Palm brings developer programme to Europe

UK Pre users can currently only download free apps

Palm is set to go live with its European e-commerce developer programme for WebOS in March, a move that will give developers new markets for applications and should deliver a wider choice for European users of the firm's Pre smartphone.

In a posting on Palm's developer network blog, the company said that the extension to Europe gives developers a compelling new opportunity to distribute and monetise their applications.

The e-commerce programme has been tremendously successful in the US, according to Palm, with about 600 new paid-for applications available on the company's WebOS App Catalog in just two months.

This is still a tiny fraction of the software titles available for other platforms, notably Apple's iPhone, but is still likely to be welcomed by users of Palm's Pre smartphone in the UK, Ireland, Spain and Germany, who are currently able to download only free applications, often developed in-house by Palm itself.

A spokesman for Palm told V3.co.uk that the announcement means that European developers can now start submitting their applications for consideration by Palm, and be among the earliest to get paid for downloads of their application once the service goes live in March.