. For example, if the IT Providers are in the coding phase, there is no way to return to the design stage and change something. As a result, in any phase of the development cycle, you should always double-check that the previous phase has been completed.

Advantages of Waterfall:

• This model’s linearity makes it simple to understand, making the development process simple for new developers.
• Because of the model’s rigidity, project management is simple. Furthermore, each phase has its own set of deliverables and review process.
• There is no room for miscommunication at any stage due to the well-defined approach practice.

Disadvantages of Waterfall:

• Requires a lengthy discovery process.
• Not suitable for projects that require continuous maintenance.
• It can’t be considered the clients’ feedback during the early stages of the development process, increasing the likelihood of deviating from the intended path.
• In the testing stage, it is nearly impossible to go back and do any changes to the completed software, causing many problems.

This is a process of Waterfall Methodology.

3. Things To Consider Before Choosing A Development Methodology

The level of flexibility: While it is hard for clients to change the requirements in the Waterfall Model, it can be achieved if the development team follows the Agile Methodology. Therefore, Agile is more suitable for projects catching the latest trends.

The scale and scope of work: The number of developers required to complete a project is determined by its size. The larger the project is, the more team members are needed. For large-scaled ones, the Waterfall approach seems to be a better fit as such projects always require much more elaborate and orderly project management plans. 

Time to launch products: If you want to launch products as early as possible, DevOps or Agile can be your better choice. However, in case the time-frame for the development is long-term and there are no fast-approaching deadlines, the waterfall method is a great choice.

The expected end products: If you’re targeting a specific group of end-users, you’ll most likely have a mostly fixed set of requirements to work with, making the Waterfall method ideal for web and app development. However, if your target end-users are dispersed, you’ll almost certainly have to deal with a number of feedbacks after the app’s launch requesting the inclusion of new features, so Agile would be the best SDLC model in this case. 

The past experience of the project team: When selecting a Development Model, prior experience is also important. Some team members may be hesitant to work with certain systems if they have no prior familiarity with them, while others may struggle to adjust to working with new team members. It’s critical to consider team capabilities and dynamics.

4. Final Thoughts

To conclude, there is no one-size-fits-all methodology for every development team. Therefore, let’s choose wisely based on the aforementioned pros and cons of each model. You should also base on the team structure, objectives, and goals to get the best out of one. Various software development approaches can also be used for different projects.

Have an idea project in mind? Contact us to get started. As a Software Development Outsourcing, our IT Professionals can implement any project size of any sector, including Finance, F&B, Healthcare, Education, Logistics, Retail, Manufacturing, etc. At SotaTek, we adhere to Agile Methodology, DevOps Methodology, and even Waterfall in our daily process. Our standard approach is to keep our services as open-ended as possible for our clients. And we are still striving to earn your trust as a reliable Tech Partner who creates platforms with Clients’ users in mind.

Have You Leveraged Omnichannel eCommerce Into Your Business?

In such a dynamic market, it is essential that firms engage and communicate with their customers at various points. Customers want businesses to be available at all times and in all places, from internet platforms to physical storefronts. This explains why Omnichannel eCommerce has existed and soon become the future of this sector. According to research by Statista, nearly half of eCommerce decision-makers in Europe and North America consider omnichannel strategies to be extremely significant. Moreover, after adding one more marketplace, retailers using a single branded eCommerce site, such as BigCommerce, reported a 58 percent boost in income. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that an Omnichannel Strategy will be a must-have for any company seeking success and wishing to stand out from the crowd. And if you are interested in this subject, let’s keep reading to learn more!

1. What Is Omnichannel eCommerce?

Omnichannel eCommerce is a strategy that focuses on giving customers a consistent purchasing experience regardless of where they shop. Customers can start up where they left off and carry on their experience from one channel to the next. According to Harvard Business Review, 73 percent of all customers use multiple channels during their purchase journey.

Previously, retailers used to employ the sales funnel method to persuade clients to shop at their physical locations. However, multiple touchpoints, such as websites, social networking sites, digital marketplaces, native mobile apps, and progressive web apps (PWAs), have supplanted the traditional strategy, allowing firms to be present in front of customers anywhere and at any time. Besides, it also eliminates any distinctions between online and offline sales and marketing channels, resulting in a united whole.

