Build vs Buy: Build Chat from Scratch or Jumpstart with a Chat API and SDK

In this digital era, the emails, GTalks, Skype is insufficient to handle business communications in real-time by many organizations. Effective Communication is the core of any business to become successful. With the technology evolving, every business requires a collaborative platform to engage, address, and support the process, which may be internal team communication, between vendors or customer feedback.

To smooth the business process, all you need is a Collaborative platform. Yes, Chat App will solve the purpose. “How about Building a Chat app?”. Oh! There are some options available in the market. How about Buying a Chat API & SDK and using?”.

You are most likely to begin your assessment process on chat solutions because as you are aware, building a chat app is a time consuming, use case-oriented, and resource & budget-dependent process. What is crucial to your business is your core business domain and customer retention and engagement.

“Thinking about infusing Chat into your app, think twice on two aspects… Build a Chat APP or prefer a ready-to-use Chat API & SDK”.

What is Chat API?

Chat API is the application program interface tool that facilitates the implementation of chat and message features on the website, mobile application, and other web services, all in real-time.

On a global scale, 15.2 million text messages are exchanged per minute. With the use of smartphones at a higher rate, many apps are blooming to meet user demands. Live streaming or webcasting involves multiple audiences and users, or an E-commerce application where a customer looks for real-time support, or it can be a business marketplace where buyers, sellers, consultants, and traders interact, all these require a dedicated Chat Platform.

In recent times, the Chat platforms are the communication forums for many businesses, and it has witnessed a tremendous spike. Moving forward, before investing to build a Chat Platform, there are several factors that you need to pre-determine and estimate before-hand.

The following section takes you through a few essential factors that you must give a thought before you build a real-time chat app.

1.Time Duration

One of the important factors to consider while building a Chat app is time. Timelines from starting to completing the app will vary based on your use case and requirement. For instance, to build a customer support chat one might require X time, while customer support chat along with vendor management chat will require 3X the time to complete.

2. Budget Allocation

Whether you plan to build or buy a chat API, you need to reserve a budget for it. In the case of creating a Chat API, you additionally need to spend on hiring expert resources, infrastructure implementation, and support systems.

3. Development Constraints

At the early stages, it might sound exciting to create a Chat app on your own but building it with the in-house resource is challenging. Development constraints, such as design analysis, use case research, engineering capital, ROI perspective study, and implementation are sure to arise, and meeting the milestones on time becomes impossible.

4. Technology Stack

The critical part, accessibility to the technology stack and using it to design and develop an app with features and installing it is that one needs to explore.

Technology May Allow Building an App. When you Think About Installing and Expanding it Must Adhere to Scaling and Facilitate Necessary Features.

1.Security and Advanced Encryption : Enterprise communication Chat involves multiple classified and confidential conversations. The technology must support end-to-end encryption and adhere to all advanced encryptions that protect the unauthorized access of data.

2.Chat Notifications and Essential Features : Must have essential features are push notifications, group notification, access through all android, ios and web applications, proactive chat, hassle-free message notification. Additionally, Chat analysis, and user control can all make a Big Impact on your chat app.

3.Cloud Integration : Cloud storage will help you access data and seamlessly retrieve it from any connected device.

4.Optimized and Organized Back-end : A well-planned and organized back-end will support your chat app in the long run, with a reservoir of all kinds of data like text, images, and files.

Build Vs Buy: Four Steps to Arrive on In-house Building or Getting a Chat API & SDK from a Third Party Solution Providers

1.Comparing the Cost Estimation and Expertise Resource

The first factor to pop up in any development is about estimating the development team's expertise in technology, the time availability of the resources, and cost-per resource. When creating an app with limited knowledge in the technology, you will end up spiking the cost and add unwanted stress to the in-house team. A big organization can think about chat app development from scratch because of readily-available investment. On the other hand, a small and medium-sized enterprise should consider this as a risk and better buy from a third-party Chat API Provider.

2. Assessing the risks involved in the build and buy

The second key piece of the decision to build vs buy is chance. Risk can come in several forms: business risk, time-to-market, reach, data, protection, etc.

