IFTTT
 | |
| Original author(s) | Linden Tibbets, Jesse Tane [1] |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | IFTTT Inc. |
| Initial release | 7 September 2011 |
| Stable release | |
| Operating system |
Android 4.1 or later[2] iOS 7.0 or later (iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch)[3] |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Conditional statement creator, task automater, internet of things |
| License | Freeware |
| Alexa rank |
 2,617 (August 2016) |
| Website |
ifttt |
IFTTT is a free web-based service that allows users to create chains of simple conditional statements, called "applets", which are triggered based on changes to other web services such as Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.[4] IFTTT is an abbreviation of "If This Then That".[5]
An example "applet" might consist of sending an e-mail message if the IFTTT user tweets using a certain hashtag. Or, if the user is tagged by someone on Facebook, then that photo will be added to the user's cloud-based photo archive.[6]
IFTTT was created by Linden Tibbets, Jesse Tane, Scott Tong and Alexander Tibbets in San Francisco, California. IFTTT was launched in September 7, 2011.[7] Today, IFTTT recipes are widely used and shared by its users.
In addition to the Web-based application, IFTTT for iPhone was launched on July 10, 2013 and contained three channels: iOS Photos, Reminders and Contacts.[8] An iPad version with iOS notification support was later introduced on April 3, 2014.[9] Later that month, on April 24, 2014, IFTTT released an Android version of the app.[10]
On February 19, 2015, IFTTT renamed their original application to IF and released a new suite of apps called Do. The Do apps allow users to create customizable shortcut applications and actions.[11] Linden Tibbets also announced that IFTTT users are now "cooking" about 20 million "recipes" each day.[12] All of the functionalities of the Do suite of apps have since been integrated into a redesigned IFTTT app.
History
On December 14, 2010, Linden Tibbets, the co-founder of IFTTT, posted a blog post titled “ifttt the beginning...” on the IFTTT website, announcing that the new project was called “IFTTT”. The first applications performed by IFTTT were designed and developed by Tibbets and Jesse Tane, co-founder of IFTTT.
On September 7, 2011, Tibbets announced on the official website that IFTTT was open for all. He then wrote on his blog to describe how IFTTT was developed. "Over these last nine months our beta testers responded ferociously, creating over 100 thousand tasks that have collectively triggered more than 25 million times." [13]
By April 30, 2012, one million tasks had been created.[14]
On July 10, 2013 IFTTT for iPhone was released. "You can create and use Recipes around the things: snapping screenshots, adding new contacts, completing reminders, and organizing photo albums." wrote the IFTTT team on their official blog.[15]
In June 2012, the service entered the Internet of Things space by integrating with Belkin WeMo devices,[16] allowing Recipes to interact with the physical world.
On April 3, 2014, IFTTT for iPad and iPod touch was released. In addition, developers also introduced a new channel called iOS Notifications Channel.[17]
On April 24, 2014, A version for Android was released. This release featured six new Android Channels, including the Device and SMS Channels, according to the IFTTT official blog.[18]
As an Internet of Things (IoT) business, by the end of 2014, IFTTT was valued at approximately $170m, making it one of the most valuable IoT companies around the world.[19]
On February 19, 2015, IFTTT launched three new applications. Do Button triggers an action when you press it. Do Camera automatically uploads the image to the service of your choice (Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, etc.). Do Notes do the same as Do Camera, except with notes instead of images. As of November 2016, the four apps have been combined into one.
Features
Overview
IFTTT employs the following concepts.
- Services (formerly known as channels) are the "basic building blocks of IFTTT",[20] they mainly describe a series of data from a certain web service such as YouTube or eBay. It can also describe some actions controlled with certain APIs like SMS. Sometimes, it can represent information in terms of weather or stocks.[21] There are particular triggers and actions in each channel.[22]
- Triggers are the "this" part of an applet. They are the items that "trigger" the action. For example, from an RSS feed, you can receive a notification based on a keyword or phrase.[6]
- Actions are the "that" part of an applet. They are the output that results from the input of the trigger.
