Internet apps: From user friendly to network friendly

Internet app design not only to consider users, but also to install the app terminal, and even terminal access to the network

The letter from the micro-letter prompted a storm of concern about the capacity and performance of mobile networks, prompting a growing concern about the harmonious relationship between Internet apps and mobile networks. Just as "environmentally friendly" is our guideline, Internet apps need to be designed with more consideration: from user friendliness to network friendliness.

Usually user-friendly is the main demand of Internet app in design, because has the unique function, the elegant interface as well as the good user experience, is the Internet app attracts the eyeball, grasps the user the key. But as the number of app users increases to tens of millions of or even billions, there is an additional requirement for these Internet apps, which is to be friendly to the user.

The so-called network-friendly, that is, these Internet apps not only consider users, but also consider the installation of app terminals, and even terminal access to the network, as far as possible does not affect the terminal use effect, does not affect the normal operation of the network. An obscure parameter, a little insignificant change, multiplied by the number of thousands, the impact is not negligible.

As an Internet app developer, especially with a large number of installed users of the app, should be clear about their responsibilities, from the "small and beautiful" ideas into the "more and more" up, consider some other links, less occupy some network resources. From now on, try to understand the mobile network and try to design it in a holistic perspective.

The so-called global view, is the industrial chain and ecological system awareness. Usually we put operators, network equipment vendors, terminal chip manufacturers, terminal manufacturers and Internet app developers, such as the various links in the industrial chain as a large ecosystem, each link is an interconnected, indivisible part of the ecosystem, each in the ecological system of harmonious development, symbiosis and win, like animals on the earth, Plants, microbes, and so on.

From the claim of the ecosystem, we can see that all the links in the industrial chain should have the idea of the whole world, not the individualism, but consider their own aspect, not only considering their own development, but also considering the development of the entire ecosystem. In fact, some manufacturers have done so, such as Ericsson, Nokia and other manufacturers, has established a specialized laboratory to study the Internet app and its impact on the network side.

So how do you design a web-friendly, global-view Internet app? I have the following suggestions:

First, such apps do not overly pursue certain performance metrics, such as access delays. Internet app belongs to "ubiquitous business", need to keep close contact with Application Server, access delay is a key user Experience Index. However, in order to reduce latency, under the existing processing mechanism, means that the terminal needs to send more frequent heartbeat information, but also means that the terminal endurance of the reduction, while more frequent transmission of heartbeat information will also bring pressure on the network side, such as the production of signaling storms. As a result, network-friendly apps find a balance between user experience and terminal endurance and network performance, rather than overly emphasizing the user experience.

Second, Internet apps can give users the option to decide whether to pursue performance first or network friendly. I think we can set up a mechanism similar to "carbon emissions", work with operators, choose an indicator, tell users exactly how much it will affect the network, how many users have chosen to be friendly to the Internet, and so on. Many times, we are choosing for the user, ignoring the user's own wishes. In the era of ubiquitous network, users should have enough wisdom to make decisions.

In addition, it is recommended that the Internet app development team should include people with rich network experience, from the beginning of product design to consider the issue of network friendliness. Each new feature of the app, from design, development to testing, needs to consider the impact on the terminal and the network, so as to achieve the total eco-chain win.

Finally, look forward to the Internet app developers can strengthen communication with the industry chain, such as the regular release of reports, introduce their own to the ecological chain of the idea and action, release related app product planning and the expected impact on the industrial chain, so that the industry chain participants have more understanding and understanding.