Software Development Kits (SDKs) will soon be more important than ever when it comes to innovation and developing health and wellness applications and Software as a Medical Device (SaMD). Looking to the future of the biometric landscape, one thing is very clear: We will soon have more ways to measure health than we have platforms to present that data. At the very heart of this conundrum is the reason every medical technology company in the world should be focusing on integration and partner enablement just as much as they are on the development of their product.
Without the ability to connect to various platforms and integrate the data from your device with those from other companies, your product simply will not have a place in the market.
Luckily, the answer to integration, partner enablement, and relevance to the future of medical technology, is a simple one. That is, assuming you have the right team in place to create usable, quality software development kits (SDKs).
SDKs + Integrations + Partner Enablement = Greater Marketshare
Software development kits provide partner companies with the blueprints to develop applications to work seamlessly with your product. In order to be useful, these kits need to include thorough documentation on how your code works so that other developers can use it to incorporate your software into their applications.
Assuming you have this in place and that your device and subsequent Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) provide a valuable addition, your potential for integration into relevant applications and your opportunity for novel and powerful new products is limitless. In this way, a quality Software Development Kit (SDK) allows you to connect with a broad range of potential partners. As these partnerships grow, so does your marketing reach.
The Importance of SDKs in the Future of SaMD
The digital health and software as medical device landscapes are expanding rapidly as technology advancements allow us to measure and gather data on more aspects of physical and mental health. Many of these new monitoring devices are being created for the end user rather than for point-of-care applications, with most being accessed through mobile devices through Mobile Medical Applications (MMAs). As people collect more and more devices to measure and track their health, they’re going to seek out options that reduce the number of applications and secondary devices required to view their data.
As a startup company—and even for more well-established firms—you cannot afford to create a product that exists in a bubble. Users are not interested in devices that work only with their associated app or connected receiver. Creating isolated products puts you at an immediate disadvantage compared to innovative competitors who have found a way to partner with platforms that have a broader reach. Even if your product performs a unique function that no others can replicate, you’re still asking users to add an additional piece to their already overloaded technology arsenal.
Expanding your product to multiple connected devices and platforms that have the potential to reach more clients and meet more needs of those clients, makes your product far more valuable than it will ever be on its own. Accomplishing this requires a software development kit that can be easily used by not just a single targeted partner, but by a wide variety of companies that may be interested in your product now and in the future.
DREAMING BIG WITH CGMs Continuous glucose monitors have been at the forefront of connected medical tech innovation for decades. These devices, which used to be reliant on exclusive receivers, are now multi-platform capable and often interoperable with a variety of insulin pumps, blood glucose monitors, and Mobile Medical Applications (MMAs). As we look to the future, these necessary devices will have to do even more, connecting with other physical medical devices, SaMD, and lifestyle monitors to provide a full picture to the user through a single connected platform. The CGM of tomorrow will be fully integrated with heart rate and blood pressure monitors, mental health applications, CPAP machines, sleep and diet trackers, and a host of other lifestyle and medical devices to give the user an unparalleled picture of how life—in every aspect—affects their blood sugar trends.
How To Build a Reliable SDK for Your Device
Having a Software Development Kit (SDK) prepared for your product means nothing if that kit is not highly usable for a variety of potential partners. It must also confer all the functionality of your original product to these new platforms in a framework that can be easily built upon to meet the needs of the partner.
As a hardware company focused on developing quality diabetes technology, this is not something you want to take on alone. As with general software, this is a task you want to leave up to a qualified, experienced software development company.
Here at Sequenex, we specialize creating Connected, Flexible, Scalable, Quality Software Products/Solutions that are interoperable, tested and ready for a regulatory environment. Our experience designing platforms and creating software tailor-made for interoperability and connectivity means we already have the resources in place to create highly functional, easy-to-use software development kits for a variety of needs and product types.
To find out if we are the right partner to help you meet your scaling, integration, and interoperability needs, contact us today.