Facebook App Center Launched

By Tech Wire Asia | 11 May, 2012

Ahead of its Initial Public Offering, Facebook has launched its App Center, which provides a platform for application developers to distribute their software and services to mobile device users. Developers will be given an opportunity to monetize their offerings, which makes App Center akin to an app store like Google’s and Apple’s own app repositories.

Facebook has launched its App Center to ensure easier access to applications designed for mobile devices.

However, the Facebook App Center will not be an app store, per se. Facebook’s Aaron Brady wrote that the platform is not meant to compete with the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Still, the Facebook App Center will be a “new, central place to find great apps like Draw Something, Pinterest, Spotify, Battle Pirates, Viddy, and Bubble Witch Saga,” Brady said.

App Center will have a gradual roll-out in the coming weeks, and developers are advised to prepare “to make sure their app is included for the launch.”

The app platform was designed to future-proof Facebook from the onset of the mobile revolution. Since an increasing number of users are accessing the Internet from mobile devices, Facebook stands to lose revenue if it doesn’t think of ways to monetize mobile apps. Facebook has highlighted this in discussions with potential investors in its pre-IPO roadshow.

If users increasingly access Facebook mobile products as a substitute for access through personal computers, and if we are unable to successfully implement monetisation strategies for our mobile users, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our financial performance and ability to grow revenue would be negatively affected.

Apps that make use of Facebook Connect will be eligible for listing under App Center. However, it will not directly serve apps if these are available on their respective platforms. “[I]f a mobile app requires installation, they will be sent to download the app from the App Store or Google Play.”

Facebook App Center gives application developers a better chance to reach the 900 million users on Facebook, particularly those on mobile devices.