Real-time Applications
Create dynamic, responsive experiences with real-time updates and interactions. Our Phoenix and LiveView expertise enables applications that feel instant and alive.
Why Choose Real-time Applications
Instant Updates
Deliver changes to users the moment they happen, creating a more engaging and responsive experience.
Enhanced Collaboration
Enable multiple users to work together simultaneously with live updates and conflict resolution.
Data Consistency
Ensure all users see the same information at all times, maintaining data integrity across devices.
Scalable Architecture
Build on technologies designed to handle millions of concurrent connections with minimal resources.
Our Real-time Technologies
Phoenix Framework
Build scalable, fault-tolerant applications with Elixir and Phoenix that can handle millions of concurrent connections.
- High concurrency with minimal resources
- Fault-tolerant architecture
- Built-in WebSocket support
- Robust channel-based communication
- Enhanced developer productivity
Popular Real-time Use Cases
Live Dashboards
Create dynamic dashboards that update automatically as new data comes in, without requiring page refreshes.
Perfect for: Analytics platforms, operation centers, monitoring systems
Chat & Messaging
Build responsive chat applications with instant message delivery, typing indicators, and presence awareness.
Perfect for: Customer support portals, internal team communication, community platforms
Collaborative Editing
Enable multiple users to edit documents simultaneously with real-time updates and conflict resolution.
Perfect for: Document editors, project management tools, design applications
Live Notifications
Deliver instant notifications and alerts to users based on system events or other user actions.
Perfect for: Social platforms, e-commerce sites, financial applications
Real-time IoT Monitoring
Stream live data from IoT devices to web interfaces with minimal latency and efficient data handling.
Perfect for: Industrial monitoring, smart home systems, environmental tracking
Live Auctions & Bidding
Create auction platforms with instant bid updates, countdown timers, and real-time participant tracking.
Perfect for: Online marketplaces, auction houses, fundraising events
How Phoenix Powers Real-time Applications
Phoenix Channels & WebSockets
Phoenix Channels provide a powerful abstraction for real-time communication over WebSockets. They handle the complexities of connection maintenance, authentication, and message serialization.
// Example channel definition
defmodule MyAppWeb.RoomChannel do
use MyAppWeb, :channel
def join("room:lobby", _payload, socket) do
{:ok, socket}
end
def handle_in("new_msg", %{"body" => body}, socket) do
broadcast!(socket, "new_msg", %{body: body})
{:noreply, socket}
end
end<!-- Example LiveView template -->
<div>
<h1>Real-time Counter: <%= @count %></h1>
<button phx-click="increment">Increment</button>
<div>
<h2>Active Users: <%= @active_users %></h2>
<ul>
<%= for user <- @users do %>
<li><%= user.name %> is <%= user.status %></li>
<% end %>
</ul>
</div>
</div>Phoenix LiveView
LiveView enables rich, real-time user experiences with server-rendered HTML. It maintains state on the server and pushes HTML diffs to the client, dramatically reducing the need for complex JavaScript.
Phoenix PubSub
The built-in PubSub system allows for efficient message broadcasting across distributed nodes, enabling horizontal scaling of your real-time applications to handle millions of concurrent connections.
# Example PubSub configuration
config :my_app, MyApp.PubSub,
name: MyApp.PubSub,
adapter: Phoenix.PubSub.PG2,
pool_size: 1
# Broadcasting a message
Phoenix.PubSub.broadcast(
MyApp.PubSub,
"user:123",
{:new_message, %{text: "Hello!"}}
)Real-time Success Stories
Finder Africa Platform
Continental Marketplace
AI-Powered marketplace platform with real-time features for instant updates and notifications.
Truckhub-auto E-commerce
Auto Parts Retailer
E-commerce platform with real-time inventory tracking and customer notifications.
Our Real-time Development Process
Requirements & System Design
We analyze your real-time needs and design a system architecture that balances performance, scalability, and development efficiency.
Technology Selection
Based on your specific requirements, we select the optimal combination of Phoenix, LiveView, and API technologies to power your real-time application.
Rapid Prototyping
We develop functional prototypes to validate key real-time features and gather early feedback on user experience and performance.
Iterative Development
Using agile methodologies, we build your application incrementally, with regular demos and feedback sessions to ensure alignment with your vision.
Performance Testing & Optimization
We rigorously test your application under various load conditions, optimizing for performance, reliability, and resource efficiency.
Deployment & Monitoring
We deploy your application with comprehensive monitoring for real-time metrics, ensuring optimal performance and rapid issue resolution.
Secure Real-time Communications
Security is paramount in real-time applications. Our approach integrates security at every layer of the application stack.
- Encrypted WebSocket connections (WSS)
- Token-based authentication for channels
- Comprehensive authorization controls
- Input validation and sanitization
- Rate limiting and abuse prevention
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Phoenix different from other frameworks for real-time applications?
Phoenix is built on Elixir and the Erlang VM, which were designed for concurrent, distributed systems. This foundation allows Phoenix to handle millions of simultaneous connections with minimal resources, making it ideal for real-time applications at any scale.
Do I need to rewrite my entire application to add real-time features?
Not necessarily. We can integrate real-time capabilities into existing applications by adding Phoenix components alongside your current system. This incremental approach allows you to enhance your application without a complete rewrite.
How does LiveView compare to React or Vue for real-time UIs?
LiveView takes a fundamentally different approach by keeping state on the server and pushing HTML diffs to the client. This reduces frontend complexity and can accelerate development for many applications. For highly interactive UIs, we can combine LiveView with targeted JavaScript or use a hybrid approach.
Can Phoenix real-time applications scale to handle millions of users?
Absolutely. Phoenix and Elixir were built for massive concurrency. The Erlang VM that powers Phoenix can efficiently manage millions of lightweight processes. Companies like WhatsApp (built on Erlang) demonstrate the incredible scalability of this technology stack.
Ready to Build Your Real-time Application?
Contact us today to discuss how we can bring your real-time application vision to life with Phoenix, LiveView, and modern API technologies.