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Firebase

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This article is about Google's cloud computing and development platform. For Google's other cloud computing offerings, see Google Cloud. For other uses, see Firebase (disambiguation).
Firebase
Industrial sector(s)Computing and development tools
Leading companiesGoogle
InventorFirebase Inc.
Year of invention2012–present

Firebase is a set of backend cloud computing services and application development platforms provided by Google. It hosts databases, services, authentication, and integration for a variety of applications, including Android, iOS, JavaScript, Node.js, Java, Unity, PHP, and C++.

History

Firebase evolved from Envolve, a prior startup founded by James Tamplin and Andrew Lee in 2011. Envolve provided developers an API that enables the integration of online chat functionality into their websites. After releasing the chat service, Tamplin and Lee found that it was being used to pass application data that were not chat messages. Developers were using Envolve to sync application data such as game state in real time across their users. Tamplin and Lee decided to separate the chat system and the real-time architecture that powered it.[1] They founded Firebase as a separate company in 2011 and it launched to the public in April 2012.[2]

Firebase's first product was the Firebase Realtime Database, an API that synchronizes application data across iOS, Android, and Web devices, and stores it on Firebase's cloud. The product assists software developers in building real-time, collaborative applications.

In May 2012, a month after the beta launch, Firebase raised $1.1 million in seed funding from venture capitalists Flybridge Capital Partners, Greylock Partners, Founder Collective, and New Enterprise Associates.[3] In June 2013, the company further raised $5.6 million in Series A funding from Union Square Ventures and Flybridge Capital Partners.[4]

In 2014, Firebase launched two products: Firebase Hosting[5] and Firebase Authentication.[6] This positioned the company as a mobile backend as a service.[citation needed]

In October 2014, Firebase was acquired by Google.[7] A year later, in October 2015, Google acquired Divshot, an HTML5 web-hosting platform, to merge it with the Firebase team.[8]

In May 2016, at Google I/O, the company's annual developer conference, Firebase introduced Firebase Analytics and announced that it was expanding its services to become a unified backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platform for mobile developers. Firebase now integrates with various other Google services, including Google Cloud Platform, AdMob, and Google Ads to offer broader products and scale for developers.[9] Google Cloud Messaging, the Google service to send push notifications to Android devices, was superseded by a Firebase product, Firebase Cloud Messaging, which added the functionality to deliver push notifications to Android, iOS and web devices.

In July 2016, Google announced that it was acquiring the mobile developer platform LaunchKit,[10] which specialized in app developer marketing, and would be folding it into the Firebase Growth Tools team. In January 2017, Google acquired Fabric and Crashlytics from Twitter to add those services to Firebase.[11]

In October 2017, Firebase launched Cloud Firestore, a real-time document database as the successor product to the original Firebase Realtime Database.[12][13][14][15]

User privacy controversies

Firebase has been claimed to be used by Google to track users without their knowledge. On July 14, 2020, a lawsuit was filed accusing Google of violating federal wire tap law and California privacy law. It stated that through Firebase, Google collected and stored user data, logging what the user was looking at in many types of apps, despite the user following Google's own instructions to turn off the web and app activity collected by the company.[16] The lawsuit was dismissed in January 2022, with Chief US District Judge Richard Seeborg ruling that a promise to avoid collecting user data did not amount to a contract.[17]

Products and Solutions

Firebase offers a comprehensive suite of products and solutions designed to empower developers at every stage of the app development journey. From initial idea and planning to development, analytics, testing, and growth, Firebase provides a range of tools and services to streamline development, enhance user engagement, improve app quality, and facilitate monetization.

Here are some of the products and solutions offered by Firebase to cater to the needs of developers at each stage of the app development journey.

Idea and Planning

Firebase provides tools to help shape app ideas and plan their implementation effectively:

  • Firebase Extensions: Pre-built, configurable extensions that allow developers to add powerful functionality to their apps without extensive coding.
  • Firebase Test Lab: A cloud-based infrastructure enabling app testing on real devices, providing comprehensive test coverage, and ensuring compatibility across platforms and configurations.

Development

Firebase offers a range of tools and services to facilitate the development stage:

  • Firebase Authentication: A service providing easy-to-use APIs and SDKs for implementing user authentication, supporting various methods such as email and password, phone numbers, and social media accounts.
  • Cloud Firestore: A flexible and scalable NoSQL document database facilitating data storage and real-time synchronization across multiple clients.
  • Firebase Realtime Database: A cloud-hosted database allowing real-time data storage, synchronization, and offline support.
  • Firebase Cloud Functions: A serverless computing platform for running backend code triggered by Firebase events.
  • Firebase Hosting: A secure and global hosting platform for deploying web apps and static content, providing reliable content delivery.
  • Firebase Cloud Storage: A powerful and scalable object storage service for storing and serving user-generated content such as images, videos, and audio files.

