896784 - Service Operator Icon on Home screen

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox OS Graveyard :: Gaia::Homescreen, defect)

Description

[arky [:arky]]

Please provide a operator service icon(aka SIM Toolkit) on the home screen apps page. This allows users to quickly access the service provided by the operator. 

Use-case: 
1. To access M-Pesa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-Pesa) service 
2. Users have to go numerous screens. 
settings > Operator Service ... 

Some of the users are not even sure where to find operator service at all.

Comment 1

[Josh Carpenter [:jcarpenter]]

Hi Arky, can you provide a few more details? I am slightly ignorant to SIM toolkit functionality, so apologies if these questions are very basic.

* How often do users need to access SIM toolkit settings? eg: only the first time they use a new SIM on their device? Or every time they swap their card? I suspect it's closer to the former?

* Is modifying SIM toolkit settings done by all user segments, or is it more of an "advanced" function?

* Can you point us towards satisfactory experiences on other devices? Is there one implementation of SIM toolkit that is particularly effective, and if so, in what way?

> Please provide a operator service icon(aka SIM Toolkit) on the home screen apps page.

We are generally very conservative about adding icons to the Home grid because we want to ensure a clean experience for new users. There are other mechanisms we can leverage, however. In Firefox OS 1.3 we're adding a "Settings Drawer" which will provide access to common settings via a system-wide edge gesture. If SIM toolkit controls were added to this space they could be easily reached from anywhere in the OS. We also prompt the user to input their SIM settings in the current first run experience, IIRC. We could look at expanding this flow to provide advanced options, to make it friendlier, etc. And of course we can always re-jigger the Settings menu structure to make SIM toolkit more prominent. Perhaps even a top level item. 

That is to say, we have many options at our disposal, and with more information we can make the right call.

Comment 2

[arky [:arky]]

Thanks Josh
(In reply to Josh Carpenter [:jcarpenter] from comment #1)
> Hi Arky, can you provide a few more details? I am slightly ignorant to SIM
> toolkit functionality, so apologies if these questions are very basic.
> 
> * How often do users need to access SIM toolkit settings? eg: only the first
> time they use a new SIM on their device? Or every time they swap their card?
> I suspect it's closer to the former?

In East Africa there is very popular service call M-Pesa(Mobile Money). Users access this service often to make payments and to width-draw cash everyday. 

In other countries (South Asia), Operators bundle USSD services on the SIM cards. Ring tones, Social media services etc. These are accessed regulary.


> * Is modifying SIM toolkit settings done by all user segments, or is it more
> of an "advanced" function?

It is common task that is used by lay users.


> * Can you point us towards satisfactory experiences on other devices? Is
> there one implementation of SIM toolkit that is particularly effective, and
> if so, in what way?
> 

Android has an icon on application screen called 'SIM Toolkit'. Other phones such Nokia have icons 'Services' or under settings menu.

Comment 3

[arky [:arky]]

Attachment: Safaricom-M-pesa.png

Android 4.2. 

Tapping 'SIM Services' icon from Applications screen takes you to this.

Comment 4

[arky [:arky]]

Attachment: IMG_20131015_100141.jpg

Screenshot of simple phone used for mobile money in Rwanda/Kenya.

Comment 5

[Josh Carpenter [:jcarpenter]]

Thanks Arky, that's great background info. I've asked Bruce to chime in, as he's in charge of SIM Toolkit and the best person to speak to future feature development For my own part I want to dig up some video of MPESA use, to get a better sense of the flows involved. It's a bit difficult to understand the nuances from a single screenshot.

Comment 6

[arky [:arky]]

Here are videos of m-pesa in action 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGYOfmcauQU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRjG4rqN8oI

Comment 7

[Bruce Huang [:bhuang] (inactive)]

I'm backlogging this for now.

Comment 8

[Stephen Wanjau]

Was this resolved?

Recent builds have the SIM toolkit still embedded under the settings which makes it hard for potential users to get it.

Comment 9

[Kevin Grandon :kgrandon]

Mass update: Resolve wontfix all issues with legacy homescreens.

As of 2.6 we have a new homescreen and having these issues open is confusing. All issues will block bug 1231115 so we can use that to re-visit any of these if needed.