It’s essential that you are thinking about a few such questions:

1. Is the Interface compatible on ios, Android, and web applications
2. Is the UI/UX uniquely meant to attract users and retain engagement, or it is a readily-available market chat app.
3. Troubleshooting errors and maintenance- can the in-house team repair or a third-party service provider do it without affecting the run.
4. In-house database or third-party database for data saving?

In any business, the calculative risk is a safer bet. Risk takes numerous forms when it is software, from business risks to time-to-market, reach, data protection.

3. Use-case and customization

The third part is the use case. Think in advance before decision making. List down all the possible features you need for your use-case.

For example, for a conversation between a customer and a support executive, you need a one-on-one chat feature. Apart from these features, the third-party chat API providers offer customized features like read-receipts, language translation, chatbot integration, and others.

4. Analyzing the existing 3rd party Solution Provider

A Chat App in the long-term should be a value for investment. ROI is the bottom line. When you buy from a Chat API & SDK provider, you need not worry about the state-of-the-art technology and data migration. They take care of all these and any potential security data threat.

World's Leading Solution Providers in the Market Help you Easily Integrate In-app Messaging with Their SDKs and APIs.

1.CONTUS MirrorFly - Customizable Chat API Solution for Web & Mobile apps

CONTUS MirrorFly is a customizable chat API and SDK built for businesses to build or integrate a communication solution on Android, iOS and Web platforms. The solution comes with major real-time collaboration mediums like chat, voice, video and video conferencing to connect businesses all over the world.

1. White-label UI and unlimited Channels.
2. On-premise and on-cloud Infrastructure.
3. Cross-platform compatible and Chat Analytics.
4. Moderate users from a convenient Dashboard.
5. With a high profile technology stack and a dedicated team of developers, MirrorFly offers a Chat API solution that best suits all industries.

2. Cometchat -Text Chat and Video Calling For Websites and Apps

Cometchat, a leading text chat, and video calling Solution provider offer two unique chat solutions. One is the CometChat Go, the drag & drop plugin chat. While the other is CometChat Pro, the SDK & Chat API.

1. Available as ready-to-use plugins
2. Comes as a white-label UI.
3. Cross-platform Compatible.
4. A perfect choice for social community, marketplace, and on-demand segments.

3 . Apphitect IM - Open Source Instant Messaging App needs

Apphitect IM is a complete-package IM solution for IoT, Mobile, and Web Applications. Use cutting edge technologies like Erlang, Apache Cassandra, and Amazon s3 bucket and support on-cloud infrastructure.

1. Features to watch out for are push notification, Geotracking, and presence indication.
2. Reliable and Scalable.
3. Supports unlimited storage and zero downtime possibility.
4. Easy to integrate with third-party integration.

4. Sendbird - A Deepest in-app Chat Platform

Sendbird API-based Chat service allows you to build a modern chat without compromising on user experience. With multiple messaging features like read-receipts, delivery receipts, and push notifications, it supports multiple channels.

1. Offline message and analytics
2. Provides Easy-to-use Chat API and native chat SDK.
3. Scalable and reliable.
4. Supports third-party chatbots and post-event webhooks.

5. Twilio -Cloud Scale API for SMS and Chat

Twilio is a leading programmable messaging API provider. Twilio's messaging API is exclusively for SMS, Whatsapp, and chat, and the conversation API for enabling hassle-free conversations with proof-of-concept applications.

1. Supports multi-channel from one platform.
2. Enterprise reliability.
3. Features to watch are Notifications and mass alerts.
4. Easily integrate chatbot and intelligent assistant from anywhere

Bottom Line

It is best to compare and analyze before jumping to a conclusion about building a Chat Application from Scratch. With many chat API and SDK providers in the market, most of them provide ready-to-use chat plugins while a few offer a customized solution with a whole SDK kit consisting of the UI/UX to the back-end. While you can buy a Chat API & SDK and integrate it, you save time and resources and can concentrate on your business core.