Hello BlackBerry Developers!
All this week we’ve been discussing on Twitter and Facebook all of the great changes that we’ve rolled out to our revamped Built for BlackBerry program, but the bottom line is: You asked, we listened. As always, providing developers with all of the tools, information, and resources they need to develop great BlackBerry apps remains one of our top priorities, and the changes outlined this week are a result of your input.
While there have been changes throughout the program, here is a quick run-down of the most impactful:
- The Developer Checklist: Simple, streamlined, and easy-to-understand, our new checklists for app developers and game developers serve to provide you with quick access to information on the steps you need to take to ensure your apps achieve Built for BlackBerry certification. Each item on the checklist is expandable and includes links to greater documentation beyond the basic explanation provided for each step. The lists are also printable and downloadable for you to use offline.
- Expanded Language Support: The first edition of the Built for BlackBerry program included support for five languages: English, French, Spanish, German and Italian. But as BlackBerry smartphones are used around the world, we’ve added 29 languages for a total of 34 supported.
- New Features in BlackBerry World to Increase the Visibility and Discoverability of Built for BlackBerry Apps: We understand one of the most important things for developers is the opportunity for their apps to be discovered by consumers. Once your app has been Built for BlackBerry approved, you have permission to use the designation in association with your app marketing. It will also appear in BlackBerry World with the Built for BlackBerry logo badge and icon, increasing its visibility to the user community. Through the Built for BlackBerry program, a few of the benefits we provide developers include:
- Increased exposure and discoverability of their app through more regular placement on BlackBerry World Carousels
- Additional “Top Lists” in BlackBerry World exclusively for various categories of Built for BlackBerry apps
- The BlackBerry World Carousel impact we have already seen on Built for BlackBerry apps is incredible. For instance, in the week when featured on the carousel (measured against the time not featured), daily downloads increased by 230% and paid daily revenue increased by nearly 190%
- An exclusive results area in app searches
- A noted designation that can be leveraged in app promotion
- Streamlined Submission Process: How much do you love being able to track a package that you ship? Well we took the same principal and applied it to the Built for BlackBerry submission process. Now, you can see detailed information on which of your apps are candidates for Built for BlackBerry certification, which are currently under review, which are approved, and which need to be revised in order to proceed, all in one easy place!
- The Return of the Limited Edition Red BlackBerry® Z10™: Now on to the fun stuff. The 100% awesome Limited Edition Red BlackBerry Z10 is being made available again to the developers of the first 250 Built for BlackBerry-approved apps. Apps must be new submissions to BlackBerry World as of August 27, 2013 and submitted by October 21, 2013 in order to be eligible. All app reviews in the first round will be completed by October 31, 2013, and if your app requires revisions, don’t worry, you’re still eligible, just be sure to submit the revised version and secure approval by the final deadline of November 30, 2013. Oh, and did I mention that we’re giving them away for free?
We believe that these changes will make Built for BlackBerry a much better experience for our developers, but don’t just take our word for it, here are some of your peers sharing their great experiences with the program so far:
“After five months of work and being initially rejected, Playepub was finally Built for BlackBerry certified and benefits started to come. Promotions in BlackBerry World are the best way to monetize any app, and this is definitely the biggest advantage of being certified as Built for BlackBerry. When Playepub appears on BlackBerry World carousel, we see spikes in traffic and sales. I am thrilled that we have seen increased success through Built for BlackBerry and have even decided to apply for more certifications on other apps as I think this is the best way for any developer to achieve the greatest success.”
— Jesús Iglesias, xapps.es
“We have been very impressed with the Built for BlackBerry program. Our certified games have had a tremendous amount of visibility on BlackBerry World, which has resulted in top rankings and increased revenue. On average, our certified games generate more revenue per user than that of other platforms. We will definitely be applying to the Built for BlackBerry program for all of our games in the future.”
— Mark Ng, Clapfoot Games
“The Built for BlackBerry program ensured our customers that our app passed BlackBerry’s rigorous quality tests and increased our sales by almost 100%.”
— Shahrouz Zolfaghari, Senri
So what are you still reading for?! You have a great Built for BlackBerry app to create! Happy coding!