SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ:AMZN) – Amazon today launched Appstore Developer Select, a program for developers who optimize their apps and games for Amazon’s Appstore and Fire OS. Developers in the Appstore Developer Select program will receive a broad range of marketing and economic benefits that will help improve app discovery and increase sales even further. Appstore Developer Select apps receive premium placement in the Amazon Appstore, 500,000 ad impressions on the Amazon Mobile Ad Network, and automatic inclusion in the Amazon Appstore Coins Reward category. Customers will receive Amazon Coins when they purchase Appstore Developer Select apps, games, and in-app items. Developers in the program also receive credits equaling 25% off their first $2,000 in AWS services annually.
To qualify for Appstore Developer Select, apps simply need to be optimized for the Amazon Appstore and Fire OS and include relevant Amazon APIs, such as GameCircle, In-App Purchasing, and Mobile Ads. Optimized apps are those that render natively in high definition (HD) and use the entire screen without distortion, pixilation or stretching. Existing Amazon Appstore developers, including HTML5 developers, with qualifying apps will be automatically enrolled in the Appstore Developer Select program. Other developers should optimize their apps now to prepare for the start of the holiday season when customers can earn Coins with the purchase of qualified Appstore Developer Select apps, games and in-app items. The Appstore Developer Select program is available for developers worldwide, and developers can learn more about the benefits and how to optimize their apps at https://developer.amazon.com/select.
“Mobile app developers have told us that getting their apps discovered across the numerous devices customers are using is one of their biggest challenges,” said Mike George, Vice President of Amazon Appstore, Games and Cloud Drive. “With the Appstore Developer Select program, we’re addressing these discoverability concerns by providing developers with enhanced merchandising opportunities. In addition, we’re helping drive sales by offering Coins rewards on high quality, engaging apps for customers.”
Amazon Appstore customers automatically receive 250 bonus Coins for their first purchase of any qualified app or in-app item, and receive up to 30% back in Coins on future purchases. Customers can redeem their Coins for any item available in the Amazon Appstore.
Developers should review the Appstore Developer Select program summary and submit their optimized apps at https://developer.amazon.com/select. Existing developers, Alt 12 and Fluik Entertainment believe that this program will address one of their greatest needs, improving discoverability of their apps and games.
"We already strive to create high quality apps for the Amazon Appstore and have found it very easy to integrate Amazon APIs such as Mobile Associates and mobile ads,” said Jennifer Wong with Alt12 Apps. “With this program, Amazon is rewarding us with one of the most critical needs we have as developers - to get our apps in front of more customers.”
“As a self-publishing developer working hard to build engaging, high quality apps, a program like Appstore Developer Select helps us get noticed by showcasing the highest quality apps for consumers,” said Victor Rubba, CEO of Fluik Entertainment. “Discoverability is a challenge we often face and with Amazon providing featured merchandising and 500,000 mobile ad impressions we will be seen by more customers which leads to more purchases and a stronger ROI with Amazon.”
Today’s launch of the Kindle Developer Select program is the latest offering in an array of services that make Amazon the most complete end-to-end ecosystem for developers building, monetizing and marketing their apps and games. These capabilities include:
- The ability for app developers to use Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) technology platform for their infrastructure needs. Building blocks such as Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), and Amazon DynamoDB allow developers to focus on what differentiates their app rather than the undifferentiated heavy lifting of infrastructure.
- Login with Amazon, which allows developers to easily reduce sign-in friction for their customers, leading to higher engagement and order conversion.
- In-App Purchasing on Kindle Fire, Android, Mac, PC and web-based games. This enables developers to offer their digital items in apps and games while allowing end users to simply use their Amazon accounts to make the purchase.
- Mobile Associates API for Kindle Fire and other Android devices. This enables developers to merchandise millions of physical and digital items from Amazon.com within their apps and games.
- Mobile Ads, which helps developers monetize their apps by displaying high quality, relevant display ads from brand advertisers, including Amazon.
- A/B Testing, which helps developers improve app functionality with the ability to simultaneously test two different in-app experiences to determine which is more successful prior to launching to a broad audience.
- GameCircle, which includes capabilities like Achievements, Leaderboards, Friends and Whispersync for syncing games across iOS and Android, including Kindle Fire, and leads to better engagement with games.
- Amazon Appstore, which allows developers to distribute their apps and games to millions of Amazon customers in nearly 200 countries.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the world’s best-selling and most advanced e-reader. It features new display technology with higher contrast, the next generation built-in light, a faster processor, the latest touch technology, and exclusive new features designed from the ground up for readers. Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, features improved fonts and faster page turns. Kindle Fire HD features a stunning custom high-definition display, exclusive Dolby audio with dual stereo speakers, high-end, laptop-grade Wi-Fi with dual-band support, dual-antennas and MIMO for faster streaming and downloads, enough storage for HD content, and the latest generation processor and graphics engine -- and it is available in two display sizes -- 7” and 8.9”. The large-screen Kindle Fire HD is also available with 4G wireless. The all-new Kindle Fire features a 20% faster processor, 40% faster performance, twice the memory, and longer battery life.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, www.amazon.es, www.amazon.com.br, www.amazon.in, and www.amazon.com.mx. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and data center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
