In 2003, Sony Ericsson launched the Application Shop website to increase sales of third-party developers' applications for Sony Ericsson's Symbian OS-based smartphones. The Sony Ericsson Application Shop has become a valuable go-to-market channel available to any third-party developer having passed Symbian Signed testing and offers end-users a wide range of Symbian OS applications for Sony Ericsson smartphones.

 

In February 2006 the second generation Application Shop is launched, now powered by Motricity. Motricity is a premier provider of mobile content solutions and services to the wireless industry with its market-leading Fuel mobile content delivery platform.

 

The Sony Ericsson Application Shop offers end-users a wide range of value-adding applications for Sony Ericsson's Symbian OS-based phones in one easy-to-find place. The selection of applications is the widest possible to offer a lot of choice to the consumers. Both credit card and over-the-air billing make transactions secure and easy to manage. An over-the-air download service directly from the phone will also be ready for the launch of Sony Ericsson's new UIQ 3-based phones during 2006.

 

Any correctly compiled, tested and Symbian Signed SIS file can be submitted to this shop, giving Symbian OS developers for Sony Ericsson phones an effective go-to-market channel. To be able to sell your applications in the Sony Ericsson Application Shop, you have to be a Motricity Content Partner, and have passed the industry-accepted Symbian Signed certification program.
 
The developer signs a distribution agreement directly with Motricity and its Mobile2Day distribution company, and receives the benefit of Sony Ericsson marketing the Application Shop along with its third-party applications towards consumers. The developer retains approximately 70% of the revenues (excluding taxes and transaction billing cost) from software products sold through the Sony Ericsson Application Shop. Should there be no sales generated from your application, it won't cost you anything. As a developer, you have nothing to lose.
 
Provided you have a useful or fun application, you can count on increased revenue by having your products available through the Sony Ericsson Application Shop.