Microsoft Notification Hubs – Capabilities and Challenges
Azure notification hubs are mobile push notification engines –
1. Support multi-platform
2. Are easy to use
3. Are massively scalable
4. Work for consumer scenarios and enterprises
5. Is app-to-user communication
6. Promotes app engagement
7. Promote app usage
8. Tailors the engagement of individual users
Microsoft Azure Push Notification defined –
Microsoft Azure Push Notifications are an easy-to-use, scaled-out app-to-user communication that supports multiple platforms. These are the notifications containing a piece of information that users can see in the form of a dialog box or pop-up. Furthermore, Azure Push Notification hubs offer capabilities of –
a. Sending notifications to millions of audience of any breaking news with minimum delay.
b. Sending the media/ sport/ gaming/ finance notifications of events to a group of users.
c. Sending the promotional content of the apps for engaging the audience.
d. Sending coupons based on the location to interested users.
What exactly are Push Notifications?
Push notifications assist in showing the fresh information to mobile users irrespective of the app activity via Platform Notification Systems (acronym PNS). This means even if the app is not active on the phone, user will still be able to see the app related notifications.
PNS has functionalities that are partially assembled whereas the PNS that is specific to a device provides zero common interfaces. Furthermore, in the intent to send a notification to users of Android, Windows, and iOS app versions, the developer will have to work with Firebase Cloud Messaging, Window Notification Service, and Apple Push Notification Service.
And how does Push Notifications work?
Below is the process of how the push notification works at higher levels,Below is the process of how the push notification works at higher levels
1. If the client decides to be a recipient of the push notification, he/she will reach the PNS to get access to handle, where its type depends on its system.
2. The app will save the handle in the provider or the back-end of the app.
3. In order to send the notification, the back-end of the application will reach the PNS by utilizing the push handle.
4. The PNS then sends the notification to the handle-specified device.
Push Notifications has to overcome these challenges
Though PNS offers capabilities and thus these are deemed as powerful, yet developers need to finish some imperative tasks. The finishing of the tasks is essential because the most common notifications scenarios require the implementation including the sending and broadcasting the notifications.
Speaking of the essentiality of Push, the working will need complex infrastructures that have no relation with the app’s logic. The concept will have to deal with the following challenges –
1. Scale – Scaling millions of calls to PNSs with least possible latency is significant. The maintenance cost of the infrastructure accompanying millions of devices is huge. These needs to be addressed.
2. Platform dependency – Because of the non-unified PNSs, the backend should be well equipped with tough maintenance and complex logic (that depends on the platform).
3. Routing – The app notifications are often meant for customers. This requires the maintenance of records to associate the mobile devices with the group of people having mutual interests. This, beyond a doubt will demand more time and effort in the app and market cost maintenance.
The significance of Push App Notifications
Along with the eradication of complexities, the notification hubs have exceptional scalability and offer the benefit of multi-platform functionality. Here are some unavoidable benefits of Push App Notifications that simplify the backend structure –
1. Cross backends – Java, Node.js, .NET, on-premise, Cloud, etc.
2. Cross-platforms –Supports platforms such as Android, iOS, Windows, Baidu, and Windows. The availability of common interface requires absolutely no work related to the platform. The management of handling the device is possible in one location.
a.Target notifications to specific devices
b.Reach user’s cross platform using the template and tag capabilities
c.Broadcasting the notifications to more than one platform.
d.Achieve localization without any impact on the backend code
e.Update the tags of the device irrespective of the location and time.
f.Schedule the notifications
g.Batch the push notifications to handle list.
h.Push the notifications silently to the device and trigger them later to complete specific actions.
4. Security – Federated authentication
5. Scalability – Send messages to thousands and millions of customers
6.Excellent telemetry – Telemetry that is rich in operation, error, push and device is featured by Azure portal. PNS Feedback helps in communicating the entire feedback from PNS for the purpose of debugging.
Wildnet offers its expertise in Microsoft Notifications hubs
Wildnet offers its incredible expertise in leveraging the functionalities of Microsoft Notifications hubs. The company is exploring its vast benefits and undoubtedly, there is more the technology can be utilized to overcome the limitations and widen the perimeter of advantages and applications.
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