Introducing The Bad Internet Box: 

The Ultimate Solution For Testing Your App's Connectivity


Case Study: Enabling Business Growth For Informal Retailers With Nomanini

Company Profile

Company: Nomanini
Industry: Fintech, Informal Retail
Location: Global

Introduction

Nomanini is a leading fintech company that empowers informal retailers by providing them with digital financial services combined with existing distribution networks. Their innovative solutions enable traditional financial institutions to reach and acquire retailers within the informal market, driving business growth and financial inclusion. In partnership with the Standard Bank Group, Nomanini has developed a low-cost retailer till point solution, known as Trader Direct, that offers a compelling value proposition to improve the lives of retailers.

The Challenge

Nomanini recognized the importance of ensuring their applications could perform
optimally under various internet connectivity conditions. They understood that
many potential users, especially in rural parts of developing nations, often
face unreliable and slow internet connections. However, simulating these
challenging conditions accurately for testing purposes proved to be a
significant hurdle.

Traditional methods of internet connection simulation, such as browser-based proxies, failed to replicate the real-world effects of packet loss and intermittent connectivity. As a result, Nomanini risked deploying applications that would underperform or fail in low-connectivity regions, leading to user frustration and negative reviews.

The Solution: Introducing The Bad Internet Box (BIB)

To address their testing challenges, Nomanini adopted the Bad Internet Box (BIB) as a key tool in their quality assurance process. The BIB is a Raspberry Pi powered device with custom firmware that emulates a hotspot with poor internet connection. It allows developers to test their applications under various preset internet connectivity simulations or “bad internet levels.”

Unlike traditional proxy simulation software, BIB accurately replicates packet drop, bandwidth limitations, and intermittent connectivity. By connecting a real device, such as a cellphone, to the BIB hotspot, developers could experience firsthand how their applications would perform in real-world situations with poor internet connectivity.

Results And Benefits

Since implementing the BIB, Nomanini experienced significant improvements in application reliability and performance. The BIB allowed their development team to identify and fix bugs, faults, and performance issues that were specifically related to poor internet conditions. By simulating connections that sometimes occur in rural Africa, Nomanini ensured that their applications could cater to users in developing countries, where low internet connectivity is prevalent.

The Key Benefits Of Using The Bad Internet Box Included:

1. Accurate simulation:
The BIB provided a realistic testing environment by accurately replicating packet drop, bandwidth limitations, and intermittent connectivity, which emulators or router-configurations failed to achieve.

2. Enhanced application performance:
By testing applications on the BIB, Nomanini ensured that their products could function as intended even under challenging internet conditions. This resulted in improved user experiences and higher customer satisfaction.

3. Real-time verification:
The BIB enabled direct from-device verification of software by connecting real devices, allowing developers to observe and address issues that users would encounter in areas with limited internet connectivity.

4. Cost-effective solution:
By investing in the BIB, Nomanini avoided potential revenue loss and negative customer experiences caused by deploying applications that were not optimized for low-connectivity regions.

Conclusion

Testing applications in areas with limited internet connectivity. By accurately simulating poor internet conditions, Nomanini ensured that their applications performed optimally, even in low-connectivity regions. As a result, they expanded their user-base and improved customer satisfaction, solidifying their position as a leader in the software development industry.

If your software company is striving to reach users in developing countries or areas with limited internet connectivity, consider integrating the BIB into your quality assurance process. Don’t let unreliable internet connections hinder your application’s success – embrace the power of accurate simulation with the Bad Internet Box.

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