Editor
With the release of Sailfish OS 2.0, the next generation version of its mobile operating system, Jolla is now set to license its OS to device vendors globally. To enable quick time-to-market for licensing partners, Jolla has developed a range of optimised Sailfish OS hardware platforms from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 200/600/800 configurations, a highly scalable mobile processor family offering 4G LTE to everyone in all price ranges.
The world’s first licensing partner to utilise the Sailfish OS 2.0 platform is Intex Technologies, second largest smartphone vendor of Indian origin, who will bring Sailfish OS based products to the market later in 2015.
Sailfish India: creating a true alternative Indian mobile ecosystem
At the same time, Jolla announced ‘Sailfish India’, a regional mobile ecosystem initiative with first partners including Intex Technologies; Times Internet, the largest digital network in India; and Snapdeal, India’s largest online marketplace.
The aim for Sailfish India is to develop a unique Indian mobile ecosystem, which will lead to greater differentiation in the market with more choices for consumers, higher user satisfaction and better revenues for local businesses. Further Sailfish India partners will be announced later.
Dr. Antti Saarnio, Executive Chairman of Jolla comments: “In our BRICS country strategy we have been proceeding fastest in India, which is one the most important markets in the future of mobile. We have seen a lot of interest among Indian device vendors, digital media houses, and mobile operators, and they all are very keen to work with an alternative to the currently dominating mobile operating systems. India deserves its own regional mobile ecosystem, an open platform, which supports local Indian services and businesses.”
“We are very excited to partner and work with Intex Technologies, a challenger and now a leader in its own field in India. We see Intex as a fast moving, growth company that is ready to disrupt the market just like Sailfish OS. Also, we are thrilled to have our new content, and e-commerce partners Times Internet and Snapdeal join the movement.”
Mr. Sanjay Kalirona, Head of Mobile Business, Intex Technologies comments: “We are very excited to be the world’s first licensing partner for Sailfish OS. We look forward to utilising the great user experience of the next generation Sailfish OS 2.0 in our products. Together with the Sailfish India ecosystem partners we believe that we can provide an exciting alternative for smartphone lovers in India and later globally as well. With an open platform like Sailfish OS we have a magnificent opportunity to offer great locally relevant premium content to our customers, all integrated directly into the smartphone’s operating system.”
PartnerSpace: prominent location for local Internet services
Sailfish OS 2.0 offers PartnerSpace, a premium location directly in the OS for various local services. With specific revenue sharing models it can support local businesses and services in unseen ways.
Online shopping is nowadays mostly used through apps in mobile devices. By integrating India’s largest online marketplace Snapdeal to a prominent location in the Sailfish OS user interface, it will drive value for both Snapdeal and consumers by making online purchases just a swipe away.
Karan Khara, VP Strategic Alliances, Snapdeal comments: “Mobile is driving the online commerce growth in India; we see more than 75% of our sales coming through the mobile platform. We are very excited to be a part of another first by Jolla and are confident that the Sailfish India ecosystem will receive a great response from users across the country.”
Indian consumers love music and cricket. Sailfish India partner, Times Internet, is the largest media house in India and has the best services in these areas, with services like Gaana.com and Cricbuzz.com, which can be made available to consumers with a single swipe.
Pratik Mazumder, Marketing Head, Times Internet comments: “We believe that the way Sailfish OS is enabling services to be more prominently present in the user interface of the operating system offers both consumers and content owners great new advantages Especially when our services like Gaana.com and crizbuzz.com will be a part of their partner zone, a premium location in the OS. We’re honored to be a part of the Sailfish India ecosystem, providing exciting content to the Indian smartphone users”.
Antti Saarnio continues: “We strongly believe that services, which are integrated on the OS level in a prominent location will get ten times more user exposure and will generate multiple times higher user revenues (ARPU). Sailfish OS user interface is designed to support higher ARPU generation for our content and e-commerce partners. With Intex devices combined with quality content from Times Internet and Snapdeal this new business concept is going to have a world premier in India. Jolla is proud to be in the frontier with its Indian ecosystem partners, and introduce new business models for the whole mobile industry.”
Sailfish OS 2.0: award winning new user interface
With the upcoming 16th software update, the Sailfish platform matures to Sailfish OS 2.0. The biggest software update to date introduces a totally new and visually refreshed user interface, which is fast and easy to use, enhancing the flow of the OS dramatically, and making the user interface designed for live multitasking even more effective than before. Sailfish OS 2.0 was first introduced on the Jolla Tablet prototype, which, even in an early phase, won an award for Best Tablet of MWC 2015.
Sailfish OS 2.0 also introduces e.g. improved Android application compatibility and browser experience, smoother transitions throughout the OS and overall improved stability and performance. The update makes the daily use of the OS even faster and smoother.
Gollapalli Nithin Kumar
Editorial Staff
