xMatters mobile apps for users in China

Question

As an xMatters user in China, I have limited options to download or use the xMatters mobile app. Is there any way I can download the app from an app store approved by the Chinese government?

Environment

  • All versions of xMatters
  • Users based in China

Answer

As explained on our security and trust pages, the xMatters app needs to store some personal information for each user that accesses it. This means that the app is subject to certain rules and regulations that depend on the user's location — the rules for users in Europe, for example, are slightly different than those for American users.

China recently updated their mobile app regulations, and now require all apps and app stores to share specific business details with the Chinese government before they will allow users in China to access them, and any app that collects personal information must store that information on servers physically located in China. Depending on how the regulations are enforced, this would effectively require xMatters to host the backend of our app — and possibly our cloud-based SaaS — within China.

Hosting our infrastructure within China is not feasible, given our data hosting arrangements and infrastructure implementation. As of this writing, users can download the xMatters mobile app from the Apple Store but it is unlikely that we will be able to make the xMatters mobile app available if and when these regulations are enforced. It's also unclear what will happen to any users in China that already have the xMatters app installed on an iPhone.

We will continue to offer service to users in China via voice, SMS, and email, and we're following closely any updates related to the regulations or their enforcement. We'll also continue to explore any opportunities that will allow us to provide the xMatters mobile apps in China. 

 

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