In a recent interview by TechCrunch with the founders of CitySourced, a new webOS app that lets you file issues to your city, they found out more than just how to report potholes and graffiti from your phone. When pressed, CitySource admitted that Palm was paying them for their development efforts, but were reluctant to give a specific number due to their NDA with Palm.
Palm is really paying companies to write apps for the Pre? Yes. How much? All I got despite truly obnoxious questioning was “under $500,000.”
Do you think Palm should be commissioning companies at this point to fill up the App Catalog, which is growing steadily with developers not on the receiving end of these incentives? One would assume their Launch Partners (back when the Pre was released) got a push in the right direction; but at this stage, the majority of developers are preparing for e-commerce the usual way, via sales and advertising through the App Catalog.
UPDATE: Digital Daily reports that according to a source inside Palm, the idea (that Palm was giving incentives) was dismissed as "rubbish". Three in a "position to know" said they'd "never heard of such an incentive". CitySourced has refused to comment or clarify the story.
Monday, 21 September 2009