Developers submitted tens of thousands of applications for the BlackBerry 10 OS.  Many developers were working very hard to meet our January 21 deadline for BlackBerry World approval, Built for BlackBerry approval and ultimately to qualify for the BlackBerry Developer 10K Developer Commitment (“10K Program”).  This created a bit of a queue. You know that. I know that. In fact, I’ve read about it before, right here on the Inside BlackBerry Developer Blog http://devblog.blackberry.com/2013/02/built-for-blackberry-update-2/.

That backlog of applications in review had many people concerned that they would not meet the requirements and deadlines for the 10K Program, since apps must be approved in BlackBerry World and approved as Built for BlackBerry before they are eligible to apply for the 10K program.  So, here’s the scoop – if you submitted your app before the January 21 deadline, and your app was approved by BlackBerry World, you are still eligible for the 10K program; even if your approval notice came after the February 18 deadline to apply for the 10K program.  We will reach out to all vendors this applies to within the next week with further information and instructions.

Please note that you must, however, obtain your Built for BlackBerry approval sometime before March 3, 2014 to be eligible for the $10k Developer Commitment program in any fashion.

And if your app isn’t already up for sale on BlackBerry World, now is the time to publish it. Why? Because that is the date your app must be up for sale in BlackBerry World to qualify for the 10K program – even if you have not yet obtained Built for BlackBerry approval by March 4. Any earnings (as defined in the 10K program Terms and Conditions) acquired from March 4 on will be counted toward your total earnings for the $10k Developer Commitment program. The sales period will end as of March 3, 2014, so you would want to have every sale count!

So here’s the calendar of important dates you need to keep in mind:

• January 21 – Submission Deadline – (yes, it’s in the past, but still important to note) Your BlackBerry 10 app needed to be submitted to BlackBerry World by this date. As long as it was submitted, you met the first qualifier for the $10k Developer Commitment program.
• March 4 – Sale Period Start Date – Your BlackBerry World-approved app must be up for sale in BlackBerry World on or before this date. All earnings from this date, whether your app has been Built for BlackBerry approved yet or not, will be considered in calculating your total earnings for any payout under the $10k Developer Commitment program.
• March 3, 2014 – Sale Period End Date – Your app must have received Built for BlackBerry approval before this date to be eligible for the $10k Developer Commitment program.

Aside from the changes noted above, all other provisions of the $10k Developer Commitment program Terms and Conditions still apply.

Sound off below on my clarifying post! My team and I will work to help answer any questions.

Image By Albert Bridge (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The BlackBerry® 10 Jam Road Show will soon be hitting the road! We want to be sure no developer is left behind, so we have condensed BlackBerry 10 Jam and are taking it on tour to bring the action to you.

The Road Shows are developer events designed to connect mobile application developers with BlackBerry® development experts. Join us in the city closest to you to learn more about the benefits and business opportunities of the BlackBerry platform!

Come Jam with us so you can:

Be one of the first to develop for the BlackBerry® 10 platform.

• Get a snapshot of the new things you can do with the BlackBerry 10 development platform. Learn about the unique capabilities of BlackBerry 10 to set your application apart.
• Collaborate with your community. Learn, share and network with your peers. Make valuable connections that will make you even more successful with BlackBerry.
• One-on-one expert guidance. Jam with BlackBerry platform experts and build a better app.

Attendees will gain insight on building applications for the launch of the new BlackBerry 10 platform later this year. Beginner and master mobile application developers will be able to attend in-depth breakout sessions focused on HTML5 + BlackBerry® WebWorks™ and Native C/C++  development for the BlackBerry platform. They’ll have hands-on time with the BlackBerry 10 tools and development experts who can provide guidance, tips and tricks, and other information to help developers get started building apps for BlackBerry 10.

Road Show Locations
Take a look at the BlackBerry 10 Jam Road Show schedule and watch for more information coming soon.

North America
June – Austin, Texas
June – New York City, New York
June – Montreal, Quebec
June – Toronto, Ontario
June – Atlanta, Georgia

EMEA
May – Milan, Italy
May – Barcelona, Spain
June – Paris, France
June – London, UK
June – Moscow, Russia
June – Berlin, Germany
July – Warsaw, Poland

Asia Pacific
July – Delhi, India
July – Beijing, China
July – Singapore, Singapore
July – Jakarta, Indonesia
July – Sydney, Australia

Latin America
August – Buenos Aires, Argentina
August – Mexico City, Mexico

Dates, locations, and registration information will be posted to http://www.blackberryjamroadshow.com over the next few weeks. Stay tuned to the Inside BlackBerry Developer’s Blog for more information and updates.