UPDATE: BlackBerry have advised us that requests are not limited to developers and their own apps. Developers and end users can also submit apps they use and love![divider]
BlackBerry has announced a new way in which BlackBerry developers can get their apps highlighted within BlackBerry World.
Starting February 25, BlackBerry will be creating a new list on BlackBerry World entitled “Great Apps on BlackBerry”.
According to BlackBerry, this new list will feature great apps which are available on BlackBerry 10. The category will contain a list of 20 applications, featured for two weeks, once per month.
It would appear that this will be a replacement for the Built for BlackBerry program, which closes down at the end of this month.
BlackBerry note the following requirements for an app to be included.
The requirements will follow very much in line with those to be featured on the BlackBerry World Carousel, with a few additional requirements to ensure end users experience a great BlackBerry 10 app.
In order to be considered for this list, the applications must:
1. be built using BlackBerry 10 Native/Cascades or WebWorks HTML5
2. have a minimum 3.0 star rating
3. perform all tasks as outlined in the description and
4. not be made using a tool/template or simply launch a web page
To nominate your application for consideration, developers should email BlackBerry World Marketing, using subject “Great Apps on BlackBerry†and provide:
- Vendor Name
- Application Name
- Application ID or BlackBerry World link
BlackBerry also point out that icons and descriptions are just as important as the app:
“Please remember to have up-to-date icons and descriptions before making your request. These, along with the requirements above, will be used when determining eligibility of the application for this ongoing feature list.
Please be patient as we anticipate a high volume of requests, especially for the first few weeks. We will do our best to respond within 7 days, providing you with information on the status of your request.”
Benefits
Quite clearly, this “list” is primarily for the benefit of developers.  It is developers who will be nominating their app for inclusion and it is BlackBerry, more than likely the BlackBerry World Team, who will decide whether an app is included or not.
End users cannot vote for an app to be included but they will benefit slightly knowing apps that appear in the list will, at the very least, not be Android ports.
BlackBerry has a fantastic opportunity here to generate some more enthusiasm amongst BlackBerry developers but they also run the risk of alienating others as well. How they implement this list could be crucial!
Which “type” of apps that initially appear in the list will be extremely important.  If this turns out to be a list of social apps, non-business apps, games and similar, enterprise developers will once again be left scratching their heads as BlackBerry produce another contradictory message which makes it harder for us to bring serious enterprise developers to BlackBerry.
Developing for the enterprise is an entirely different world!  Due to the fact that distribution points can be so different, in many cases enterprise apps do not go anywhere near BlackBerry World.
However, BlackBerry have an opportunity here to promote enterprise apps and possibly encourage enterprise developers to consider BlackBerry World as a valid distribution point, in addition to existing methods.
Alternatively, the company run the risk of turning this new feature into a list of the same old apps by the same little clique of consumer developers.
