I agree. I was thinking Phone# is better than IMEI, because 99% of people take their phone numbers with them.
But, I thought if someone got a new number, I could query for sufficient details to "re-enabled" from the old checkout record. Actually, it seems the best would be simply embedding the Google Checkout transaction ID in the APK somehow, or otherwise making it available. Scott, SoftwareForMe.com On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 2:04 PM, Streets Of Boston <[email protected]>wrote: > > I wouldn't use IMEI or phone-number. > App purchases are linked to a google account. If a user switches to a > new phone, they'd need a new activation and this can mean support > headaches for the app developer. > > Google should give us a good way to identify the user as he/she is > tied to his/her google-account that was active when the app was > downloaded from the Android Market. It should not be the account-name > itself (privacy) but some proper hash of it that remains unique. > > On Oct 29, 4:56 pm, "SoftwareForMe.com SoftwareForMe.com" > <[email protected]> wrote: > > I agree that it is a little disappointing that there is no better > protection > > scheme, and that the losses hurt. > > > > A quick story: our app, PhoneMyPC, a PC remoting app is a combination > > application and hosted service. The phone and PC use our servers to > > cooperatively get connected for each remote control session. This makes > > PhoneMyPC ideal for people inside corporate firewalls, or who just don't > > want to bother configuring for RDP or VNC. > > > > We are nearing the end of a [protracted] Beta program. In the beginning, > we > > were hosting on port 443. Several weeks ago we switched to a different > port > > (temporarily), and kept both services running while users downloaded the > new > > release. > > > > Most people moved to the new server within a week, but a large body (half > of > > all connections using our service) never moved at all. After more than > two > > weeks, we discontinued service on the old port, and there has not yet > been a > > single support contact as a result. > > > > We made the decision to disconnect the old service even though it was > still > > being well used because we discovered our app being sold illegally on one > of > > the websites talked about in this group. > > > > So, our "retention for pay" rate is also about 70%, yet we believe as > many > > as half of the people using our application (or at least possessing it) > have > > acquired it outside of the Android Market (and hence are not > automatically > > getting updates). > > > > For our purposes, Google could trivially enable us to protect our > resources > > by adding any phone identifier into the Google Checkout records, such as > > phone number or IMEI, so that we could tie phones running our app back to > > thei purchase records. > > > > Scott, > > SoftwareForMe.com > > > > On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 8:12 AM, [email protected] < > > > > > > > > > > > > [email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Regarding stats its very hard to get accurate numbers. > > > > > You are right in that the app retention stat on the dev console can > > > help show loss of sales through point 2 below. > > > > > On point 3, I can see on my order book that this results in the loss > > > of 15 - 20% of orders as I am in the UK - I believe this figure is > > > closer to 5% for US publishers. > > > > > Loss of sales from points 1 and 4 is almost impossible to calculate - > > > thats why I guessed a total loss of 70% on sales from all these > > > factors combined ... > > > > > 1. copy protection doesn't work - apps get hacked and redistributed > > > within 24 hours > > > 2. users backup apps to sdcard, refund and reinstall = no payment to > > > dev > > > 3. payments fail on international orders > > > 4. most countries still excluded from paid apps > > > > > And sadly if the hackers want your new features enough, e.g. a major > > > update, they will get it out to their minions within 24 hours. > > > > -- > > Warm regards, > > The PhoneMyPC Team- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > -- Warm regards, The PhoneMyPC Team --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Discuss" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-discuss?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