2. Why Should Businesses Consider Omnichannel eCommerce?

Increase Customer Loyalty: Customers base their purchasing decisions on their interactions with brands. Thankfully, an omnichannel eCommerce strategy connects all platforms, resulting in a seamless, memorable, and long-lasting experience. Furthermore, businesses have the opportunity to learn about their customers’ journeys and preferences. As a result, this strategy provides greater rewards for acquiring more customers for these brands.

Better Data & Metric: Adopting an omnichannel approach (as opposed to a multichannel approach) helps in the consolidation of data coming in from various sources and eCommerce channels. It gradually improves business intelligence reports by providing improved data sorting and analysis. As a result, businesses can gain insights into how to create content and offers that will encourage their customers to shop more – not just online, but also in physical stores.

Boost Sale: Businesses can benefit from omnichannel eCommerce development by increasing sales and revenue. According to a study of 46,000 shoppers, omnichannel customers spend more money than single-channel customers. Moreover, the omnichannel shoppers spent more money in the store with each additional channel they used. Take the example of our Japanese client, Kinokuniya, the largest bookstore chain in Japan, with 56 shops around the country. Acknowledging the benefits of the omnichannel strategy, they reached SotaTek to build a new platform to boost digital sales and deliver better services to customers. 

Let’s take a look at an eCommerce project made by SotatTek.

3. Which Technologies To Integrate Into The Omnichannel eCommerce?

It will be difficult to switch your marketing strategy from single or multi-channel to omnichannel which takes a lot of time, effort, and resources. This decision, however, if made wisely, has the potential to outperform existing corporate results. Thus, the retailer had better require their Software Development Partners to leverage the right technologies that power the omnichannel strategy while implementing this transformation. And below are some suggestions:

a. Internet of Things

People are probably accustomed to the term “Internet of Things”, which connects and exchanges data with different devices and systems. According to research, the total number of IoT-connected devices is predicted to reach 125 billion in 2030, with an average customer owning 15 devices. This indicates insane growth potential for omnichannel eCommerce in the near future.

Omnichannel shops can boost the visibility of their offerings and collect precise data with real-time verification by running targeted advertisements or designing PWAs for IoT devices like smartwatches, smartphones, smart speakers, and other wearables. Insights gained from them can be used to create customized feeds and marketing recommendations. Furthermore, through networked, audio-video-capable smartphones and other devices, IoT opens access to worldwide markets.

b. AI Integration

Another cutting-edge technology that can be integrated into Omnichannel eCommerce is Artificial Intelligence (AI). This innovation can aid in providing users with the most relevant recommendations. For example, when online shoppers search for and filter items, AI can predict and recommend based on previous purchases and preferences. It is impossible to deny that a recommendation engine has the power to make or break an eCommerce business. A good one can keep customers interested in your eCommerce platform for a long time.

c. Chatbot

Chatbot development has become essential in all areas of software development, including eCommerce platforms. More and more eCommerce companies are looking for IT professionals to help them implement this technology in their mobile apps, websites, or PWAs. Chatbots can help them in a variety of ways, including serving customers 24 hours a day, relieving employees of complex problems, increasing efficiency, and saving money. As a result, Chatbots can be an extremely useful tool in the development of Omnichannel eCommerce.

        Related: Chatbot Development: An Indispensable Virtual Assistant In Software

Chatbot is an useful tool in the development of Omnichannel eCommerce.

d. Mobile App Development, PWA, POS

To blur the lines between physical stores and online platforms, it is recommended to offer digital payment solutions and AI-powered point-of-sale terminals, even in offline stores. Proximity payment solutions are also gaining acceptance among retailers.

Moreover, it would be insufficient if not integrate Mobile App Development or PWA to offer a seamless experience to customers.  While PWAs are less expensive and allow for offline use, eCommerce native apps can connect with third-party providers or create Push Notifications. They both, however, have the potential to disrupt major POS applications and other retail associate platforms by delivering a rapid, more efficient, and cost-effective way for store employees to locate products online and in-store, enable self-checkout and service returns and save the sale directly from their smartphone.

       Related: Which eCommerce Platform To Choose: PWA or Native App?

4. Wrap Up

To conclude, Omnichannel eCommerce can bring about various benefits for businesses, not only serving customers’ demands but also contributing to the brands’ growth. Therefore, it is high time for businesses to abolish the conventional selling method and transform it into this new trend!

