Note: This FAQ contains information about ScientiaMobile's general commercial offering. Information about specific aspects of the Dual-Licensed WURFL APIs can be found here
Q: I already use WURFL. How does the creation of ScientiaMobile affect me?
A: The creation of ScientiaMobile means more resources dedicated to the project, more data, better data quality and, above all, more tools to help developers handle device
fragmentation. We believe this is a positive development for all WURFL adopters.
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Q: Another company is selling WURFL data with a different API. Why should I choose ScientiaMobile?
A: WURFL data may not be resold or used with a different API. If you discover a company that is doing this, please notify us. While the source code and
the repository are not hidden, third-parties do not have the legal right to take the work and resell it.
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Q: How do I update my WURFL data automatically?
A: All ScientiaMobile WURFL OnSite and WURFL InFuze customers are given access to
a direct download URL for obtaining the latest WURFL snapshot. This is either the
weekly snapshot (released on Sunday night), or an Out-Of-Band snapshot that we
release to our customers between weekly snapshots in case of a significant
improvement to the data (for example, if a high-profile device is released mid-
week and it is not yet in WURFL). The snapshots are licensed to your organization
with your commercial license included. To access the direct download URL,
customers can login to ScientiaMobile and
click on the Login link in the top-right of the screen. This will provide access
to the customer vault. Clicking on "direct download link" in the lower right of
the vault will create a custom direct download URL. This URL is unique to each
customer and must be kept private. Instructions for implementing automatic
downloading of WURFL data are included in the customer vault. Please see
this forum
post for further details.
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Q: Can I be notified whenever there is an API update or other significant change?
A: Yes. Commercial licensees are already notified, but you may manually subscribe to the ScientiaMobile Announcements list if you have
another address where you'd like to receive the notifications.
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Q: What is the price of a commercial license?
A: We offer the following primary types of licenses: WURFL Cloud, WURFL OnSite, and WURFL InFuze. The price varies based on the product (Cloud, OnSite, InFuze), the solution usage (Mobile
Web Optimization, Analytics, Advertising), the number of detections, the scope of the deployment (single site, multiple sites, OEM), and the size of the company. This usage allows
you great flexibility to find a solution priced to match your needs.
View our standalone license pricing.
View our Cloud license pricing.
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Q: What are the advantages to licensing WURFL commercially?
A: First, AGPL v3 demands that users are ready to open source the code on their sites. Removing this restriction alone is well worth the cost of the commercial license for most
organizations. A commercial license also provides customers with more frequent updates of the WURFL DDR files, access to the additional API languages, and increased support
levels.
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Q: Will a commercial license give me access to newer versions of the InFuze and OnSite APIs?
A: Yes. As part of the annual license, customers are entitled to upgrading to the latest and greatest released API.
Q: What is the renewal timeframe on the license?
A: WURFL Cloud is a monthly fee. WURFL OnSite and WURFL InFuze is an annual fee. These fees provide access to updates to clients, APIs or DDR data within the scope of their
particular product during that initial and renewal timeframe.
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Q: My company uses WURFL for analytics and reporting purposes. Do I need to license WURFL commercially?
A: Yes. Please contact ScientiaMobile and our sales team will work with you
to create an offer that best fits your analytical solution needs.
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Q: My product bundles WURFL which I sell to multiple customers. Do I need to acquire a Single commercial license for each of them?
A: ScientiaMobile also offers OEM commercial licenses for the WURFL OnSite and WURFL InFuze products. Pricing is based on the number of customers and is considerably lower than
the price of multiple single licenses. Please contact ScientiaMobile for details.
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Q: I am a device manufacturer/OEM who intends to ensure that its devices are correctly represented in WURFL. How can I make that happen?
A: Our process already involves including new and popular devices shortly after they become available on the market, but OEMs should make extra sure that devices are correctly
represented before the device is released. For this reason, we have a created a device manufacturer partner offering which provides a fast-track into making device data available
to the WURFL user base as soon as possible. Please contact ScientiaMobile about this offering.
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Q: What's the license of the WURFL APIs?
A: The FOSS license of the community APIs (the ones offered by ScientiaMobile free of charge) is AGPL v3, i.e. GPL v3 with an extra provision that closes the so-called ASP
loophole. Specifically, the FOSS AGPLv3 license applies to the Java, PHP, and .NET APIs that ScientiaMobile offers free of charge. Companies that are not OK with the terms of AGPL
v3 can license the APIs commercially. AGPLv3 does not apply to the APIs in the commercial products of WURFL Cloud (Java, PHP, .NET, Python, Ruby, Node.js, and Perl), WURFL OnSite
(Java, PHP, .NET), and WURFL InFuze (C++). This approach to software licensing is often called "dual licensing". The Free Software Foundation calls this "selling GPL
exceptions".
