Navigating Load Shedding and Unstable Internet
(Ironically, this article was written during loadshedding.)
In an era where 2.7 billion individuals globally lack access to reliable internet, and South Africans experience up to 12 hours of daily power outages, extending over 200 days of the year, the need for resilient applications is more pressing than ever for SME businesses.
This article delves into the core principles, practices, red flags and opportunities essential for business leaders to ensure applications remain functional and efficient, even in the face of load shedding and unstable internet connections.
The Power of Preparation
Think of your business application as a bustling marketplace. Just as a physical market needs a solid foundation and backup plans for power outages or storms, your digital marketplace needs a resilient infrastructure.
This is where the concept of redundancy and modularity comes into play.
Essentially, it means having backup systems and components that can take over seamlessly, ensuring your digital doors stay open, even when the digital landscape is unpredictable.
Guarding the Gates
In the digital realm, security breaches are akin to unexpected market disruptions. While fortifying your marketplace against threats is crucial, it’s equally important to have contingency plans. Resilient networks are your digital emergency response teams, designed to:
- Adapt
- Recover
- Ensure smooth operations
Even when your business is faced with cyber challenges.
Hybrid Architectures: The Best of Both Worlds
Imagine combining the best features of a physical and an online store. This is what hybrid architectures offer for your digital presence.
By leveraging local data centres closer to your users, you can significantly reduce delays and ensure a smoother experience for your customers, even when larger network issues arise
Beyond Building: Sustaining Your Digital Marketplace
Building a resilient application is just the start. Maintaining it requires diversifying your digital assets across multiple platforms to avoid reliance on a single provider.
This strategy ensures that your business remains operational, providing a seamless experience for your clients, no matter the digital weather.
Keeping Track and Staying Unique
(Weird Word Incoming…) Structured logging and idempotency keys are your ledgers and unique identifiers in the digital marketplace.
They help keep track of every transaction and interaction, ensuring that each customer’s journey through your digital marketplace is smooth, secure, and free from redundancies, much like ensuring that each customer gets a unique, hassle-free experience at a physical store.
Designing for the Digital Unexpected
Just as you’d prepare your physical store for all eventualities, your digital marketplace needs to be built with the unexpected in mind. This means creating systems that not only withstand disruptions but can quickly bounce back, ensuring that your business services remain uninterrupted, and your clients satisfied.
In essence, building a resilient future-proof app is about:
- Preparing for the unpredictable
- Ensuring seamless operations
- Maintaining the trust of your clients.
By embracing these principles, staying vigilant for the red flags and seizing opportunities to fortify your app’s resilience, you can ensure a seamless and secure user experience even in the face of South Africa’s unique challenges related to load shedding and unstable internet connectivity.
Contact us today and find out how Yobi Code can assist in building your company a future-proof app!
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