Are you ready to expand your business with a tailored omnichannel eCommerce platform? SotaTek is here to assist you. As a top Software Agency in Vietnam, our 700+ in-house employees have accumulated a large amount of valuable experience and knowledge through former projects and collaborations. By combining the latest technology, we provided the best Tech solutions for numerous eCommerce organizations, supporting them in increasing brand engagement and revenue. You can take a look at our previous eCommerce projects, such as Q Cells, Maydocsach, etc. Our experts ensure to bring highly customizable needs that fit merchandising and eCommerce requirements, CRM, customer data storage, and analysis. Now, let’s contact us to learn more about our all-inclusive services!

Can Web 3.0 Be The Next Revolution For The Internet?

You should have heard of the term “Web 3.0”, commonly known as the next generation of the Internet, recently. Each month, more than 18,000+ active developers commit code to open source crypto and Web 3.0 applications, according to a study. If you’re unfamiliar with this invention, consider the time when you could use a single account to go from shopping to email to social networking. This is exactly Web 3 Development. By utilizing the integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, it can not only interpret the input but also what you’re conveying and present you with individualized recommendations. Web 3.0 can be described as the best combination of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0, allowing websites and online apps to receive fresh data/information from the Internet and offer it to consumers. And if you want to learn more about this subject, just keep reading!

1. What Is Web 3.0? The Brief History Of Web

Before describing Web3 Development, it’s important to comprehend the evolution of the web, from Web 1 to Web 2 to Web 3. Web 1.0, also known as the Static Web, was the first and most stable web in the 1990s, with most material in the form of text or hyperlinks. The main goal of web 1.0 was to help people find information. Online users couldn’t freely communicate because it was “read-only” so any dialogue had to take place offline. Furthermore, rather than a database, the data was stored on the servers of each unique website. 

The read-only mode of Web 1 had become obsolete, explaining why Web 2 was created and pushed as an interaction platform. Because of the spark of increased functionality in web technologies like JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3, and others, Web 2 made the web much more dynamic, giving birth to the world’s largest tech companies like Amazon, Facebook, Google. From 1999 to 2004, this next Web evolution, as characterized by O’Reilly and others, pushed the globe away from static desktop web pages generated for information consumption via pricey servers and toward interactive encounters and user-created content.

And now, we’ve all progressed to the next step of web development – Web3. It is an improved version of its predecessors, Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. We can also refer to the addition of “AI and Blockchain” technologies to Web 2.0 web tools as a Web 3.0. Web3 applications, also known as dApps, are developed on top of blockchains or decentralized networks, as opposed to Web 2.0, where developers build and deploy applications utilizing a centralized database. Peer-to-peer nodes (a node is similar to a server) or a combination of both are used to connect them. As far as its characteristics are concerned, the new internet is considered more secure, more connected, more user-centric, and more private. It aspires to be more open, self-sufficient, and intelligent. Through intelligent searches and behavioral advertisements, Web 3.0 can provide you with more personalized experiences.

A comparison between Web3 vs Web2.

2. What Are The Key Web 3.0 Features and Components?

a. Decentralization

Previously, when you logged into an app or reacted to any web content, tech giants like Google and Facebook (Meta) tracked and monitored your activities in order to better target their ads. However, in Web3, data is decentralized, allowing users to own their data. Web 3.0 will be available from any location and device, with data generated by a plethora of powerful computing resources such as desktops, mobile phones, appliances, and sensors. Users will sell information through decentralized data networks without losing ownership, risking privacy, or relying on intermediaries.

b. Trustless and Permissionless

Running on Blockchain or Peer-to-peer networks, Web 3.0 will be trustless (i.e., the participants will be able to interact directly without going through a trusted intermediary) and permissionless (meaning that anyone can participate without authorization from a governing body).

c. Ubiquity

With the evolution of the Web, Internet-connected devices will no longer be limited to computers, smartphones, or tablets. Instead, information and content are more interconnected and ubiquitous, accessible through a variety of devices. Advances in Internet of Things (IoT) technology will pave the way for a lot of new types of smart devices for Web 3.0.

d. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Web3 development includes the incorporation of AI and Machine Learning, which assist in filtering and providing the best recommendations for each user. Because of such technologies, Web 2’s targeted advertising will be replaced by more relevant results that meet the needs of the users. Furthermore, AI applications in Web3 Development help to eliminate some issues, such as biased product evaluations, rigged ratings, human errors, etc. To be more specific, some large corporations may pay a large sum of money to a group to write excellent reviews of their products or services on feedback websites. This situation has improved in Web 3.0, as AI can learn to distinguish between the genuine and the fraudulent.