- Applets (formerly known as recipes) are the predicates made from Triggers and Actions. For example, if you like any picture in Instagram (trigger), the photo will be sent to your Dropbox account (action).[20]
- Ingredients are basic data made available from a trigger. For example, the data that are available from the email trigger include subject, body, attachment, received date, and the sender’s address.[20]
Usage examples
- IFTTT can automate web-application tasks, such as posting the same content on several social networks.
- Marketing professionals can use IFTTT to track mentions of companies in real-time in RSS feeds.[23]
Reception
IFTTT has received positive reception from Forbes,[24] Time,[25] Wired,[26] The New York Times,[27] and Reader's Digest.[28]
Microsoft, another software developer, has developed a comparable product: Microsoft Flow.[29]
References
- ↑ Tibbets, Linden. "ifttt the beginning...". IFTTT blog. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- 1 2 "Google play-IFTTT". Google play. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- 1 2 "iTunes preview-IFTTT". iTunes. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ↑ Escobar, Eric (July 11, 2013). "What Is IFTTT and How Can it Improve Your Digital Life?". Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- ↑ "About IFTTT". Retrieved 16 Oct 2014.
- 1 2 Peers, Nick (October 2, 2014). "Your Online Life Made Simpler, Thanks to IFTTT". Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- ↑ Alexander, Jesse (September 7, 2011). "ifttt is alive!". Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ↑ Hamburger, Ellis (July 11, 2013). "IFTTT brings automation to the iPhone". Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ↑ "Introducing IFTTT for iPad and the iOS Notifications Channel". The IFTTT Team. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- ↑ "The power of IFTTT, now on Android". IFTTT blog. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- ↑ "IFTTT launches Do – a suite of apps to simplify recipes into customizable shortcuts". The Next Web. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
- ↑ "IFTTT Launches 3 "Do" Apps To Automate Photo Sharing, Tasks, Notes; Rebrands Main App "IF"". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
- ↑ "ifttt is alive!". September 7, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- ↑ "One million tasks created". April 30, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- ↑ "The power of IFTTT, now in your pocket". June 10, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- ↑ Panzarino, Matthew (June 20, 2012). "Task automation tool IFTTT gets new look, moves into physical world with Belkin WeMo compatibility". Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ↑ "Introducing IFTTT for iPad and the iOS Notifications Channel". April 3, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- ↑ "The power of IFTTT, now on Android". April 24, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- ↑ "10 most valued Internet of Things startups from around the world". February 2, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "About IFTTT". IFTTT.com. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ↑ Ackerman, Elise (September 23, 2012). "San Francisco Startup Lets Anyone Control The Internet of Things". forbes.com. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ↑ "IFTTT Channels". IFTTT.com. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ↑ Angeles, Sara (August 12, 2013). "10 Ways IFTTT Can Help Your Business". Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- ↑ Ackerman, Elise (September 23, 2012). "IFTTT: San Francisco Startup Lets Anyone Control The Internet of Things". Forbes. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ↑ McCracken, Harry (September 18, 2012). "50 Best Websites 2012". Time. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ↑ Flaherty, Joseph (October 13, 2012). "Socks Are the New Hoodie: A Startup Reinvents Swag". Wired. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ↑ Wortham, Jenna (September 23, 2011). "A Web Tool That Lets You Automate the Internet". The New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ↑ Beres, Damon. "The IFTTT Recipes that Will Make Your Life Better". Retrieved March 10, 2014.
- ↑ Foley, Mary Jo (2016-05-04). "Where did Microsoft's new Flow event-automation service come from?". ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
Microsoft's new alternative to IFTTT can trace its origins back to a couple of other services developed by the company's Cloud and Enterprise group. [...] 'Microsoft Flow is a stand-alone SaaS Service that is designed for broad usage, including business users that want to automate day-to-day tasks. [...]'