Amazon announces HTML5 for Appstore support

HTML5 has become one of the buzzwords for the modern web, with the seeming demise of Flash -- the Adobe app, one of many, that has been under serious attack in recent times. Now Amazon is opening up its App Store to the HTML5 world, allowing for easier development for those wishing to take advantage of the platform.

"Amazon today launched web app support in the Mobile App Distribution Program", the retail giant said in an announcement. "Developers can now submit URLs for their HTML5 web apps and mobile websites and have Amazon offer that content to millions of Kindle Fire and Amazon Appstore customers in the same, convenient way as native apps. Developers can submit and distribute mobile web content without using third party software or doing any native app development, and they can take advantage of Amazon’s In-App Purchasing API for JavaScript, which provides them the option to build sales of digital goods into their apps".

This will allow developers access to easier distribution of apps, a native experience on the Kindle Fire HD -- a tablet that currently is on sale for $40 under regular price -- and a better revenue stream.

"We’ve heard from developers that making their web apps available for mobile devices is hard because many times it means rewriting their app, which takes extra time and often requires third party tools," said Mike George, the Vice President of Amazon Appstore, Games and Cloud Drive.

Today’s launch of web app support in the Amazon Appstore is the latest offering in an array of services that aims to put Amazon at the front of the race, with its new support and AWS integration.