Ai and Machine Learning in Web 3.0 assist in filtering and providing the best recommendations for each user.

3. Benefits Of Web 3.0 Development

From the aforementioned features of Web 3.0, it can be said that users can be offered various benefits, and below are some of them:

• Easy Data Sharing: With the third generation of Web, instead of filling out multiple online registration forms, all information is now stored in a distributed ledger, allowing you to easily share your data whenever you want.
• Greater Privacy: Web 3.0 is the most secure internet model because it is decentralized and distributed, and no one can directly control it. Individual user accounts can be encrypted in private, ensuring that their identities are never replicated. Not only does it safeguard user data but also protects against malicious cyber threats and attacks.
• Fewer Middlemen: The decentralization of the web enables providers to connect directly with consumers. It ensures that no centralized authority takes a cut of your profits from electronic transactions.

4. Final Thoughts

Although Web 2 is still in use, we can’t dismiss Web 3, which has the potential to expand decentralization and give people greater control. It is not necessary to spend hours searching for flights, accommodations, and other services in the future since intelligent algorithms or bots will be able to compile all of this information and provide recommendations suited to your specific needs.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for Top Web3 Companies to take your first steps or simply require IT consulting. Established in 2015, SotaTek is the largest part of SOTA Holdings, a global Software Development as a Service (SaaS) and IT Consulting Group. Our 700+ employees have experience serving worldwide clients in different sectors, including Logistics, eCommerce, Education, Healthcare, Finance, etc. With the hope to deliver “State-of-the-art Technology” for all businesses and brands, our world-class IT professionals always accumulate knowledge about the latest technologies and platforms. So, why not partner with us and embrace Web 3.0 with open arms?

Software Quality Assurance: How Much Do You Know About It?

Have you ever wondered how a software company ensures that its products are of high quality, durable, and stable? The answer can be found in the Quality Assurance (QA) process. As one of the most significant stages in Custom Software Development, a QA team is in charge of evaluating the products’ functionality, usability, compatibility, security, and performance as well. If any business saves money by eliminating the Software Quality Assurance, they are likely to face various unfavorable and costly outcomes. A finished product that has not been thoroughly tested prior to launch may contain errors in code and UI/UX design, which may disappoint digital users and result in the loss of those customers. So now, let’s equip yourself with more information about this complicated yet important process by checking the blog below!

1. What Is Software Quality Assurance?

As a stage before, during, and after the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Quality Assurance is a mechanism for testing whether projects comply with a stated set of standards. It will identify the flaws and alert the frontend, backend, or UI/ UX designers to fix them. Software Quality Assurance’s ultimate goal is to improve consumer confidence and a firm’s credibility while also improving work procedures and efficiency, allowing a company to compete more effectively.

Software Quality Assurance finds out bugs and errors for developers to fix.

To ensure Software Quality Assurance, a QA team can utilize manual or automated testing methods. In the Manual Testing process, QA analysts perform tests one by one in a manual manner. In the Automation Testing process, tools and scripts will be used to automate testing activities. If you’re wondering “Which is better Manual or Automated Testing”, Automated Testing can be more outstanding thanks to its efficiency, time, and cost-saving. However, in some circumstances, such as Usability Testing, Ad-hoc Testing, and Exploratory Testing, QA specialists should employ Manual Testing.

2. Why Is Quality Assurance Required In Software Development?

It can’t be argued that Quality Assurance is a reliable way to ensure that items are of the greatest possible quality. Because defects and errors might occur during the development process, it is critical to involve the QA team from the start. If you don’t, the expense of correcting the errors might be up to 100 times higher, not to mention the loss of confidence, reputation, and consumers.

Many examples of software failures have occurred throughout history, ranging from errors that cost businesses billions of pounds to errors that resulted in human casualties. For instance, when a well-known trading firm lost $440 million in 45 minutes due to improper software deployment, it caused havoc on Wall Street. This occurred when an old and unused internal system was incorrectly configured during trading, resulting in stock trades being executed at incorrect prices. Besides, Starbucks lost millions of dollars in sales in 2015 as a result of a flaw during their daily system refresh, which caused the shutdown of point-of-sale registers in the US and Canada. This brand then had to provide free drinks as a sorry for their customers. 

