Beta is like high school – it’s the first step to becoming adult you, you learn a lot about who you are, and, hopefully, it ends. Today, we’re proud to announce Frontline’s graduation from beta.
Focus on the users, and all else will follow
If we were to have a mantra on the FrontlineSMS project, it would be this: "Focus on the users, and all else will follow". From the very beginning we've been unashamedly focused on servicing the needs of our growing NGO user base. Much of the advanced functionality you see in the software today has been requested by users over the course of the last four years, and much of the feature request list we're working through today is based on feedback received since the major MacArthur-funded re-launch last summer. Our focus on the user is beginning to pay off, with well over 500 members actively engaged online. Although we're excited with our progress, we're far from complacent and there's much more we need to, and can, do.
With growing numbers of these users actively engaging online, others have started contributing their own stories on how they're applying the software in their social change work. All that remains now is the creation of the second part of the community puzzle - this time for developers.
With invaluable support from our friends at the Open Society Institute (OSI) and the Free Software Foundation, last autumn we finally solved some lengthy and complex licensing work with the FrontlineSMS code. With a number of educational establishments, NGOs and individual developers keen to begin work, we pushed the code out on SourceForge, posted a community blog entry a little later, and got on with improving functionality and providing continued frontline technical support to the NGO user base.
Although some early partners have already started working with the code, we've been holding back on an official announcement until we have everything in place - IRC, mailing lists, documentation and processes, for example - and the code is in the best possible shape for people to work with.
Earlier last month we started working with Aspiration Tech in San Francisco, who will be responsible for helping build the community. Our own developers, a number of users, and other volunteer programmers are all incredibly excited to be working with Aspiration, who are experts in the field. We'll make an announcement once we're good to go.
Although there is considerable buzz and excitement around mobile technology and source code at the moment, we've been firm believers that the users come first. Without them you have no project, no community. Only now, after increasing numbers of this first community - the users - begin to apply the software in exciting and innovative ways, is everyone ready - developers included - to tackle the second.