Introduction:

Our client, a hardware-based company, came to us intending to create a custom web application for their image printing rental service. The physical product is an image printer that is given to users, allowing them to convert their digital photos taken with their smartphones into physical pictures that can be printed on the go. Additionally, the hardware printer can also be rented by hotel chains to offer coupons to their guests, primarily tourists, so they can have their memories printed into pictures through the machine present in the lobby of the hotel.

Challenges:

The main challenge we faced was to create a web application that would integrate seamlessly with the hardware printer and handle large volumes of user data. Additionally, we had to ensure the security and scalability of the application to handle the potential growth in usage.

Solution:

To meet these challenges, we decided to build the application and we used React to create a user-friendly interface that would allow users to upload their digital photos and customize them before printing. The application also features a responsive design to ensure optimal performance on various devices. We used Node.js and Express to build a robust server-side that could handle large volumes of user data and process the image print requests in real time. MongoDB was used to store user data and track the usage of the machine, allowing hotel chains to manage their inventory more effectively. We utilized Firebase to handle the authentication and hosting of the application, ensuring that the data is secure and can be easily scaled as usage increases.

The physical product is an image printer given (rented) to users for private parties so they can convert their digital photos taken with their smartphones into physical pictures printed on the go. The hardware printer can also be rented to hotel chains to use to offer coupons for their guests (mostly tourists) so they can have their memories printed into pictures through the machine present in the lobby of the hotel.

Clients (Users/Hotel chains) will rent the device and have their user’s name created for them so they have access to a platform to add vouchers. On the creation of the user, each user will have their branding (header/ terms of services agreement) created and added to their account to show to anyone using their vouchers.

A voucher has a maximum number of pictures, and different image specifications are allowed. When a voucher holder visits the upload center, they’ll be able to select pictures, number of copies, formats, coating, and printing special mode, then on submission, these pictures will automatically be processed and sent to the printer attached to the client account for automatic printing.

Results:

Our custom web application has been a huge success for our client. The seamless integration of the hardware printer and the web application has made the process of converting digital photos into physical prints much more efficient and user-friendly. Additionally, the usage tracking and inventory management feature have been well-received by hotel chains.

Conclusion:

We are proud to have been able to work with our client to create a custom web application. The final product has been a huge success and has helped to improve the overall user experience for the image printer rental service. The application is secure, scalable, and can handle large volumes of user data. We look forward to continuing our partnership with our clients and helping them to achieve their business goals.