Skip to main content

RIM guarantees developers will make $10,000 on their 'certified' BlackBerry 10 apps in first year

RIM guarantees developers will make $10,000 on their 'certified' BlackBerry 10 apps in first year

Share this story

BlackBerry 10 Cascades on phone
BlackBerry 10 Cascades on phone

RIM has announced at its BlackBerry Jam keynote address in Orlando today that it'll be guaranteeing that developers will make at least $10,000 in sales of their BlackBerry 10 apps in the first year — if they don't, RIM will cut a check for the difference. It's a widely-held belief that developer participation in a mobile ecosystem is what ultimately makes or breaks it (which is why Microsoft has been incentivizing developers on Windows Phone in a variety of ways), but this takes it to a new level: developers don't want to spend the time to port their apps or write new ones if they won't see a return on investment, and a guaranteed payout of $10,000 is an interesting attempt to alleviate those concerns.

CrackBerry reports that there are terms and conditions involved — you can't just submit a completely useless app, sit back, and wait for your $10,000 check to roll in — but it sounds like developers giving it an earnest go will be rewarded in kind.

Update: we have more details on the terms and conditions: Apps must be certified to be "quality certified" by a third party and make at least $1,000 in order to qualify for RIM's guarantee.