Together with the AirKey company , we developed the first access system through mobile applications and a local server. AirKey is a company from the UAE, created on the basis of the SmartAirKey company. Engaged in the creation of access systems based on its own devices. In 2022, Yourfavorite.agency joined the Airkey team to redesign the mobile application and create new solutions. All current access systems are either B2B or B2C only. They are closed to the average user. “AirKey” is an open ecosystem where you can connect your office or home without worrying about security. The convenience of “Mafatehi” is that the user uses one application to access any location: home, office, gym or co-working space.

Goals

Rewrite applications to fit the current technology stack for 2023, while simultaneously doing a redesign;

• Create a simplified copy of the cloud solution in the form of a local server and redesign the interface;

• Provide architecture flexibility for various business areas;

• Simplify the process of installing and configuring company servers and devices.

In the future, the application will become a super app. With its help, you will be able to open doors and use elevators, book accommodation and use parking. On the server side, it will be possible to have an advanced employee monitoring system and integration with food delivery.

Results

Six months passed from the first day of work on the project to the launch of the MVP. During this time, we, together with the AirKey team:

• Rewrote application architecture;

• Developed a microservice server architecture;

• Provided a security system;

• We thought through the design concept.

Analytics

Yourfavorite.agency analysts helped develop the application concept. We have done a lot of research:

• Collected user expectations;

• We tested the initial concept on an audience;

• We conducted 6 iterations of in-depth interviews with 10–12 respondents each.

Design

After the changes, the interface turned out to be so easy to learn that users who saw the project for the first time were able to solve complex access problems. The operating documentation is now just for show.

For mobile applications, we have completely redesigned and simplified registration. The result was a reduction in registration time from 2 minutes to 10 seconds. All the necessary functions are on the surface and are easily accessible from the main menu.

Development

Native options were already used to develop applications; we decided not to abandon them due to the need to fine-tune BLE.

Initially, the applications were written in java and ObjectiveC. We rewrote them in kotlin and swift, and also transferred Ui to SwiftUi instead of UiKit. This will make the application easier to maintain.

To create a local server, we chose python with the asynchronous FastAPI framework. This helped to quickly write highly efficient code and use internal developments at the same time.

We made the frontend in React with the react-admin library for working with a large number of tables. This reduced the time needed to create the interface.

Architecture

To implement a local server, it was necessary to give users a single point of entry to obtain keys, and companies had to have their own fault-tolerant server for control.

• We created ci/cd pipelines for working with docker.

• We wrote our own installer for a local server.

• As a result, the company was able to deploy solutions within 10 minutes from scratch on any computer. In addition, any changes began to quickly reach the user.

• All keys come to a single cloud for mobile applications, and completely closed systems can work via VPN.

Security is very important to access systems. We have added a local end-to-end encryption server to the applications to obtain digital keys.

For the B2C segment, they were the first in the world to implement the Diffie-Hellman protocol on elliptic curves as asynchronous encryption.

Testing

We covered the server with tests from four sides:

1. Unit tests are written by developers while writing code;

2. Testing endpoints for the frontend - pytest;

3. Frontend testing - selenium;

4. Integration testing - since the system is very complex, actions in the mobile application lead to changes on local servers. This required additional testing.

For mobile platforms we used Appium .

Problems

During the creation of the project, we encountered a number of problems.

Errors:

The first thing we noticed was that errors were already occurring in the system, and they were not being regulated in any way. We have connected Zabbix and ELK to the entire cloud architecture, and Crashlitics for mobile applications. This way we were able to see all the errors and quickly respond to them.

Analytics:

After several interviews with users, we noticed key pain points in using mobile applications:

• Long and complicated registration and password recovery;

• Half of the necessary features are hidden deep in the settings;

• The operation of the application with hardware is not obvious to the user and is unstable.

SMS:

In the middle of the project, the company's vector changed from only B2B to B2B and B2C, where the clients are tourists in the UAE. The problem arose with the fact that the local SMS provider could not send SMS to all numbers. We have divided the numbers into categories: supported countries and not supported. After this, SMS for numbers from the Russian Federation and the UAE were sent through local providers, and for all others through Sinch. We have also provided the possibility of flashcall for all clients of the company.

Conclusion

The collaboration between AirKey and Yourfavorite.agency has produced a pioneering access system through mobile applications and local servers. Mafatehi, the redesigned app, simplifies user access to various locations like homes, offices, and gyms with a single platform.

Key achievements include a streamlined registration process, a robust microservice server architecture, and enhanced security measures. Despite challenges such as error management and SMS delivery issues, strategic solutions were implemented successfully.

Mafatehi is set to evolve into a super app, offering comprehensive features like door and elevator access, accommodation booking, and more. This project showcases the innovative potential of both AirKey and Yourfavorite.agency, setting a new standard for access systems worldwide.