RIM confirms BlackBerry application store will launch in March

Article

RIM confirms BlackBerry application store will launch in March

Research In Motion (RIM) confirmed Tuesday that it will create an online marketplace for BlackBerry applications similar to Apple's App Store for the iPhone. Dubbed the BlackBerry Application StoreFront, it will launch in March 2009.

The

    Requires Free Membership to View

    SearchMobileComputing.com members gain immediate and unlimited access to expert guides for mobile deployment, management and security, industry trends, and more-- all at no cost. Join me on SearchMobileComputing.com today!

    Kate Gerwig, Editorial Director

    By submitting your registration information to SearchMobileComputing.com you agree to receive email communications from TechTarget and TechTarget partners. We encourage you to read our Privacy Policy which contains important disclosures about how we collect and use your registration and other information. If you reside outside of the United States, by submitting this registration information you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Your use of SearchMobileComputing.com is governed by our Terms of Use. You may contact us at webmaster@TechTarget.com.

application store, which had been rumored for weeks amid various leaked documents and screenshots, will let developers set their own prices for applications and keep 80% of the revenue (a 10% cut above Apple's iTunes app sharing).

Ever mindful of its enterprise base, RIM also promised that companies which had deployed BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) would retain control over which applications can be downloaded to a device.

RIM said in a statement that carrier partners would also be given the opportunity to customize their devices' storefronts, giving RIM, as predicted, a multiple storefront strategy for BlackBerry.

The announcement came during RIM's annual BlackBerry Developer Conference. The company said that it would start accepting applications to be considered for the store this December.