Nokia unveils Premium Developer Program for Asha

Yesterday we wrote about our developer rewards program, DVLUP, and today we are happy to introduce the latest addition to our Premium Developer Program, this time focusing on Asha full touch developers.
The program follows in the footsteps of the Premium Developer Program for Lumia, which was launched late last year and is proving to be the most successful developer program ever launched by Nokia. Program members will enjoy a number of helpful benefits, crafted to make it easier for developers to create better apps and games for full touch Asha smartphones. Developers who create high quality Asha full touch apps will also be eligible for further benefits to improve the discoverability of their apps.

We’ve seen the Nokia Asha ecosystem thrive as better and more affordable handsets go on sale. The quality and quantity of apps and games are also improving all the time, and things are about to get even better thanks to the new Asha Premium Developer Program. By providing resources beyond what’s provided by the standard Nokia Developer registration, the Asha Premium Developer Program improves developers’ chances of success.

The program has two tiers of benefits, with enhanced productivity tools and app promotion opportunities making a big difference to budding and experienced developers alike.

Enhanced productivity tools include:

A free Nokia Asha 310 smartphone for development.
Expanded Remote Device Access to test apps on a wide range of different Nokia Asha Devices.
Free tech tickets for Asha development support (valued at $198 USD).
App promotion opportunities include either:

Greater visibility and promotion on the Nokia Store.
Credit worth $500 USD to run paid ad campaigns on the Nokia Ad Exchange (NAX), with access to more than 120 advert networks worldwide.
(Developers will choose between app promotion or NAX credits when applying.)

Developers are in for a treat when it comes to pricing, as membership in the Asha Nokia Premium Developer Program is free, but certain qualifications need to be met:

For free stage-one productivity membership, developers must provide links to two existing apps they have developed and published on any mobile platform.

To access stage-two app promotion tools, developers need to create and publish a new Java or web app for full touch Asha smartphones, and some pre-defined quality criteria need to be met.

Kenny Mathers, director of developer programs and monetisation at Nokia, explains:

“We want to reward apps that really engage the user. We’ll be looking for high-quality graphics and user interface, plus great user reviews,” with a minimum rating of four stars from at least 25 Nokia Store user reviews.

Explore the Asha Nokia Premium Developer Program and apply for membership today.