It seems like there are a lot of people ready to build and
create applications for Apple’s ultimate gadget, the iPhone.
After the beta version of iPhone SDK was unveiled last week
by Steve Jobs, during a press event at company’s headquarters, today Apple
announced that it was downloaded already by 100,000 people.
As you probably know already, the iPhone SDK provides
developers with the same rich set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
and tools that Apple uses to create its native applications for iPhone and iPod
touch.
The iPhone 2.0 beta release includes both the iPhone
Software Development Kit (SDK) as well as new enterprise features such as
support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to provide secure, over-the-air push
email, contacts and calendars as well as remote wipe, and the addition of Cisco
IPsec VPN for encrypted access to private corporate networks.
That sounds a lot of interesting features for the developers
who want to create new ways to use the iPhone.
On the other hand, Steve Jobs announced the AppStore, which
is included in the iPhone 2.0 software. It is a new application that lets users
browse, search, purchase and wirelessly download third party applications
directly onto their iPhone or iPod touch.
Practically, every developer can submit their applications
to the AppStore; Apple would retain 30 percent of all sales revenues.
Users can download free applications at no charge to either
the user or developer, or purchase priced applications with just one click. Enterprise customers will
be able to create a secure, private page on the AppStore accessible only by
their employees. Apple will cover all credit card, web hosting, infrastructure
and DRM costs associated with offering applications on the App Store.
Apple is impressed by the interest shown by developers. “Developer
reaction to the iPhone SDK has been incredible with more than 100,000 downloads
in the first four days,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of
Worldwide Product Marketing.
During last week’s event, developers such as AOL, Electronic
Arts, Epocrates, salesforce.com and Sega have already demonstrated applications
using the SDK.
Steve Jobs predicted that this summer when the final version
of iPhone SDK is set to be launched there will be already hundreds of
applications available.
Also, Apple announced iFund, a a $100 million dollar fund
aimed at jump-starting third-party iPhone development created by venture
capitalist firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
According to AppleInsider.com, who is quoting a partner at
the firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers “has been so inundated with
proposals that it now admits it may have to increase its bounty.”
Last week, Sun Microsystems announced it will release a Java Virtual Machine for the iPhone some time after June,
enabling Java applications to run on the popular mobile device.
"We're going to make sure that the
JVM offers the Java applications as much access to the native functionality of
the iPhone as possible," said Eric Klein, vice president of Java marketing
at Sun. Also, Gameloft announced they are preparing 15 new games for iPhone.
