Buzzworks has announced version one of a new open source platform for distributing ad-hoc betas to iOS testers called Hockey. As an alternative to TestFlight, Hockey faces stiff competition from developers seeking a “happy meal” solution for rapidly exchanging the latest iterations of applications with minimal setup. The immediate difference between TestFlight and Hockey comes down to the developer’s willingness or want to host their own their own apps: Hockey requires initial (though minimal) setup in combination with a PHP5 server. Arguably every developer has their own hosted nameapp.com website which they can utilize for this purpose, but what benefit does this provide to the developer? Satisfying the testers.
Hockey’s goal is to solve one of TestFlight’s cons at the tester end of ingesting the most up-to-date releases of ad-hoc distributions: the endless slew of emails that ultimately overtakes mail count in your spam box. Hockey’s iOS client presents tester with a single interface where they can review applications and release notes without the extra step of a notification via an email-link and/or dashboard login. This is appealing to me, as keeping track of updates in my inbox is ultimately more annoying than helpful in informing me of bug fixes and updates.
Back on the developer end, Hockey attempts to clear up miscommunication of any bugs (that may have already been fixed) thanks to a dashboard that informs developers of what devices have what released versions, removing a barrier and allowing developers to pinpoint what versions have specific problems before code is rewritten or merged for the next update. This is helpful in keeping the tester community informed of what should and shouldn’t be expected in their version.
Two iOS developers, FutureTap & Fabian Kreiser (of Icebird), are noted as using Hockey for ad-hoc distributions of their applications. I personally find Hockey appealing because of its minimal impact on testers - the whole of the beta experience ultimately encourages feedback than dissuading your team from providing any at all. Hockey may seem intimidating because of its initial setup, but I find it to be a strong alternative to other popular means of distribution if the end goal is more seamlessness, and less management.
Hockey is available on GitHub under the MIT license.
