Kontakt.io Proximity API: We Want To Help Your Developers

What’s an API
If you’ve ever worked with a web or mobile application, you likely know about the magic of APIs. In short: the Application Programming Interface (API) can help connect two different applications. If application #1 sends a given request, application #2 responds in correlating fashion. Using a set of predefined functions, it makes creating an app that needs access to data in another operating system or application easy.
What that means: you can quickly make two different applications talk to one another. No extra work needed. Integrating beacons into your applications becomes, more or less, easy. Plus, all of the movement between beacons and cloud are invisible to the end-user. Users won’t even know how much is going on behind the scenes. In short, a solid API means less work for developers and a cleaner experience for users.
For another illustration, consider our Web Panel. It uses the API to gather the data it displays about beacons in a user-friendly way. You can even think of our Web Panel as a GUI (graphical representation) of many of the API’s features!

Why should you care?

If you’re working on or thinking about creating a Bluetooth beacon-enabled app, you’ll want to know about the Kontakt.io beacon API and SDK. First of all: yes, you could theoretically make your app without using either. But that’s an awful lot of work for each and every developer to add to their already busy schedule, and it’s not common practice when SDKs and APIs are available. No one should have to do that much work when they don’t have to.
One SDK, three major uses
When it comes to your app, the API should be used in conjunction with our Software Development Kit (SDK). This SDK is a programming tool that acts almost like a format developers can use to quickly create an app. First, the SDK also includes supporting documentation and implements the API so you don’t have to do any extra steps. Like the API, it’s a huge time-saver.
Second, on top of the simplicity factor, the Kontakt.io SDK also adds end-to-end security. Proper beacon security is becoming increasing critical as more and more businesses turn to proximity technology. Our SDK ensures that a security handshake keeps your data and beacons safe.
Finally, the SDK also supports the crowd servicing of your infrastructure. That means every time a mobile device interacts with your beacon it also updates the cloud. No need to manually check battery levels again.

• Crowd service infrastructure maintenance
• End-to-end security
• 30% faster time to market

In short, we made the Kontakt.io API and SDK so you don’t have to worry or work overtime. They can keep your infrastructure running reliable and securely. No wondering whether your beacon data will be properly integrated and securely stored. (In fact, we’re already caring for 800,000 beacons’ worth of stored data.)

What you can do with the Kontakt.io API

How can you really put the Proximity API to use? Just ask a question about your beacons, and the API will find the answer!
One reason Kontakt.io can deliver so many data points is because of the addition of the Gateway and Location Engine to our more basic beacon offerings. These are tools that power asset tracking and real-time data. The Proximity API can tell you all the basic information about your beacons and their health; the Location Engine API takes it a step further, using Gateways or routers to get more active and specific data about an infrastructure.
Here are just a few of the data points you can ask about using the Kontakt.io API:

 
Still not sure where you use the API? We can break its usage down into 4 categories.

• Gateway: How do gateways connect to the cloud? If you need to route beacon data to the cloud, you’ll need an API. Especially if you’re using a third party router, the API will be the tool to get gateway information to (and from) the cloud.
• Mobile: The API use here is short, simple, and irreplaceable. It helps your users’ smart devices connect to the related database in the cloud. For example, when the app receives identifying information about a beacon, it needs to first find that ID’s entry in the Kontakt.io database. The API and SDK helps it get to that database.
• Web Panel: The Kontakt.io Web Panel gives you the chance to check several different, basic data points about your beacons. You can configure, manage, monitor, and locate all your beacons using the Kontakt.io Web Panel--with the assistance of our API.
• Infrastructure Owners: You, as the infrastructure owner, likely have several questions you want to ask your beacons. What’s the dwell time related to this beacon? What’s the battery level of those? The API along with WebSocket or MQTT can help your platform connect with our database in the cloud.

API, MQTT, or WebSocket? Why so many options! While the API gets the job done, MQTT or WebSocket may be more valuable in certain instances. For example, if you need to constantly check for new data or updates, you’ll need MQTT or WebSocket.
Best of all, Kontakt.io’s API is affordable
You’re walking the dog and suddenly hit with your next brilliant business move. You need to get beacons, and you need to integrate them into your business or maybe start from scratch. There’s plenty of steps here. Researching, developing, testing. In short, you need all the help you can get. Your developers, too, will have their work cut out for them. That’s why something as simple as an API to automatically grab beacon data is a game changer.
We want you to be able to add the Kontakt.io API to your project easily. That’s why we’re making it as straight-forward and affordable as possible. You shouldn’t have to worry about it. We don’t just want you to have beacons; we want you to build up a successful infrastructure.
Need to find more information? Check out our support pages.