BlackBerry Application Store Taking Submissions
"Be first in line to submit applications you've designed for BlackBerry smartphones to the new BlackBerry application storefront," BlackBerry wrote in an announcement soliciting submissions. "We're counting down to a spring launch and we're accepting submissions right now."
According to BlackBerry, the storefront will give developers a spot to offer their applications, both for consumers and business users.
"The market for BlackBerry applications is growing at a phenomenal rate and the application storefront will offer you the exciting opportunity to showcase your applications to millions of BlackBerry smartphone users," BlackBerry said. "It will provide consumers with greater choice, and enhanced application discovery."
Submissions are open to developers around the globe. To submit applications, users must create a vendor account with BlackBerry. From there, they'll receive an e-mail with instructions. BlackBerry has also set a number of guidelines new vendors must follow to have their application accepted.
BlackBerry announced the Application Storefront in October. It is expected to officially launch in March.
"The new BlackBerry Application Storefront and BlackBerry application centers will further support the growing BlackBerry ecosystem and help bridge consumers with developers and carriers as more and more innovative and interesting applications arrive," RIM co-CEO and President Mike Lazaridis said in October.
RIM has said the storefront will let developers set their own prices for applications, similar to Apple's AppStore, and developers will retain 80 percent of the revenue brought in from their applications. To facilitate payments, RIM will work with eBay-owned online payment service PayPal to provide consumers with a payment method for applications within the storefront, which will let BlackBerry users buy applications directly from their smart phones.
BlackBerry's application store is a stab at Apple's AppStore, which offers some 15,000 free and paid applications and recently surpassed 500 million downloaded applications. It is also BlackBerry's answer to the Android Market, Google's application store for Google Android-based devices. Currently, the Android Market lags behind Apple's AppStore, with fewer applications. Android Market applications are currently free, but Google has said it will launch paid applications in the near future, which will likely fuel more downloads.
Palm, too, has an application store of its own, the Palm Software Store, which lets Palm device users browse and download more than 5,000 free and paid applications and games from their device. Palm's Software Store supports more than 25 devices, with the Palm Pre, which is expected to be included in that list soon. The Palm Pre, which runs Palm's new WebOS, was one of the most talked-about smartphones showcased at CES 2009 in Las Vegas.