Chrome Web Store invites developers inside

 

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By Stewart Mitchell

Posted on 20 Aug 2010 at 09:27

Google has opened the doors of its upcoming Chrome Web Store to developers, allowing application publishers to stock the shelves in advance of its official launch later this year.

The concept of the store was announced in May, but developers can now upload their wares to the developers' preview store.

The store will offer a platform for apps and extensions for the Chrome browser and Google's upcoming Chrome operating system, the web giant said.

The Chrome Web Store will let you publish apps — either free or paid — where Google Chrome users can easily find them

“The Chrome Web Store will let you publish apps — either free or paid — where Google Chrome users can easily find them,” software engineer Michael Noth said in a post on the Chrome blog.

“Your app can be a regular website with a bit of extra metadata that makes it easy to find in Google Chrome. Or it can be more specialised, such as a Google Chrome Extension or a web app that's been modified to be downloaded and run on the user's computer.”

When the store opens it will replace the extensions gallery. Google said developers could start to upload apps to the site, test how the service is implemented and try out the licensing APIs that will ensure consumers pay for commercial products.

“If you charge for your app, you can use either Chrome Web Store Payments or your own custom payment system,” says Google. “A licensing API lets you check whether the current user has paid for your app with Chrome Web Store Payments.

If the apps are paid-for, then developers could reap the rewards of what is widely regarded as remarkable deal, with developers set to receive 95% of all sales through the store, less a $0.30 transaction fee.

The pricing represents an aggressive move to attract software creatives to Google's store, especially compared with the 30% cut that Apple takes through its App Store.