The Mozilla Labs Apps project

The Mozilla Labs Apps project enters a new phase with today’s launch of the Apps Developer Preview and App Development documentation in the Apps Developer Community on MDN.

The tools and resources in the MDN Apps Developer Community documentation enable developers to create rich, cross-platform and cross-device app experiences using web standards and open technologies such as HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. The Mozilla Labs Apps project also aims to create a rich distributed ecosystem of app stores including a Mozilla HTML5 app marketplace to launch in 2012.

To get started, sign up for the Mozilla Labs Apps Developer Preview, where you can test the features of the marketplace app-submission and sale process. The preview is limited to 3,000 developers on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to reserve your spot now.

Visit apps-preview.mozilla.org to register now.

If you are a Firefox user, please install the Mozilla Labs App Runtime Add-on, and if you are an Android user, please install the Mozilla Labs App Runtime application before you sign up for the Developer Preview. If you currently do not use Firefox or Android, go directly to the Apps Developer Preview.

Your installed HTML5 apps can be found at myapps.mozillalabs.com



Why is Mozilla focusing on apps?

As part of Mozilla’s mission to make the web better we believe that apps should be available on any modern web-connected device, operating system or browser, allowing billions of people worldwide to use and interact with apps.

Today, apps are tied to closed ecosystems. Apps also can’t be used across all devices; data within apps is silo-ed and inaccessible to other apps or Web services; and user choice is limited and undervalued.

In an open ecosystem, developers should have the ability to build apps using open Web technologies and resources. They should then be able to distribute and sell those apps with the reach, flexibility and choice that the Web provides.