3. Some Common Testing Approaches For Quality Assurance 

a. Functional Testing

Rather than focusing on the internal components, the purpose of Functional Testing is to ensure that the products are running smoothly and in accordance with the company’s specifications. The QA Professionals will test each function of the software application by providing appropriate input and then comparing the output to the Functional requirements. Functional testing is primarily concerned with black-box testing and is unconcerned with the application’s source code. Some main functions to be tested are User Interface, APIs, Database, Security, Client/Server communication, etc. Testing can be performed manually or automatically.

b. Usability Testing

In case you don’t know “What is Usability Testing?”, here is the answer. It refers to determining how simple and user-friendly an application is. This type of testing focuses heavily on the ease with which end users can access and use the services and software. A QA team can predict potential issues and ensure a seamless experience by deeply understanding customers’ behaviors.

c. Compatibility Testing

Many businesses and brands expect their software to run smoothly on a variety of devices, allowing them to reach as many customers as possible. As a result, Compatibility Testing, a type of non-functional testing, is required. It is used to determine whether your software application or product is capable of running in a variety of browsers, databases, hardware, operating systems, mobile devices, and networks.

Compatibility Testing ensures the software runs smoothly on different devices and platforms.

d. Security Testing

Security testing is a type of software testing that identifies vulnerabilities, threats, and risks in the Software Development Process and protects against malicious attacks from intruders. Here are a few examples of security testing:

• Penetration testing: Check a system and its features (usually through automated means) to see if vulnerabilities exist and are exploited.
• Secure coding: Ensure that all security information (including passwords) is encrypted, not stored in plain text, and appropriately hashed.

e. Performance Testing

As the name implies, performance testing is the process of identifying how a Web Development or Mobile App Development works under a given workload. Simply put, the final products will be evaluated in terms of speed, stability, reliability, and responsiveness. For example, it could be observing response times when accomplishing a large number of requests, or it could be observing how the system behaves with a large amount of data.

4. Final Thoughts

To sum up, Quality Assurance is an indispensable part of any Software Development, be it Web or Mobile App. This process makes the final products meet the strict requirements, hence helping to grow the reputation of brands as well as guarantee user and client satisfaction.

If you’re looking for answers to queries like “Which is the best company for software testing?” or “How can I find the Software Testing Outsourcing?”, SotaTek is the place to go. Whether you desire to hire IT developers to follow the SLDC with the strict testing process or just want to find independent Software Testing and QA services, our 700+ employees can all offer. We can improve the quality of your product while decreasing time-to-market, management risks, and operating expenses by utilizing our testing facilities, extensive QA knowledge, and team flexibility. With both Automated and Manual Testing options, we are committed to giving the most optimized Testing Processes, ensuring customization and efficient pricing. So don’t be hesitant to get in touch with us right now!

Email: contact@sotatek.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sota-tek-.-jsc/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SotaTek

Catch Up With The Growing Trend: Metaverse

In this digital age, people are seemingly bombarded with various novel technologies on a daily basis. Just in 2021, the term “Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs)” or “cryptocurrency” was the most popular topic that grabbed the headlines. Besides, people were also familiar with Blockchain, AI Technology, etc. However, everything has gradually changed. Despite the fact that the aforementioned technologies are still in use, it was taken over by Metaverse at the end of 2021. In the coming years, the Metaverse is considered an amazing and exceedingly promising trend. According to one research, its overall market value is predicted to reach $828.95 billion by 2028, which is unquestionably amazing. So, what is the Metaverse universe? Is it merely marketing bluster or a game-changing technological breakthrough worth paying attention to? Check it out to learn more!

1. What Is The Metaverse?

Metaverse mixes virtual reality and digital second life, two concepts that have been around for a long time. For decades, technologists have envisioned a world in which digital lives play as important a part as physical ones. They hoped they could communicate with their loved ones, coworkers, and friends in a virtual environment. They could also spend money on digital avatar clothing and accessories. And the term “Metaverse” has become widely used after Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, changed the name of his company to Meta in order to dip his toes into the Metaverse realm.

The metaverse is a network of interconnected real-time generated 3D virtual worlds that may be accessed via appropriate AR/VR devices. It also makes use of platforms like social networking, online gaming, and even NFTs and cryptocurrencies, which allow users to engage in a wide range of virtual experiences. People can build and personalize their own digital representations (avatars) in the metaverse, including hair color, clothing, accessories, and other body features.

