BlackBerry 10 App Developers Could Receive Guaranteed $10,000

Steve McCaskill,

RIM says new BlackBerry 10 App programmes demonstrate its faith in developers

RIM is hoping to encourage developers to create applications for its upcoming BlackBerry 10 operating system by guaranteeing them at least $10,000 for their app – if they generate $1,000 on their own first.

Prospective BlackBerry 10 app developers should submit their wares to BlackBerry App World before the launch of BlackBerry 10. If an app earns at least $1,000 in net revenue, either through sales or in-app purchases, but less than $10,000, RIM will pay the difference.

More than three billion applications have been downloaded from BlackBerry App World since it was launched in 2009, roughly 2.5 million a day.

Blackberry 10 App

“We know our dev community is the best out there, and we’re as committed to your success as you are,” said RIM in a BlackBerry Dev Blog. “With the $10K Developer Commitment, we’re putting our money where our mouth is.

“Quality is the cornerstone of the developer experience improvements we’ve been working on, and RIM is dedicated to working with developers to bring the best apps to our customers.”

RIM has also announced its new Built for BlackBerry programme. Developers can submit either native or WebWorks applications for BlackBerry 10 for third party review and if successful, they will be allowed to use the “Built for BlackBerry” standard in their marketing.

BlackBerry 10 WebWorks allows web application developers to create apps using familiar languages such as HTML5, CSS and JavaScript before integrating them further into the software.

The service will be free initially, and RIM has called it a “great opportunity for professional developers to powerfully differentiate their apps in BB App World.”

The company has struggled recently and is currently undergoing a restructuring programme that has seen thousands of employees lose their jobs. Hopes for a revival rest on smartphones running BlackBerry 10 and it is believed that as many as six devices are in development for release next year.

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