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back to article Android terms point to operator billing

Changes to the small print of the Android Developers' agreement show Google's plan to hand over application revenue collection to network operators - a task they'll be glad to take on. The changes, highlighted in a post on the Android Developers' blog, adds "authorized carriers" to the list of indemnified parties and creates a …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Only the Monies

    While it makes a lot of sense to delegate payment collection to carriers (they already have your payment details and currently handle billing at the pence/cent level) that should be the limit for the involvement of mobile carriers. The front door process of customers looking for apps and developers submitting apps should stay with Google or by some cross-carrier company since doing anything less will kill the currently healthy market.

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  2. Jimmy Floyd

    Everyone's a winner

    I haven't bought anything from Android Market simply because messing around with Google Checkout is just too much hassle. Make it a couple of clicks, add it to my bill and they'll sell a lot more.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      What?

      You sign up for a checkout account, then it is a couple of clicks. How exactly could you make it easier without scope for fraud?

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  3. Rob 30

    new?

    not sure i understand this, surely the operators can already sell apps on the android market, just like everyone else can?

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  4. SlabMan

    Price rise

    > Even if most of the revenue collected by the operators goes straight to the application developers, with Google perhaps getting a cut for running the Marketplace...

    Someone will have to pay for the marketplace - either the customer or the developer. Most likely both. Carriers will no doubt set their own prices. So app ppicing and usage charging on Android looks set to become very confusing.

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  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Umm

    "Changes to the small print of the Android Developers' agreement show Google's plan to hand over application revenue collection to network operators"

    I could be wrong, I'm pretty sure I'm not, but that's how it's always worked. 70% to the developer, approx 30% to the operator that the purchaser is on, and Google takes a small amount for maintenance costs of the Market.

    That's why paid apps are (and were) operator dependent. The operator had to have an arrangement beforehand with Google.

    The question is, what are the new payment options they're introducing? Micro/subscription payments have been longed for by Android devs for a long long time.

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  6. Andy Nugent
    Thumb Down

    "Ovi does promise operator billing at some unspecified point in the future"

    Ovi's had operator billing in the UK and a lot of other countries since last year. As a developer, I wish they didn't, as then we'd actually get the 70% revenue from Ovi that you get from Apple.

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Halo

    err...

    "I haven't bought anything from Android Market simply because messing around with Google Checkout is just too much hassle. Make it a couple of clicks, add it to my bill and they'll sell a lot more."

    It involves less clicks than setting up an iTunes account on an iPhone. AND applications are fully refundable if you chose to uninstall them.

    I really dont want my android market place purchases charged by my network. I buy the apps from google, not T-Mobile.

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  8. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    network operators

    Network operators collecting even more money from me? I can't wait.

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  9. TIMMEH

    Currency exchange

    Could this lead to currency exchange being handled by the operator? Nothing puts me off buying apps like a £2 bank charge for a $1 purchase.

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  10. crowley

    Motive?

    We hear a fair bit about need for product differentiation on handsets (HTC Sense).

    Maybe this is partly about letting operators offer applications unique to their service, so they can have more all important 'unique selling points'?

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