Rococo is expanding the ways in which both mobile and web developers can take advantage of proximity in their applications. For web developers, there has traditionally been a restriction, especially on mobile devices, regarding the device/platform capabilities that a “web app” could access from within the browser. Now however, there are some initiatives underway to enable, with appropriate security in place, such applications to access device capabilities such as the address book, location and proximity functionality – all from within the browser.
The key standard that is planned to enable this functionality is called BONDI which is now subsumed in to the WAC (Wholesale Application Consortium) initiative.
Rococo’s focus has been on enabling web applications to access Bluetooth functionality from within the browser. To this end, Rococo has contributed to the BONDI Bluetooth APIs and has submitted the initial set of APIs for that section of the standard. A full list of the current APIs submitted can be found here (link).
The BONDI Bluetooth APIS and WAC are not yet standardised and deployed in browsers on a wide scale, but are planned to be supported in millions of device models across hundreds of the world’s largest operators.
When this happens, there will be several benefits for the software developer looking to add proximity support to their web applications:
- A rich Bluetooth API that provides conistent access to the Bluetooth Stack from within the browser
- Wide cross platform support – many devices are planned to support the WAC Standard, which includes the proposed Bluetooth APIs
- Full two way proximity interaction over Bluetooth : web app can be a client (reaching out from the browser over Bluetooth to connect to devices nearby, such as a phone or laptop) or server (receiving connections – for example receiving content directly in to the browser application from a phone or camera).
- Reduction in dependency on device Bluetooth variations, and therefore a better and more consistent experience for end users
- Ease of update – no need to download updated applications – a new one is refreshed everytime a user access the application in the browser
- Ease of use: users can just go to a given URL to activate (for example) a fitness application that can collect running data from their heart rate monitor, or to download mini-maps to their phone from a tour guide, direct from browser to phone!
Rococo’s implementation of the new BONDI Bluetooth API standard is called Jillity. Rococo plans to licence Jillity to Browser, Device and other web-browser integrators and manufacturers, and provide tools that supports application development and test using the new APIs.
If you are having any problems or are in need of assisstance, our technical support team are here to help.Read More