Metaverse world can be accessed via appropriate AR/VR devices.

2. Uncover Key Technologies To Power The Metaverse

a. AR/ VR

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are at the heart of the Metaverse world. Their usage will coincide with the metaverse’s expansion and contribute to the development of more features. In terms of Virtual Reality, it will create computer-generated virtual environments in which users will be able to hear, feel, and interact with others using VR headsets, sensors, and gloves. Metaverse virtual reality can transport you to any location in a matter of seconds by utilizing a combination of hardware devices and software solutions to create an immersive environment.

Meanwhile, Metaverse AR will enable you to view your surroundings through interactive digital visuals, providing you with extraordinary and one-of-a-kind experiences. In fact, some leading brands have used augmented reality to provide us with new ways to interact with the world. For example, IKEA uses augmented reality to allow customers to see how their furniture will look in their homes. Furthermore, the global augmented reality market is expected to reach $97.76 billion by 2028, and it is likely to hear about new advances in Metaverse Augmented Reality very soon.

b. Blockchain

The second innovation to mention is definitely Blockchain Integration. Blockchain technology, with its numerous advantages such as immutable and transparent transactions, decentralization in data storage, and security, will undoubtedly become the key technology in the virtual universe. Such a world can also rely on NFT Development to provide digital proof of ownership for assets in the metaverse. Avatars, objects, skills, and other digital assets are all likely to be presented in the form of Metaverse NFTs.

c. AI Technology

AI Technology can be used to collect data to make predictions and aid in the creation of avatars, natural language processing and translation, and world generation. Furthermore, AI can be used in conjunction with AR and VR to improve the user experience. It can pay close attention to sensors that measure our bioelectrical and muscular patterns, then transfer such information to Metaverse Developers in order to improve the technology.

d. Internet of Things

IoT can be applied to the virtual world to seamlessly connect the 3D world to a large number of real-world devices. This enables the creation of real-time metaverse simulations. IoT could use AI and machine learning to manage the data it collects to further optimize the metaverse environment.

IoT is one of the core technologies to power the Metaverse.

e. 3D Reconstruction

The Metaverse requires three-dimensional environments in order to be a truly immersive platform. And 3D reconstruction technology can create natural-looking spaces that are as close to reality as possible. IT experts can use 3D reconstruction to create accurate 3D photorealistic models of the physical world, such as buildings, locations, and objects. Then, using 3D spatial data and 4K HD photography, a virtual replica in the metaverse is created. Thanks to it, the second life in the Metaverse world would be real as the physical one, which would help to enhance the experience of digital users.

3. Are There Any Challenges Of Metaverse?

• Privacy Challenges: Every Internet user has always been concerned about data privacy and security. And the existence of the Metaverse necessitates a radical shift in cyber security measures. More approaches should be used by Tech Vendors to ensure more accurate identification and enhanced security.
• Intellectual Property Ownership: In the beginning, content creators may have difficulty in keeping track of their property ownership. Therefore, Metaverse developers must build a system that can provide digital asset verification similar to NFT proof of ownership in the real world.
• Currency and Payment Systems: The metaverse may create its own version of the virtual market, utilizing fiat money and cryptocurrencies to ensure their fast and secure exchange. This will necessitate the development of a new, one-of-a-kind transaction verification system to ensure the financial security of users.
• Identity: In the real world, it is extremely easy to distinguish between one and another. But how do you identify a person when interacting with them in the virtual world? There could be another person or a bot attempting to imitate your existence.

4. Final Thoughts

It can’t be denied that Metaverse can be an innovation that shapes our future lives. Although the creation of this virtual universe poses some threats, it still has a huge potential to develop. Therefore, the sooner you step into the race, the better it would be.

Whether you are planning to develop a full-fledged metaverse project or simply wish to take your first steps into the metaverse, SotaTek can help you. As a leading Outsourcing Company in Vietnam with several global offices in the USA, Australia, and Japan, our 660+ employees have the experience to deliver the best Tech solutions for our clients, regardless of any project size. We can assist you to launch NFT development as well as develop Blockchain games (as our Bunicorn project) in the metaverse that will help you remain ahead of the curve and better understand the new world. So, let’s contact us now and get a consultation. We are happy to collaborate with you to shape the future!