While everyone moans about Android fragmentation, perhaps the more significant fracturing during 2010 has been the loss of Apple's App Store commercial pre-eminence.

Now, any studio that expects to prosper has to think seriously about Android Market, Samsung Apps, BlackBerry App World, Windows Marketplace, Nokia's Ovi store, Palm's App Catalog, and GetJar, not to mention Amazon's forthcoming Android store, and all the specific carrier decks.

And that's a lot of serious thinking.

Roll it up and start again

In this context, anyone who can provide a decent aggregation service is likely to be very popular. Still, it's perhaps surprising that it's Adobe which is stepping up to the plate with its just announced InMarket.

Described as 'a distribution service that lets developers bring their apps to market and reach consumers and generate revenue', it will provide a central portal for the publishing and managing of content across smartphones, netbooks, tablets and TVs.

Developers use the InMarket SDK to handle cross store functionality

Spreading the load

As you expect, the revenue split is the standard 70:30, and Adobe is currently working to link up with as many app stores as possible.

Its first partner is Intel's AppUp, which is being used, and pre-installed on devices, by OEMs such as Asus, as well as retailers.

Developers can sign up for InMarket here, with Adobe offering a free enrollment for a limited time. A paid developer program will be started in early 2011, but early users will gain one year's free registration.

[source: Adobe]