Image courtesy of EFM

With all the commotion and confusion (cf. the appgratis case, Appshopper last year), we wanted to reiterate and clarify how Appsfire works. Some have raised legitimate questions about us and our future, while others will also start imagining things. First and foremost, let’s review what Appsfire is all about:

• The Appsfire app is a non-paid app discovery service. 100% of the apps we recommend within our app are not ads. We built a solution with users in mind, over three years, with four major iterations.

• Appsfire makes a living out providing developers with marketing services. Promoting third-party apps is one of them. When we promote an app, we do so in demarcated sections of our app, clearly marked as “promoted”. Users can act on it or ignore it. This model is similar to Google’s original model: organic search results vs. clearly marked sponsored links.

• We use push notifications to remind users of recommendations, including social and explicitly subscribed-to recommendations. Push is opt-in and of course can be opted out of within a couple of clicks from within our app. Push is not mandatory to use the app.

• We built a service that filters out fake deals and clones, and aggregates the best apps from the market (our underlying technology is called App Score).

• Appsfire is a curated guide of the best apps in the App Store: think of it as the Michelin guide of what should matter to iPhone, iPad and Android users.

In short: We built the Appsfire app to help users find apps without distorting the rules and the spirit of the App Store: we disclose ads very clearly, we don’t mislead users to “deals” or promotions that are not real, and to the publishers, we do not guarantee results or ranks. It’s important to bear this in mind if you wish to compare us with some other service.

On the future of app discovery and promotion on iOS

• Fact: Apple has singled out one app this week, and it does so very sparingly and usually with solid reasons (Tapjoy a while back, AppShopper last fall).

• Fact: Unlike what has been written, Apple has not blackballed an industry, in this case app discovery, which obviously helps create strong positive dynamics.

• Interpretation: Official reasons were given. Yet no one should assume to know exactly what motivated Apple beyond the official PR on either side.

• Interpretation: App discovery and app promotion go hand-in-hand, will not cease to exist, and to the contrary will be strengthened by regulators like Apple/Google and governmental forces: tracking down malpractice, nullyfying the effects of bots, enforcing do-not-track privacy guidelines i.e. UDID>IDfA, etc…

Where does this leave us?

Appsfire is still up and running. Our roadmap is unphased, keeps the users at the center, and keeps the highest standard in its advertising practices (above all: transparency and full disclosure).

Could things change? Could Apple decide to remove more or all app discovery apps, and therefore decide that we’re out of the store too? Of course they could.

Could Apple go even further and prohibit any kind of advertising for apps in any kind of app? Yup, that too. Apple is unlikely to not care, and is naturally likely to continue fighting for what is best for its users.

As of today, Apple has remained coherent and consistent in terms of focusing on the user experience, also making sure the App Store remains a trusted source which is a difficult thing to do with “gameable” rankings, something we objectively think should be minimized as a source of discovery (the rankings based on download volumes that is).

Some may remember that Appsfire itself was once in a tough situation with Apple over 3 years ago, in fact just after receiving our own first round of funding! We fought for our vision, our values, and eventually solved the problem while trying our best to be within the spirit of the ecosystem, requiring a business ethos built on many years of experience in advertising complemented with deep respect for the amazing mobile app ecosystem re-invigorated by Apple (and let’s not forget, copied by the rest of the industry).

Any company working on a platform has to work within the rules but also in the respect of the spirit of the rules which are not always explicit. This is something we’ll have to live with, and so will all players in our space. It’s a balancing act.