What does communication mean to a person, especially a modern one, surrounded by a variety of information? From a historical point of view, it would be impossible to socialize humanity without normal communication. That is, it was the process of communication that led us to this level of industrial and personal revolution. If we talk about the modern human, then the abundance of versatile information is waiting at every corner – a variety of social networks, messengers and so on. Today, users need privacy, because it is becoming increasingly difficult to store personal information away from prying eyes.
Nevertheless, the need for communication arises constantly and we strive to realize it by any means possible. And it is not always convenient to use text messages because some things are better expressed verbally. However, the cooperation of large groups of people with different interests is not an easy task, but quite feasible.
This article will focus on how to make a walkie-talkie app using Zello as an example. This application is popular and solves problems mentioned above With the help of this Push-To-Talk (PTT) application, it is possible to communicate with people by uniting in private channels for common interests. In addition, it is completely confidential in terms of network privacy.
Push-to-talk app development
Push-to-talk app development is not a trend like text messengers, but it could be. The market of similar to Zello applications is not filled with alternatives, so it is a great opportunity to start your way as a walkie-talkie startup or developer. If you want to know how to develop a push-to-talk application, let’s find out the best features that could make a program great for users.
What Zello can do and which top features make it popular
1. Easy to use – you can send voice messages at the touch of a button, or you can just listen to voice messages. In the “passive” mode, your smartphone can simply be in the standby mode, and at the time of receiving the message it simply broadcasts it as if it were a usual walkie-talkie.
2. One of the important functions is the ability to create an unlimited number of channels, moreover, the number of participants present and broadcasting also has no limitations. Such channels can be either open to everyone, or closed, with password access, which allows the creation of private rooms for certain users;
3. It is also possible to switch from one channel to another, so at the right moment you can listen to only one necessary channel, and others will be muted.
4. Zello also has a number of functions that allow to administer different rooms and manage broadcasting.
5. Among the “hardware” features it is worth noting that the application is extremely undemanding to the resources of the smartphone and the “width” of the Internet channel, which allows maximizing the audience. There are both mobile versions for iOS and Android (and in due time even for blackberry), and the desktop version for Windows, which allows administering different channels. Moreover, for the stable program operation, it will be enough to have an EDGE or even GPRS network connection.
6. It is probably worth mentioning that the application is free and allows to use almost all the functionality present. Thus, users can always be in touch as if they would use a real radio for negotiations. And the ability to send messages over the Internet makes this service more advanced because almost no distances are important for such connection.
7. Zello developers also worry about those users who are interested in anonymity and maximum privacy of conversations. If clients are not satisfied with the work of the program through global servers, then it is possible to organize broadcasting through their own dedicated servers. Thus, there is no need to provide confidential information to third parties. If you think that you need to pay for this opportunity, then you are not entirely right – using a personal server is free for channels of up to 5 users. If you have a server, of course. Payment is charged only when your channel expands.
8. Zello also offers opportunities for business and enterprise – for example, a web-based management console and API to manage all the necessary channels, users, and broadcasts. Free voice SDK is also available along with the ability to work through radio gateways for broadcasting via walkie-talkies.
9. It is possible to install a server based on Windows or Linux.
10. Push-To-Talk opportunities for business are used by such companies as TNT Express, St Anne’s Hospital, PrimeFlight, and even New Zealand’s Global Security.
Is there a Zello alternative?
Without any doubt, today’s app can be considered the leader on the Push-To-Talk market of voice messengers covering most of the audience. But is there a Zello alternative? Well, we will try to answer this question – let’s look at some other applications that imply similar use:
• Wire
The wire is a secure cross-platform messenger that supports end-to-end encryption and provides high-quality video and voice calls. The application is available for almost all modern mobile and desktop platforms and even has a web app. Among the interesting features, there is a shared access to the files and all the internal information is protected by the EU laws.
• Voxer
Yet another free walkie-talkie application without intrusive advertising, which allows to instantly share photos, audio, and location data. A built-in PTT messenger can transmit voice messages both in real time and save them so that your friends can listen to them later. Among the interesting features – the opportunity to add your Facebook frinds.
• VoicePing
If you are looking for a simple Push-To-Talk application, then you should pay attention to VoicePing – easy to learn, easy to use and user-friendly interface. Allows to create both large groups and private chats and also provides the opportunity to participate in several conversations at once. And, of course, the application also features the audio, pictures, and video files transfer.
Walkie talkie app development
As you can see, walkie-talkie app development is an attractive idea, which can bring many benefits to not only the private negotiations, but it can also bring something new even to large enterprises, such as in the case of TNT Express. If such giants of logistics and delivery are implementing the clone of PTT services into their business processes, that means that the solution has the right to exist and the market is open for new proposals.
We hope that after reading this article you do not have a question: “Why did Zello get such popularity?” Such type of application is available not for the transportation market only but also for emergency services that can use this approach in remote locations. In addition, the market is not oversaturated with this kind of solutions, and most of them are available only for a specific platform, not covering other popular ones. If you have any questions or you want to know more – be free to contact us, we will certainly help you in finding the right solution!