Mozilla opens the door for a Web App store

Open Web App marketplace for desktop-based apps

Mozilla opens the door for a Web App store

20 October 2010 20:56 GMT / By Paul Lamkin

Mozilla has proposed a new Open Web App system, where developers would be able to offer their desktop based applications and generate income.

Mozilla chief Jay Sullivan explains the proposal, via the Foundation's blog:

"Apps built using HTML/CSS/JavaScript that work both on computers and mobile phones, have many of the characteristics that users find compelling about native apps and provide developers with open and flexible distribution options".

"Today, we are releasing technical documentation of the proposed system and a developer preview prototype that allows you to install, manage and launch Web apps in any modern desktop or mobile browser".

The apps would work on not just Firefox, but the latest versions of Chrome, IE, Safari and Opera. Apps would need to be written in HTML, CSS or JavaScript and be able to be installed into a dashboard or desktop. There would also have to be support for a pay system.

The Mozilla Open Web App concept would, of course, go head to head with any Chrome app store.

It will be interesting to see which idea wins out in the end.