Software:AppGratis

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AppGratis
Founded2008 (16 years ago) (2008) in San Francisco
DissolvedFebruary 15, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-02-15)
HeadquartersParis,
France
Country of originUnited States
Founder(s)Simon Dawlat
Websiteappgratis.com
Current statusDefunct
Native client(s) oniOS, Android

AppGratis was an app-discovery application founded in 2008 by French engineer, Simon Dawlat.[1][2][3][4][5] AppGratis curators found and recommended apps, which the apps were then featured to download for free or at a reduced price.[6] In April 2013, AppGratis was removed from the Apple App Store for an alleged violation of App Store rules regarding third-party app promotion and marketing.[1][7] On February 15, 2017, AppGratis was shut down and discontinued.[8]

History

AppGratis started as a newsletter listing daily app deals from the App Store for Apple users in 2008.[2][6] The AppGratis mobile application was created in 2010 while still using the newsletter model.[2] A team of publishers pick and review the quality of potential apps that want to be featured on the application.[2][6] AppGratis was a bootstrapped company until January 2013, where AppGratis raised $13.5 million from Iris Capital and the Orange Publicis fund to expand the application on an international level.[2][9] In February 2013, AppGratis passed the 10 million-user mark.[10][11] Before its removal from the App Store, AppGratis had 12 million iOS users.[10] A month after its removal from the Apple App Store, AppGratis launched the Android version of the application on Google Play.[11][12][13] The Android version has obtained 1 million to 5 million downloads.[14] On February 15, 2017, AppGratis shut down its business with a post for their users entitled 'Bye AppGratis'.[8] In 2014, Simon Dawlat decided to shift to a new project, Batch.[15]

Controversy with Apple store

In November 2012, Apple approved the AppGratis iPhone application.[5] Days after receiving approval for the iPad application in 2013, Apple pulled the AppGratis application from the iOS App Store stating that the application violated clauses 2.25 and 5.6.[1][3][4][7][12][13] AppGratis was under investigation whether the application worked to inflate app rankings in the App Store charts.[5][16] The investigation of AppGratis incited French digital industry minister, Fleur Pellerin, to announce a call for closer regulation on the fairness and stability of digital distribution platforms.[16][17][18][19] AppGratis protested its ban with a user petition, which gained close to a million signatures by May 2013.[11][17][20]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Parmy Olson. "AppGratis CEO Picks Up The Pieces After Being Dropped From The App Store". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2013/04/09/appgratis-ceo-picks-up-the-pieces-after-being-dropped-from-the-app-store/. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Parmy Olson. "5 Minutes With The Founder Of Curation Hit AppGratis". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2013/02/18/5-minutes-with-the-founder-of-global-app-curation-hit-appgratis/. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 John Paczkowski. "Apple's Ouster of AppGratis Is Just the Start of an App Store Crackdown". All Things D. http://allthingsd.com/20130410/apples-ouster-of-appgratis-is-just-the-start-of-an-app-store-crackdown/. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 Steve Kovach. "Leaked Document Shows AppGratis Used Lure Of App Store Rankings To Attract Cash From Developers". Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.com/app-gratis-used-lure-of-app-store-rankings-to-attract-developers-2013-4. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 John Koetsier (2013-04-10). "AppGratis: Last week Apple approved our app — this week they pulled it". Venture Beat. https://venturebeat.com/2013/04/09/appgratis-last-week-apple-approved-our-app-this-week-they-pulled-it/. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 John Koetsier (2012-12-08). "Mobile developers: This is how you get 500,000 installs in one day". Venture Beat. https://venturebeat.com/2012/12/07/mobile-developers-this-is-how-you-get-500000-installs-in-one-day/. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 John Paczkowski. "Confirmed: Apple Kicks AppGratis Out of the Store for Being Too Pushy". All Things D. http://allthingsd.com/20130408/confirmed-apple-kicks-appgratis-out-of-the-store-for-being-too-pushy/. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 "AppGratis". http://bye.appgratis.com/. 
  9. Steven Loeb (2013-01-17). "AppGratis raises $13.5M Series A from Iris Capital". Vator News. http://vator.tv/news/2013-01-17-appgratis-raises-135m-series-a-from-iris-capital. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  10. 10.0 10.1 Romain Dillet (9 April 2013). "AppGratis Was Indeed Pulled By Apple, But "Reports Of [Its Death Are Greatly Exaggerated""]. Tech Crunch. https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/09/appgratis-statement-app-store-ban/. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Keith Andrew (17 May 2013). "One month after being kicked off the App Store, AppGratis launches on Android". Pocket Gamer. http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/AppGratis+news/news.asp?c=50990. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  12. 12.0 12.1 John Koetsier (2013-06-17). "Apple, could you just be honest, sometimes, about being a little bit evil?". Venture Beat. https://venturebeat.com/2013/06/17/apple-could-you-just-be-honest-sometimes-about-being-a-little-bit-evil/. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  13. 13.0 13.1 Natasha Lomas (18 April 2013). "Apple Kills AppGratis' Push Notifications In Second Hammer Blow To Its iOS App Discovery/Promotion Business". Tech Crunch. https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/18/apple-kills-appgratis-push-notifications/. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  14. "AppGratis". Archived from the original on August 19, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130819204729/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.imediapp.appgratis. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  15. "Batch Insights Is AppGratis' New Trick, A Benchmark Tool For Push Notifications" (in en-US). TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2014/11/25/batch-insights-is-appgratis-new-trick-a-benchmark-tool-for-push-notifications/. 
  16. 16.0 16.1 Charles Cooper. "Apple-AppGratis flap triggers threat from French minister". CNet. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57579187-37/apple-appgratis-flap-triggers-threat-from-french-minister/. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  17. 17.0 17.1 Josh Lowensohn. "AppGratis tries petition to shame Apple on app removal". CNet. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57579631-37/appgratis-tries-petition-to-shame-apple-on-app-removal/. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  18. "Fleur Pellerin soutient AppGratis face à Apple qui l'a déréférencée". Lemode Informatique. 11 April 2013. http://www.lemondeinformatique.fr/actualites/lire-fleur-pellerin-soutient-appgratis-face-a-apple-qui-l-a-dereferencee-53200.html. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  19. "Fleur Pellerin dans les locaux AppGratis". Clubic. http://www.clubic.com/video/video-fleur-pellerin-dans-les-locaux-appgratis-431778.html. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 
  20. Jason Ankeny. "AppGratis rebounds from Apple's App Store ban with Android launch". FierceMobileContent. http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/story/appgratis-rebounds-apples-app-store-ban-android-launch/2013-05-23. Retrieved October 4, 2013. 

External links