iPhone AppStore digital application signing explained

Posted by David on March 22nd, 2008 at 11:16am Comments

You’ve probably wondered how Apple is going to keep control over applications in AppStore?

According to Daniel Eran Dilger’s “Roughly Drafted” Apple will use a combination of digital application signatures and the FairPlay DRM that they licensed not too long ago. This will allow Apple not only to prevent software piracy between iPhone users but also the ability to disable the app in case it was found malicious. Or even worse, remove the license from developer to publish again.

“Apple has the same kind of control over developers that the DMV holds over drivers,” Dilger says. “If drivers faced no threat of losing their license, there would be no way of holding them accountable to drive according to the law.”

While $99 might seem like a big price, it is nothing compared to what Rim Charges. While you have to pay Apple onetime fee of $99, RIM charges $100 per computer used to develop applications. So if a firm has over 100 computers that is quite a price to pay.

Developers working on Qualcomm’s BREW have to spend $500 for a VeriSign certificate that can only be used on 100 applications. It costs $895 to sign 500 applications, and 1000 application signatures costs $1295. Symbian charges a onetime fee of $200 Express Signed program and $780 US for Certified Signed program.

30% collected by Apple are considered quite low too. For example other stores like Danger (of Sidekick fame) charges a 50% for app sold, Handango, which sells Symbian, Palm, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile software charges 40%, and there are stores which charge up to 70% per app sold. Nokia’s Software Market and Motricity’s Smartphone.net, which take a 40% cut. In addition, Apple pays of monthly while others quarterly.

“Earning 70% of tens of thousands of $5 sales is a much better deal than earning 50% of a few dozen $20 titles, or 100% of a handful of sales at $50,” says Dilger. “While Microsoft, Symbian, RIM, and others scramble to offer their own software stores that can match iTunes, it will all be too little, too late. Apple has the cohesive platform grabbing the most attention, the most familiar and modern developer tools, and the most trusted consumer software store.

So indeed this is a great deal!

Thanks: IntoMobile

 

Related posts:

1. Over 100 million apps downloaded from iPhone AppStore
2. The first Live TV iPhone application.
3. Signing Time Lite: free program to teach kids ASL sign language
4. Kali Anti-Piracy: copy protection for iPhone AppStore apps
5. Apple to pass 200 million AppStore downloads today

Care to rate this iPhone World article? Current news rating:

Filed Under: Apple News+ News+ iPhone News+ iPhone SDK Watch