Palm App Catalog To Sell Paid-For Apps In UK

Palm is to start selling paid-for applications for the Pre smartphone through its European App Catalog in March. Palm’s developer community manager Chuq Von Rospach announced the news in a blog post on Sunday.

Palm’s so-called “e-commerce developer programme for WebOS”, which has been available in the US since October, gives developers a new platform to distribute and monetise their applications, and provides Pre smartphone users with a wider choice. According to Palm, around 600 new paid-for applications became available via the App Catalog in just two months following the US launch.

“The general App Catalog model is not new, but what we’re doing with it is,” wrote Rospach. “We offer greater freedom and choice of how to get your applications to market and unparalleled control to promote and grow your business.”

Even with the expected boost in apps as a result of this expansion, Palm’s App Catalog is likely to remain a relatively minor player in the app market. Google’s Android app market recently reached 20,000 applications, while Apple’s iPhone app store currently holds close to 100,000 apps.