The GNU Affero Public License can be found at: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl.html
An overview of the
license and its implications can be found at this WikiPedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affero_General_Public_License
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Q: I am using the AGPL version of the WURFL API without modifying it. Will ScientiaMobile require that I release my code under an AGPL-compatible
license?
A: Yes. The simple act of linking (either statically or dynamically) the WURFL API with other software constitutes derivative work and, because of this, the so-called
'copyleft' provisions of GPL/AGPL are triggered. Not only is this ScientiaMobile's interpretation of the AGPL v3 license, but this is the interpretation of the Free Software
Foundation (the originator of the GPL and other free software licenses).
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Q: Can I add a new device profile to WURFL to manage a new device?
A: It depends on what you mean by 'adding to WURFL'. If you are a non-commercial user who has downloaded the public wurfl.xml file from SourceForge
repository, then no. This would constitute derivative work and infringe on the file license. Authorized contributors to the WURFL database can add new devices in accordance with
the agreement signed with ScientiaMobile. If you are a commercially licensed customer who has downloaded the wurfl.xml file from the customer vault (i.e. licensed
repository), then yes, you can. Any WURFL user (both commercial and AGPL) who would like to have additions permanently added to the WURFL DDR can submit a request by emailing
ScientiaMobile, or posting on our support forum.
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My company has a problem with deploying AGPL code on their servers. Can we pay and resolve this problem?
A: Yes. Please contact ScientiaMobile about purchasing a single commercial license for the API. The license will cover usage of the WURFL API and remove
AGPL-induced restrictions. A Single license does not cover the use of WURFL by third-party companies and organizations.
Please contact us regarding OEM licensing if you are interested in that product.
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Q: I have access to the API source code. Can I modify a WURFL matcher?
A: In general, yes, but there is a VERY important distinction to make. If you are licensing the code under AGPL, the answer is yes, but you will be required to make the modified
code available as soon as it is distributed, according to the terms of AGPL v3.
If you are licensing the code under a commercial license, the answer is still yes. You are not required to make the code available to anyone.
If by chance ScientiaMobile implements modifications to the software that are similar or identical to yours, we remain in our full right to do so and keep licensing the
API under AGPL, commercial or any other terms to third parties.
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Q: Can I use the WURFL API with a different framework?
A: Assuming you comply with the licenses, yes. Many frameworks have integrated WURFL APIs. However, AGPL tends to be sort of strict in terms of what it can legally be linked to.
The commercial license gives you more possibilities in commercial contexts.
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Q: What is the Customer Vault?
A: ScientiaMobile serves commercial licensees of WURFL by offering them a personal virtual space in which they can access their licenses and updated versions of the WURFL
repository. Every user who registers with ScientiaMobile obtains access to their customer vault via a username and password. Such a vault is initially empty and gets populated
with the goodies that the user acquires as they become commercial licensees.
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Q: What do commercial WURFL licensees find in their Customer Vault?
A: The Customer Vault contains the license for the software that has been
purchased. WURFL OnSite and WURFL InFuze customers will find several weeks of the
WURFL DDR updates. ScientiaMobile releases a new WURFL update every week. In
addition to the weekly snapshots, the Vault contains a customized URL to the
latest update, that can be used to update one's WURFL installation
programmatically. Please refer to the following
Forum post
for details. In the vault, WURFL Cloud Customers will find a link to the
Cloud Control panel, giving access to: personal API keys, WURFL capabilities,
usage history, and WURFL Cloud client for the different programming platforms.
Clicking on the image below will show a screen shot of how a Customer Vault may appear to commercial users.
Q: What is the WURFL Cloud?
A: The WURFL Cloud Service is a highly-available Cloud installation of the WURFL Device Description Repository that allows
companies to query updated mobile device information in real time. WURFL OnSite and WURFL InFuze APIs require that developers or system administrators periodically download and
deploy a newer wurfl.xml file, to enrich the DDR with the device profiles of recently-released devices.
WURFL Cloud Client has access to a constantly updated repository in the Cloud. WURFL Cloud is comprised of essentially two parts:
Q: How do I sign up for the WURFL Cloud?
A: Please See our Getting Started guide.
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Q: Is there a way to prepay annually for the service?
A: We support annual prepayment only if you have the standard or premium accounts and are willing to commit for a minimum of one year. If you chose the standard offer, you won't
be able to purchase extra capabilities. If you want to proceed with this, please contact us. Our team will issue an
invoice to you for payment.
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Q: Who can use the WURFL Cloud?
A: WURFL Cloud is open to companies of all sizes, though no OEM clients or software as a service companies (SaaS) can use the WURFL Cloud client to serve their customers. You
should refer to the Terms and Conditions for the use of the service if in doubt.
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Q: What counts as a detection?
