Twilio’s new API synchronizes app data in real time between devices and users

Twilio has launched a product that lets developers incorporate real-time synchronization into their applications. Called Twilio Sync, it opens up access to backend state synchronization infrastructure that may not have been readily available before. Access to this tool will be on a rolling basis. Since it’s still in developer preview, Twilio wants to ensure it can scale and handle the needs of all its users.

In an era of “do’ers,” when developers are shrugging aside off-the-shelf software services in favor of building their own, being able to offer the same data and experience on an app across different devices and users is important. Right now, this is something that developers have to build themselves, which can be a laborious undertaking. Users have high expectations when it comes to mobile apps, including being able to move from their phone to a tablet and even to their desktop computer. If the data isn’t transportable, it could create frustration.

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Patrick Malatack, Twilio’s vice president of product, explained: “Traditionally, there’s not any real options out there [for real-time syncing]. We think this is so core to how people build application experiences. We want developers to build the experiences they want.”

Those starting out are usually looking to create something useful, but they may not have the capital and resources necessary to manage real-time syncing. Malatack said that only more established firms, such as Uber and Netflix, can afford to build the technology themselves.

The idea is that Twilio Sync could be useful for anyone, from individual developers to those in large-scale enterprises. “Everyone needs this type of capability,” Malatack said.

One example of where this capability might be useful is with a weather app. If you’re taking a trip to Hawaii and want to know whether it’ll rain, you might open up the app on your mobile device. Later, you might access the service on your desktop.  Malatack said it’s here that Twilio’s new API will help show you Hawaii’s weather, since it has synced the data between the two platforms.

Although available as a standalone product, Twilio Sync can also be incorporated as part of the platform’s other offerings. However, by keeping it independent, the company is opening up a Chinese menu-like offering, which means you can pick and choose which elements of cloud communication technology you want in your app — it’s not an all-or-nothing game. Nevertheless, this latest product will work with Twilio’s programmable voice, video, IP messaging, and other elements.

Twilio Sync is available as a JavaScript, iOS, and Android SDK, and as a REST API. It’s being released today as a developer preview and will be free, initially. Malatack shared that the company is interested in learning from developers but plans on following the same “pay as you go” model that Twilio has for its other products. There’s no specific timeline on how long the developer preview will last.