"Sources familiar with the ongoing negotiations between Apple and Microsoft tell AllThingsD that the companies are at loggerheads not over the 30 percent commission Apple asks of storage upgrade sales made through SkyDrive, but over applying that same commission to Office 365 subscriptions sold through Microsoft Office for iOS, which is expected to launch sometime next year." iOS could end up being the only mobile platform without Office.
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Member since:2011-05-12
If you sell marine parts Apple doesn't pinch 30%. They don't make any money if you buy/sell stuff via the eBay app.
They want 30% of any transactions related to the app use. In this case it's Office 365 subscriptions. If you have an app that allows such a thing they must be able to purchased via the app, I agree this is user friendly, but then Apple takes 30%, which I think is less fair.
I think Apple can charge 30%, but to a certain maximum and that maximum should be rather minimal. They can charge what they want, but it should have some relation to costs, effort and a small profit margin.
It doesn't costs Apple anything more or less if someone does or doesn't subscribe to Office 365. Any percentage they take is pure profit.
Member since:2006-08-18
Well, apparently, this is not limited to the "use of the software", or this definition extends so broadly that it does, indeed, extend to purchases done with the software (which i think is the case).
Take the example of newspaper : they have to give up a 30% cut on the content price. New article, new content, same software, but 30% cut by Apple (+ : they actually hide who the customers are, to stay in charge, therefore the newspaper does not know who its customers are !)
But well, since Apple can kill any app off its appstore, they are entitled to enforce any decision they want. The other side either abide, or die.
Member since:2009-05-19
eBay is not a good example, since it's not eBay that is making the money. eBay is just a transaction processor.(But I'm pretty sure that you still have to register on ebay.com for an account, before using the app. Thus it's not really against Apple's rules)
Is there some physical goods store app does direct sales registration and sales in app? (And I mean where the seller is the app publisher, not a third party.)
However, any transaction that is handled by Apple having a 30% cut is perfectly reasonable.
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Member since:
2011-01-28
Having devices and operating systems that force users and developers to pay 30% fees to the apple gatekeepers for applications is bad enough. But having to pay apple fees for ongoing subscriptions and other transactions is ridiculous.
Just think about what it means for a moment. If we were to write an ios app for our own store (one of my clients sells marine parts), apple would demand a 30% cut...it's appalling. Oh just keep the IOS app for browsing but redirect to the website for transactions, right? No, apple's banned apps with links to websites that potentially make money without giving apple a commission. They feel entitled to own us at every turn.
All this while we were so worried about network carriers becoming the dictators of our technology, but it could be the OS gate keepers who'll succeed.
Edit: MS obviously have their own little walled garden they're guilty of too. But as they say "two wrongs don't make a right".
Edited 2012-12-13 04:34 UTC