How We Build Real-Time Applications

A chat message that appears instantly. A dashboard that automatically updates as soon as a new order comes in. A stock alert that pops up at exactly the right moment. For users, this is now completely normal, but building software that runs this smoothly is no small feat. When developing custom software, we ensure that important information flows directly to the user's screen—without delay and without anyone having to hit a refresh button. In this article, we explain how we implement this and why it can be valuable for your organization.

Author: Thijmen Perdon

Published: 1 September, 2026

Why 'just wait a moment' is outdated

Many websites and applications still work on a simple principle: you request something, the server looks it up, and sends the answer back. For a page that rarely changes, that's fine. But in processes where every second counts, this quickly becomes a bottleneck. And in an era where the demand for more and more real-time information is the norm, this approach no longer works. In the past, this was solved with 'polling': the application keeps asking in the background, “is there anything new yet?” Every few seconds, even though the answer is almost always "no." This wastes unnecessary server capacity, drives up your cloud/hosting costs, and still results in delays.

In cases where a real-time solution is truly needed, we increasingly choose a different approach: a permanent, secure connection between the user's screen and the server. As soon as something changes, the server immediately pushes that information through—no need to request anything. The result: updates are visible within a fraction of a second, instead of after a few seconds' wait. Technically, this means an HTTP request is sent to the server, which responds in the header indicating it's a special websocket connection. This way, the browser and server understand each other and switch to a specific WebSocket protocol (ws:// or wss:// for a secure variant). From that moment on, a connection remains open for bi-directional data transfer.

Is this an out-of-the-box service or managed in-house?

There are several ready-made, paid services for these real-time connections. A well-known example is Pusher. At Dolphiq, we deliberately choose to manage this within our own technical environment using Laravel Reverb. Reverb is a WebSocket server developed and maintained by the Laravel team that implements the Pusher protocol. This is practical because it allows us to stay within the Laravel ecosystem we already use, with the Pusher protocol integrated. On the frontend, we use Laravel Echo, which also uses the Pusher protocol.

The Benefits of an In-House Implementation

Onafhankelijkheid

No Dependency on Third Parties

Predictable costs, even as you grow

You're not tied to a vendor and you avoid the risk of unpredictable costs as your platform grows and more people use the real-time features simultaneously.

Data

Full Control Over Data

All information stays within your own environment

For sectors like healthcare, finance, and logistics, this is often essential in light of privacy regulations such as the GDPR.

No Compromises on User Experience

Familiar tools, efficient development

Our developers continue working with the tools they already know. This keeps development efficient and reliable.

Real-Time Connections Securely Managed In-House

Not all information is meant for everyone, and we take that into account. In addition to standard secure connections, we work on three levels:

Public

Information that can be visible to everyone, such as a public newsfeed. This is called a public channel and requires no server-side validation, since the data is meant to be accessible to all.

Personal and Secure

Sensitive information, such as transactions or customer-specific notifications, is only shown after the server has verified the user’s access rights. This is called a private channel. If someone wants to view an order status, the server first checks if that order belongs to them; only then is access granted.

Real-Time Collaboration

Think of seeing who is online or working together live in a document, visible only to authorized users. This is called a presence channel: the same authorization mechanism, with an extra layer that tracks who is present, who joins, and who leaves.

The Right Signal to the Right Person

Whenever something happens in the organization—a new order comes in, a task is completed, a sensor is triggered—that signal is sent directly and securely to exactly the people who need to know at that moment. This means that every time something occurs, the information is sent to Reverb, which immediately shares it with everyone who has access and is currently connected.

Part of a Bigger Picture

We prefer to build our applications with a combination of technologies that together create a clear, easy-to-maintain codebase, without unnecessarily heavy or complex technical layers. Only when a project truly benefits from real-time functionality do we add it. This keeps the foundation simple and reliable, and we only add complexity where it delivers real value.

Our Three Principles: Reliable, Secure, and Scalable

Real-time functionaliteit is alleen waardevol als het ook onder druk blijft werken. Daarom bouwen we onze systemen rond drie uitgangspunten:

Reliability

If the connection drops for a moment, for example when switching from Wi-Fi to mobile internet, it automatically restores itself and checks if any updates were missed. This way, no one works with outdated information and no data is lost.

Security

We operate on the principle of "trust nothing, verify everything." For every sensitive or personal data stream, we first check if someone is authorized before showing anything at all.

Scalability

Our setup can effortlessly handle thousands of users at once. As a platform grows, we scale up the infrastructure while maintaining speed and reliability. Users won’t notice a thing.

When Do We Deliberately Choose Not to Use This?

As a strategic partner, we also advise our clients when something isn’t necessary. Real-time technology does add extra complexity, and that investment isn’t always worthwhile. If data only changes a few times a day, or if a delay of half a minute doesn’t matter—like with a monthly report or an informational website—we consciously opt for the simpler, traditional approach. We only use technology when it truly adds value for your organization or improves the user experience.

What Can We Do for Your Organization With This?

Real-time technology is about much more than just chat messages. In practice, it can be used to:

Process and display transactions and key figures instantly in financial dashboards.
Track vehicles and inventory live within logistics and supply chain operations.
Make sensor data and malfunction alerts instantly visible within IoT applications.
Build collaboration tools where multiple colleagues can work in the same screen at once, without overwriting each other's work.

Interested in a Real-Time Application?

Users now expect more: they compare business software to the seamless experience of WhatsApp and Teams. An application that responds instantly and proactively not only feels more professional, but also prevents employees from making decisions based on outdated information. Curious how we can accelerate your business processes with real-time functionality? Contact us for a no-obligation session.