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Mozilla to bring marketplace to Firefox OS later this year, allow payment through operators

Steve Dent
Reporter
Updated ·5 min read
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Mozilla has just announced live at its MWC 2013 event that it'll launch its marketplace for Firefox OS "later this year," and that you'll be able to pay for apps directly through your mobile operator. That's obviously different from Google and Apple's approach, perhaps to entice carriers to jump on board with devices packing the new mobile OS. You'll be able to grab apps in categories like games, news and media from outfits like EA, Disney, Facebook and Twitter. Mozilla's also touting "one-time use and downloadable apps" to let users test out apps before they buy them. The organization said that developers will be able to use "web technologies at the core," to create HTML5-based apps, in order to populate the new ecosystem quickly. The marketplace won't arrive to Firefox OS until later this year, but you can get a preview on Firefox for Android Aurora. For more info, check the PR after the break.

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Firefox OS Enables App Discovery without Download and Firefox Marketplace Unlocks the Power of Web Apps on Mobile Phones

Mozilla Revolutionizes Creation and Consumption of Web Content – Firefox Marketplace will offer apps including Cut the Rope, Disney Mobile Games, EA games, Facebook, MTV Brasil, Nokia HERE, SoundCloud and Twitter

Barcelona, Spain – Mobile World Congress – Feb. 24, 2013 – Mozilla, the mission-based organization dedicated to keeping the power of the Web in people's hands, today announced Firefox OS will launch with Firefox Marketplace, and a new ability to discover one-time use and downloadable apps to give people a powerful, personalized, speedy and enjoyable smartphone experience while also enabling easy creation, distribution and discovery of HTML5 apps worldwide.

Firefox Marketplace
Firefox Marketplace will offer apps in categories like games, news and media, business and productivity. These apps are tied to you and your online identity to take across devices and platforms. Leading mobile apps and Web developers around the globe will leverage the power of the Web unlocked by Mozilla to release apps in the Firefox Marketplace.

The Web enables limitless innovation and with Firefox Marketplace, every Web developer can easily create and distribute HTML5 apps so you can find an app for whatever you want – even local, niche and emerging topics. Firefox Marketplace will include popular apps such as AccuWeather, Airbnb, Box, Cut the Rope, Disney Mobile Games, EA games, Facebook, Nokia HERE, MTV Brasil, Pulse News, SoundCloud, SporTV, Terra, Time Out and Twitter as well as personally-tailored and local apps that are relevant to users in their respective regions.

"Firefox OS provides us with a great opportunity to reach new consumers in emerging markets," said Glenn Roland, VP of New Platforms and OEM at EA. "We're pleased to bring HTML5 versions of top games including Poppit! from Pogo, as well as several popular mobile titles to the cross-platform Firefox Marketplace this year."

"Bringing such popular titles as Where's My Water? and Where's My Perry? to the Firefox Marketplace is a great opportunity to increase our network of players in developing markets," said Bart Decrem, SVP of Disney Mobile Games. "Having worked with Mozilla in the past, I'm especially enthusiastic about the potential of Firefox OS."

"Firefox OS enables the new MTV Brasil app to give people access to all of the news, video and multimedia content developed for mobile devices, including shows that are currently on air," said Robson Gomes, MTV Brasil Technology Manager. "Firefox OS makes it easier to give people the content they want and this is another important tool to access MTV Brasil's universe of humor, music and lifestyle."

Most mobile apps are built with Web technologies at the core and then wrapped in a proprietary technology to distribute the app on a specific platform. Mozilla is unlocking the Web as a mobile development platform with Firefox Marketplace and unwrapping mobile apps to enable more opportunity and control for developers and consumers.

Firefox Marketplace will make smartphones capable of offering more powerful and immersive Web app experiences. The Web now has the potential to be the world's largest marketplace with the new Web APIs Mozilla developed. The open Web platform and these new Web APIs also enable developers to distribute apps directly, with no need for gatekeepers, true to the Mozilla mission of creating choice, innovation and opportunity on the Web.

"Firefox OS will break down the walls between apps and the Web because Firefox OS apps are built using Web technologies, like HTML5. We expect to see lots of amazing apps people love built for Firefox OS because more developers are already creating for the Web than for any other platform," said Jay Sullivan, Mozilla Senior Vice President of Products. "Firefox OS delivers a rich, delightful and personalized experience for users and people can search for anything that is on their mind to discover relevant apps that can be used instantly, even apps they've never installed or used before."

Firefox Marketplace can be previewed on Firefox for Android Aurora and will be offered with the first Firefox OS phones to launch later this year.

About Mozilla
Mozilla has been a pioneer and advocate for the Web for more than a decade. We create and promote open standards that enable innovation and advance the Web as a platform for all. Today, hundreds of millions of people worldwide use Mozilla Firefox to discover, experience and connect to the Web on computers, tablets and mobile phones. For more information please visit https://www.mozilla.org/mwc.