It may be a significant step forward for the HTML5 development community, but those behind new app marketplace Openspace aren't billing it as a specialist platform - more as an overall solution to the industry's wider ills.

The store, which has been set up the Developers Cooperative, has the ambitious aim of becoming the largest app store on the planet.

The plan is, by uniting developers together under one banner, their aims – rather than those of the platform holders – will come first.

Developers first

"Often corporate rule making and platform-specific policies of large marketplaces prevent app developers from having the freedom to create and distribute apps the way they want to," said founder Robert Reich.

"We are creating something new in the world of app development: a fair and representative process to make decisions about our store based on the input and interests of developers."

Openspace isn't all about revolution, however. Much of its structure falls back on industry staples – the marketplace opting to employ the somewhat traditional 70/30 revenue split, for instance.

That said, of that 30 percent cut, 5 percent is pumped directly into the cooperative, giving developers who sign up an additional - if small - revenue stream.

App democracyThere are also other areas where the Developers Cooperative is promising change: most notably, app visibility.

While anyone can list their apps for sale without charge, those who join the co-op will be afforded 'enhanced distribution opportunities'.

Indeed, as a whole, member studios are set to be given a greater hand in the manner in which their apps are sold.

"The truth is, we as developers and consumers don't have to be limited by the rules of the big app marketplaces," the co-op says on the store's website.

"We can break out of the constraints of device-centric limitations and corporate rules. We can reclaim the spirit of freedom that made us want to get into this business in the first place."

Openspace will offer up apps for Android, iOS, desktop and browser add-on apps.

Currently sporting almost 1.5 million users and over 480 apps, developers looking to jump on board before launch should visit the Developers Cooperative's website.

[source: HTML5trends]