Jolla's Mobile Sailfish OS Gets A Break In Russia With Certification As The Government's 'Android Alternative'

By Precious Gem de Peralta
Jolla tablet
Jolla's mobile Sailfish OS is actually running on limited devices like Jolla tablet, Jolla C phone, the Turing phone and Intex Aqua Fish. Karlis Dambrans / Flickr

Android, iOS and Windows 10 Mobile are the known ones when it comes to mobile operating systems. Not many are aware of the Sailfish OS. However, that is about to change as the mobile OS tries to break into Russia. The Finnish-based software developer Jolla proudly announced that the Russian government has certified the Sailfish OS as its "Android alternative".

According to Forbes, it is now "the only mobile OS in Russia to be used in governmental and government controlled corporation's upcoming mobile device projects". This means that the Sailfish OS is enjoying an advantage over Android and iOS in the most unlikely country. This scenario is not common for the two more widely used mobile operating system. The Sailfish OS was chosen by Russia's IT Ministry over other alternative mobile operating system like Tizen.

Russia's choice might have something to do with having more control with such operating system. Apparently, this certification is for a "Russian version of the OS". In fact, Sailfish and Russian company Open Mobile Platform (OMP) has been developing it for eighteen months along with the Sailfish OS itself. This is because the main operating system will still be the core component of its Russian version. This strategy is part of the government's goal of reducing its "reliance on foreign-controlled" OS like Android and iOS to 50 percent by 2025. That is still a long way to go since the market share of these two mobile OS was at 95 percent in 2015.

According to TechCrunch, Jolla's CEO and co-founder Sami Pienimäki suggested that the Sailfish-powered devices might arrive in the Russian market by 2017. Meanwhile, Jolla Chairman Antti Saarnio said that consumers will "come around to seeking a privacy-focused alternative to Android". Though he added that there is actually "no mass market for Sailfish". To put it simply, the said mobile OS is limited to Jolla's devices like the Jolla tablet and Jolla C.

Jolla is yet to make a mark in the tech industry. Forbes reported that it had to focus on software instead of hardware after a "limited success with its first self-titled handset and an aborted crowd-funded tablet device". If you are looking for devices that run on the Sailfish OS, there are only a few of them that include the Intex Aqua Fish, the Turing Phone and the Jolla C developer handset. This news will certainly benefit the OS and Jolla.

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