RIM has now brought out a brand new, swanky set of developer tools, which it calls WebWorks. These tools can be used by developers to write applications for the BlackBerry OS, by using standard web languages, such as CSS, HTML5 and JavaScript. RIM has done this in the hopes that this will make it far easier for the developer to create BlackBerry apps and thus, attract more devs to the BlackBerry OS.
RIM is following a multi-pronged attack to attract more developers toward their operating system:
Developer submission fees waived
But there is even better developer news from RIM. For a limited time, the company is waiving its application submission fees for all developers. This means that devs desirous of creating BlackBerry apps can now save a cool US$200 per application. This fee has been waived irrespective of whether the app is free or a paid one.
What is better, the developer whose app is approved will still earn 70% of the profit generated from the sales of that app.
More opportunities for monetization
It is still raining offers from RIM. Developers who would like to further monetize their apps will be provided with new tools that can be accessed through the API libraries in the SDK. These can be used to add ads to screen within apps and also include in-app purchasing options for upgrading users to subscriptions or premium content.
Developers that choose to monetize apps with such ads will get a chance to earn an additional 60% commission of the total ad revenue.
Free app analytical tools
The good news does not stop here. RIM has now additionally introduced new app analytical tools, which developers can use, totally free of cost.
These tools are provided in partnership with Webtrends analytics and will give devs useful information such as who downloaded their apps, which market they belong to and most importantly, which of their app features customers used and to what extent.
BlackBerry Messenger
RIM has been keeping the details of its BlackBerry Messenger or the BBM a closely guarded secret for so long. Now, the company has decided to let the cat on this one, at least a wee bit. BBM can be used by third-party app developers to send and receive messages, files and user profiles. The company is also expecting this to become a multiplayer gaming platform in the near future.
For your information, BBM will not be available on any other platform, so stop looking and head to the BlackBerry OS instead.
