Embodiments of the disclosed technology comprise a cloud-hosted central service platform that interfaces and enables access to both central and distributed resources and peripherals for connected mobile applications. For example, this platform allows service providers and application developers to create a large number of new classes of applications, leveraging web access to devices, sensors, and/or actuators of any kind. This platform can be applied to virtually any vertical segment. Any of the disclosed features or aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be used in various combinations and subcombinations with one another or with other methods, apparatus, and systems.