In an interview with ZDNet, Jolla CTO Stefano Mosconi has discussed about all things Jolla. There are some interesting points, some strategical insights and some tall claims as well. Mosconi talks about kind of ‘guys’ who may have lapped up first full batch of Jolla device.
Nonetheless, the first batch of its devices have been fully booked by a bunch of what Jolla predicts are highly discerning techies.
“We are talking about the kind of guys that are after design objects, guys that are driven by style, but we’re also looking at the geeks, that are really really into tech, the early adopters, people who want to try something new. Then maybe there is space for people bored with status quo — a businessman that’s been using the iPhone for five years and is bored.”
On being asked about the next Jolla device, CTO talks about problem of plenty and things world hasn’t seen yet.
While the company hasn’t started work on its second device, there are already concepts in mind. “If this goes well, we have plenty of ideas — the problem is we have too many maybe. We just have to choose which one is the coolest one. There are things that the world hasn’t seen yet.”
While this is all good, shouldn’t Jolla’s first smartphone come up with one or two of such never-seen stuff? That could have fetched them instant mileage among Tech-media.
Strategical insights include their search for a Chinese Android store partner like Yandex and partnerships they are forging which can keep them going with less investment. They also reveal how Nokia has been good to them.
“Nokia had already their APIs kind of ported to Qt because of MeeGo, so we thought the timeline they were telling us was most visible and truthful. Then of course the relationship with Nokia is extremely good — we didn’t think they would have screwed us, and they didn’t. I was surprised things went so well in a short amount of time,” Mosconi said.
However, Yandex is not likely to be Jolla’s sole partner when it comes to apps: the startup may eventually look for a similar Chinese Android app store partner to make more headway there. The country has been a priority startup for some time, with the announcement last year of the Sailfish alliance: a group of chipset vendors, OEMs, ODMs, operators and retailers designed to help build an ecosystem around the MeeGo OS.
Rather than putting in place all the various teams a mobile maker needs — after-sales, tech support, marketing and so on — by hiring the staff itself, it’s hoping to extend its reach by forging partnership with other, more established companies that have the capabilities it needs inhouse.
On example of the strategy is the deal with DNA, which will carry the devices in its stores, giving Finnish consumers a place to check out the handsets without Jolla having to invest in any stores of its own.
“We’re trying to do the same little by little in every country, finding people that can help us, not only in showing phone and let people try it, but in supporting users and customers. So when you say maybe tomorrow Jolla is a big corporation, maybe not, maybe instead of growing it like pizza dough, we might have a lot of satellites that are not us, but are connected to us. This idea comes from open source communities, how they work — it’s a lot of people around the world, all contributing to the same cause.”
Thanks Krishna for the Tip!
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