Question Re: Asking companies to support Sailfish OS

asked 2015-03-31 18:50:38 +0300

davekelly
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Hi Folks, I have recently been looking to install Bank of scotlands app on my Jolla, as there is no google playstore I have only been able to find the app through an aptoide search, and there also seems to be an APK file on the web, but I am unwilling to use this as there doesn't seems to be a way to check it's legit', the version number doesn't match what RBS say theirs is, and they seem unwilling to provide an APK file directly and will only tell you to go through google playstore. . . . . . .

So this got me thinking, what sort of a deal is it if I ask them to consider making a native app' for Sailfish? What are we talking here? A monumental effort? A week or more of a dev' teams time and money to make it? What's the effort involved for a company like RBS to do this? I'm just an end user, I have NO Idea at all of the actual effort needed to do this, but they have pointed me to their support forums to ask about APK files and porting the app' to Jolla, which I will, but I'd like an understanding of WHAT I'm about to ask - Thank you.

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Nice question! Maybe this could evolve to a text template we could "spam" around a bit. I tried with two companies and getting "you are the first person asking, if more of your likes ask we will consider," bla bla... Maybe a sort of template with some hints and tips could have more success.

mosen ( 2015-03-31 19:06:07 +0300 )edit

For the banks, the best "spam" might be to get a group of people willing to switch their bank to the first one serving Jolla customers with a native mobile app :) I'm in!

simo ( 2015-03-31 20:42:20 +0300 )edit

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answered 2015-03-31 20:36:48 +0300

This post is a wiki. Anyone with karma >75 is welcome to improve it.

updated 2015-03-31 20:51:54 +0300

r0kk3rz

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There's a couple of different options depending on the level of effort they want to go to.

Publish Android App on Jolla Store

This is the easiest solution for them, the only thing they need to do is remove any Google Play Services API calls and test within the alien-dalvik environment. For best results they will need to buy a Jolla phone for testing.

Rewrite App as Qt/C++

This essentially requires re-writing the whole app from scratch, but you can sweeten the deal by saying that re-writing the app into Qt/C++ makes it easy to support BBOS10 and Ubuntu Touch from largely the same codebase.

Other option for you is to install the APK from Google Play which can be done in a couple of different ways which are detailled here

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edited post to be a wiki, anyone feel free to add anything

r0kk3rz ( 2015-03-31 20:54:01 +0300 )edit

Well I've joined up to their forum and asked the question, got in a plug for Jolla/ Sailfish OS and Linux all in one fell swoop ;)

I've asked now, so all I can do is wait and see what they say, I may just link to this thread as well so they can see the suggestions for porting the app' , but I'd guess their developers would already know and it'd be more of a case of whether it was financially 'viable' for them?

And thanks for all the suggestions, I'd happily wait and install a native app' if they're prepared to build one rather than install googles store, but I appreciate the instructions, fingers crossed I might not need them . . . . . .

davekelly ( 2015-04-01 03:09:15 +0300 )edit

answered 2015-04-01 00:06:36 +0300

bilgy_no1
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I've been thinking about this exact issue as well, and applying the 'Do-it-Together' spirit could definitely expand the reach of such an effort. However, there should be a little bit of coordination / orchestration in such an effort. If not, Jolla may lose control over the marketing towards partners and this can potentially hurt the company.

By coordination I mean:

Work with local (endorsed) teams of Jolla enthousiasts who create a local strategy based on 'must have' local apps Provide the local teams with good support from @JollaHQ (marketing materials, consulting, funding, etc.)
Provide support to the app publishers in porting apps to Sailfish (or in de-googling Android apps)
Identify, train and support local Sailfish developers. They can work for app publishers to port apps to sailfish (business opportunity for developers)
Do this together with local mobile carriers: in order to make it attractive for publishers to port apps, there should be sufficient local users. It would be even better if it there are local phone OEMs (like Fairphone in The Netherlands or Bq in Spain), so the effort can really get a local focus.

Timing for this effort should be around the launch of Jolla 2 (i.e. the next phone), which I expect to be towards the end of the year. By then there is a new and competitive device, and Sailfish 2.0 will have matured some more. This will of course take time to organise, but I'm sure there are many around here who are willing to step up.

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perhaps Jolla can organise another Jolla Love Day type event where they make up some good promotional materials and templates people can use to share on social media, and to carriers, retailers, app developers .etc asking for their support on a particular pre-organised day.

It need not be timed with a phone launch, in fact it would probably be best to time it in between the Tablet launch (more users) and any Jolla Phone 2 announcement to give businesses time to get on board before the next phone launch.

r0kk3rz ( 2015-04-01 13:00:53 +0300 )edit

Question Re: Asking companies to support Sailfish OS

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