SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN) – Amazon.com, Inc. today announced that developers can now submit apps for distribution this summer in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, with plans for further global expansion in the near future. Developers can get started by visiting the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal.
The Amazon Appstore in the U.S. has grown to tens of thousands of apps and games in just one year. As a result of features like 1-Click purchasing and Test Drive (which allows customers to try apps before purchasing them), developers report strong monetization from the apps they offer through Amazon. Amazon recently introduced an In-App Purchasing service that is simple for developers to integrate and helps monetize their apps and games even better than before, while still offering customers a seamless and secure 1-Click purchasing experience. Many developers have seen revenue skyrocket as a result of Amazon In-App Purchasing and are excited to offer their apps to even more customers outside the United States.
“We’ve seen that Amazon gamers are hungry for great content and are willing to open up their digital wallets to pay for it,” said Niccolo de Masi, CEO and President of Glu Mobile. “Our latest title launched on Amazon, Frontline Commando, has seen both revenue per daily active user and lifetime value metrics exceed averages as compared to other devices and platforms. Taking a successful platform like Amazon’s and expanding it across the globe is going to give us an even broader customer base and create an opportunity to generate even more revenue—something we are very excited about.”
“We are delighted with the strong relationship that we’ve cultivated with the U.S. Amazon Appstore since its launch, and Kindle Fire has been hugely successful for our titles,” said Peter Vesterbacka, CMO and Mighty Eagle of Rovio. “As a strong global brand with an international fan base, we are very excited to expand our offerings to Amazon’s customers worldwide.”
“With fan-favorite games like Plants vs. Zombies and SCRABBLE topping the charts, the U.S. Amazon Appstore has been a fantastic avenue for EA to reach an entirely new segment of consumers,” said Bernard Kim, Senior Vice President of Global Social & Mobile Publishing for EA. “Amazon’s international expansion marks an exciting opportunity to bring our interactive entertainment experiences to even more consumers around the world.”
"Amazon is a key distributor for us, delivering users who prove to be loyal and prolific in their usage," said Evan Conway, OneLouder Apps President. "International adoption is critical to our business and we are excited to broaden our reach through Amazon's new global channel providing great mobile experiences for customers around the world."
“Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner is the #1 cooking app for the U.S. Amazon Appstore and Kindle Fire, and our community engages with our apps 45 percent more on Kindle Fire devices than any other device, so we know they love and trust the Amazon app platform," said Lisa Sharples, President of Allrecipes.com. “Allrecipes is a trusted global brand with successful international apps and we are very excited to have Amazon help us connect with new international home cooks.”
“We are thrilled at the success our developers have experienced on the Amazon platform in the last year,” said Jim Adkins, Vice President of the Amazon Appstore. “Some developers have seen revenue double since the launch of In-App Purchasing. We’re excited to open the door to even more opportunity by expanding app sales outside the U.S. We see tremendous potential for current developers in our distribution program to grow with the international expansion. We also encourage new developers to join and participate in the platform’s growth.”
Developers should visit the distribution portal to learn about localizing apps with localized resource files for different regions, as well as other tips on how to prepare their apps for international distribution. Developers have the ability to select the countries where they would like to sell their apps. They can also set their list prices by marketplace. Those already participating in the program will automatically have their apps made available for sale internationally by default. And developers can easily change international availability for their apps via the distribution portal if they don’t wish to sell in select countries. Developers who are new to the program can sign up at the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal.
New Amazon Mobile App Distribution Terms
Today Amazon is also announcing two changes to the Amazon Mobile App Distribution agreement. First, building on the success of the April In-App Purchasing launch, and to simplify our global terms, Amazon is aligning the revenue share for paid apps with that for in-app products sold using Amazon’s In-App Purchasing Service. Starting on July 1, developers will earn 70 percent of list price on each paid app sale. This is a change from the prior terms under which developers earned either 70 percent of the app’s sales price or 20 percent of list price (whichever was greater).
Second, the terms of the agreement have been adapted to provide even more flexibility around timing of app submissions. Developers can now better control which apps they will make available to Amazon customers, and when.
Developers can review the full agreement by visiting the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal now.
About the U.S. Amazon Appstore for Android
The Amazon Appstore for Android is where customers can find, discover and buy thousands of apps using Amazon’s convenient and trusted shopping features, including personalized recommendations, customer reviews and bestseller lists. Customers can access the store directly on Kindle Fire, from any computer, or on an Android phone or tablet. Amazon Appstore has a broad selection of paid and free apps and games, including established bestsellers and new apps from top-tier brands. More apps and games are added daily and the Amazon Appstore offers customers a great paid app for free, every day.
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. The new latest generation Kindle is the lightest, most compact Kindle ever and features the same 6-inch, most advanced electronic ink display that reads like real paper even in bright sunlight. Kindle Touch is a new addition to the Kindle family with an easy-to-use touch screen that makes it easier than ever to turn pages, search, shop, and take notes – still with all the benefits of the most advanced electronic ink display. Kindle Touch 3G is the top of the line e-reader and offers the same new design and features of Kindle Touch, with the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G. Kindle Fire is the Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games and web browsing with all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, Amazon Silk (Amazon’s new revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser), vibrant color touch screen, and powerful dual-core processor.
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, and www.amazon.es. 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 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.