A: A detection in the WURFL Cloud product is counted as a unique visitor in a 24 hour period. The number of detections you need will be roughly equal to your unique visitors in
a given month.
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Q: How can I get more capabilities and/or detections?
Extra capabilities can be added to the basic and standard plans for a $5/month charge. To get extra detections, you will need to upgrade to the next plan level. If you are still
hitting detection barriers, please contact ScientiaMobile for a custom solution.
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Q: Which languages are supported for talking to the WURFL Cloud?
A: Here is a list of languages for which a WURFL Cloud API exists: PHP 5.1+, Java 1.5+, ASP.NET 2.0 through 4.0, Perl, Node.js, Ruby and Python are officially supported. In
addition to this, at least one premium customer has been allowed to 'speak JSON' to the Cloud directly.
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Q: I am a hobbyist. Can I still use ScientiaMobile's WURFL Cloud?
A: ScientiaMobile also offers the Cloud free of charge to micro-companies, hobbyists and companies that simply want to evaluate the Cloud. Free usage is limited to 2 capabilities
and 5000 device detections per month.
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Q: Is the Cloud Client the same for free, basic, standard and premium offers?
A: The free, basic and standard offers share the same cloud client (simple cloud client). The premium offer requires a different cloud client (premium cloud client). The main
difference between the two clients (simple vs. premium) is the persistence layer (AKA caching layer) that the premium Cloud Client introduces to sustain large amounts of traffic.
The simple client will rely on the device cookies.
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Q: What will happen if I exceed my allowed number of detections?
A: The WURFL Cloud Client will throw an exception, such as WurflCloud_Client_AuthException for PHP (and similarly for other languages) if you have exceeded your
detections. You can use a try {}/catch {} block to keep the exception from bubbling up to your application.
Apart from that, the service will keep working for a
period that is long enough to assume that you have received notifications that the limit is exceeded and you should upgrade your account. Of course, if no action is taken, the
Cloud will eventually refuse service until the next billing period.
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Q: I am testing WURFL Cloud with FireFox/Chrome/Opera and plug-in X/Y/Z to spoof the user agent. I always get the same (wrong) results back from the
cloud. Am I missing something?
A: Yes. You are missing the fact that the Cloud Client will rely on cookies to store capabilities and avoid extra roundtrips to the Cloud for devices that were previously
serviced. If you want to use a desktop web browser (or other tool that spoofs the UA string) for testing, you should make sure that cookies are disabled or cleared. This is
explained in the WURFL Cloud getting started guide.
"...By default, the WURFL Cloud uses client-side cookies to cache device information in the browser. As a result you will need to temporarily disable cookies in your
desktop web browser to test for different devices. The method to disable cookies varies from browser to browser. Below are instructions for Firefox. For other browsers,
please refer to your browsers documentation..."
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Q: Does a C++ API for WURFL exist?
A: Yes. ScientiaMobile offers its own C++ API as part of its WURFL InFuze product. The API implements the same exact logic (and produces the same results) as ScientiaMobile's other APIs by
the same version number.
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Q: Can I use WURFL device detection through an Apache/NGINX Module?
A: Yes. ScientiaMobile has released modules for both Apache and NGINX.
This link has more info. The modules are based on the C++ API.
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Q: Can I use WURFL device detection through Varnish-Cache?
A: Yes. ScientiaMobile has released modules for Varnish Cache.
This link has more info. The module is based on our C++ API.
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Q: Where can I download the C++ API and/or the NGINX/Varnish/Apache Modules?
A: WURFL InFuze's C++ API and Modules are not released under a dual license, but exclusively under a commercial license. Paid customers receive access to the downloads via their
customer vault. Interested parties can inquire about licensing the usual way.
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Q: Will I need to build the Varnish/Nginx/Apache Module myself?
A: Probably not. We support a variety of popular Linux distributions. Feel free to contact us if you have special needs.
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Q: For which Linux distributions are the RPM/DEB packages available?
A: We offer RPM and DEB packages built and tested for the following platforms: Ubuntu 12.04, Centos 6.2, Fedora15 and Fedora17.
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Q: Where do I find installation instructions?
A: The modules installation is following the usual RPM and DEB installation procedure (i.e. rpm -i libwurfl-1.4.2.1.el6_2.centos.x86_64.rpm or
dpkg -i libwurfl-1.4.2.1.ubuntu12.04.amd64.deb). Please note that you will need to install all the dependencies in order to successfully install the WURFL InFuze
packages.
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Q: Are the three modules one single product?
A: No, the modules and C++ API are separated into 4 product options that are normally sold separately. Companies considering buying more than 1 option should contact us for
pricing.
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Q: What kind of documentation is provided with the packages?
A: Release notes, Changelog and example scripts are provided with each package.
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2013 - ScientiaMobile, Inc. All rights reserved. WURFL® is the registered trademark of ScientiaMobile, Inc.