Analytics and User Engagement

Firebase offers tools to gain insights into user behavior, measure app performance, and engage users effectively:

  • Firebase Analytics: A free app measurement solution providing comprehensive analytics to understand user behavior, track key metrics, and gain insights into app performance.
  • Firebase Crashlytics: A lightweight, real-time crash reporting solution helping developers track, prioritize, and fix stability issues in their apps.
  • Firebase Performance Monitoring: A tool for monitoring app performance, including network latency, rendering time, and user interaction delays.
  • Firebase Cloud Messaging: A reliable and scalable messaging platform for sending targeted notifications and engaging users across platforms.
  • Firebase In-App Messaging: A powerful tool for creating personalized and contextual in-app messages to engage and retain users.

Quality Assurance and Testing

Firebase provides solutions to ensure the quality and stability of apps throughout the development process:

  • Firebase Test Lab: As previously mentioned, Firebase Test Lab allows developers to test apps on real devices, helping identify and fix bugs, ensure compatibility, and enhance overall app quality.
  • Firebase App Distribution: A distribution platform simplifying the delivery of pre-release versions of apps to testers and facilitating feedback collection.

Growth and Monetization

Firebase offers tools to help grow user bases and monetize apps effectively:

  • Firebase Remote Config: A cloud-hosted solution enabling remote changes to app behavior and appearance, facilitating A/B testing and targeted feature rollouts.
  • Firebase A/B Testing: An experimentation tool for testing different variations of app UI and functionality, optimizing user experience and driving engagement.
  • Firebase Dynamic Links: A cross-platform solution for creating deep links that dynamically redirect users to specific locations within apps, enhancing user engagement and retention.
  • Google AdMob: A mobile advertising platform enabling app monetization through various ad formats, including banners, interstitials, and rewarded ads.

References

  1. ^ Melendez, Steven (May 27, 2014). "Sometimes You're Just One Hop From Something Huge". fastcompany. Fast Company. Retrieved June 11, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Metz, Cade (April 12, 2012). "Firebase Does for Apps What Dropbox Did for Docs". Wired. Retrieved February 1, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Ha, Anthony (May 22, 2012). "Firebase Raises $1.1M For Real-Time App Infrastructure". TechCrunch. Retrieved Feb 1, 2019.
  4. ^ Darrow, Barb (June 6, 2013). "Firebase gets $5.6M to launch its paid product and fire up its base". Gigaom. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  5. ^ Lardonis, Frederic (May 13, 2014). "Firebase Adds Web Hosting To Its Database Platform". Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  6. ^ "Firebase Auth". Firebase, Inc. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  7. ^ Tamplin, James. "Firebase is Joining Google!". Firebase, Inc. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  8. ^ Olanoff, Drew (13 October 2015). "Google Acquires Divshot To Join Its Firebase Team, Will Shut Down In December". TechCrunch. Retrieved Feb 1, 2019.
  9. ^ Tamplin, James (May 18, 2016). "Firebase expands to become a unified app platform". Firebase, Inc. Retrieved Feb 1, 2019.
  10. ^ "Google acquires LaunchKit to make life easier for Android developers". The Next Web. 27 July 2016. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  11. ^ Wagner, Kurt; Townsend, Tess (2017-01-18). "Google has acquired most of Twitter's developer products, including Fabric and Crashlytics". Recode. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  12. ^ "Google launches Cloud Firestore, a new document database for app developers". TechCrunch. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 2018-07-16.
  13. ^ "Google Announces Firestore, a Document Database". InfoQ. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  14. ^ "Firebase is launching Cloud Firestore, a new document database featuring realtime sync, no-hassle scaling, and offline support". Android Police. 2017-10-03. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  15. ^ "Google's Cloud Firestore Lets You Focus On App Development | Androidheadlines.com". AndroidHeadlines.com |. 2017-10-05. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  16. ^ "Google faces lawsuit over tracking in apps even when users opted out". Reuters. 2020-07-14. Retrieved 2020-07-14.
  17. ^ "US federal judge dismisses breach of contract claims in privacy class action against Google". www.jurist.org. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-18.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Firebase&oldid=1166098850"