"Yandex" about Yandex.Store

Yesterday it became known that Yandex is launching its own app store. Head of Yandex service.Store Alexander Zverev told us about the details of the new app store. 

Why did Yandex decide to start creating its own mobile app store? This is a logical step for our mobile ecosystem – a set of applications that solve the main user tasks.

We already have mobile search, we have mobile maps, we provide a cloud service and a shell for the Android interface. The only thing missing was their own app store. 

Some time ago you presented your own Android shell, now here is your own store, is it worth waiting for the original OS from you in the foreseeable future?So far, Android seems to us to be quite an open and promising system that makes it possible to make alternative services.

Why does the Android platform need another store? After all, it often happens that the stores trying to compete with GooglePlay, users simply do not notice. How did you solve this problem?They do not notice the stores that compete in the free market.

Let’s put it this way: users don’t notice the second stores, even if they belong to serious brands. And this is due to the fact that the user does not need an additional app store: if both stores are good, then they will have the same content, and it makes no sense to use both. And we focus on device manufacturers and mobile operators who will pre-install Yandex.Store as the only app store. And therefore, the issue of the struggle for the user will be transferred to the sphere of competition between devices.

Yandex is one of the few companies that can offer users, at least in our local markets, a complete ecosystem: As I said, these are Search, Maps, cloud services, Mail and now the Android market.

What type of devices will you focus on – tablets or smartphones?We already have agreements with manufacturers of three tablets.

And we see that there is interest in our product in the market. In general, Yandex.The Store will be universal, we will try to make it possible to install it and find suitable applications for any Android device.

What do the company’s partners get from this? For example, A Megaphone?We share profits with them, for them it is an opportunity to earn from content.

And, in addition, it is an opportunity to provide its customers with good localized services.

What is the advantage of smartphones with Yandex.Store for users?At least in these very services.

They will be better than all analogues, at least in local markets – for sure.

In general, this is the first product for us that we will immediately launch “to the whole world”. Today we will announce it in Moscow, at our conference, and tomorrow – at AppsWorld in London.

At the moment, you have signed a license agreement with Opera for 40 thousand applications. How else do you plan to increase your application portfolio? Will Russian developers have priority on getting into Yandex.Store with your apps?There will be no preferences.

I really want the public to perceive Yandex.Store not as a Russian, but as a great international history.

As for attracting developers, that’s why we gave them the opportunity to work with the alpha version at the conference today, leave their feedback – we want to take into account their wishes. And tomorrow we will also talk in London. Of course, later we will take part in various events, organize master classes, etc. We can tell developers a lot of interesting things from a technical point of view. But the main idea is to make adding an application to Yandex.Store as simple as possible: they will need to spend only 5-7 minutes to get another sales channel for their product. 

How many languages Yandex supports.Store?At the start there will be two languages – Russian and English, but in the future we will localize it to others. 

Do we understand correctly that soon, for example, in the USA it will be possible to buy an Android smartphone with a pre-installed application store from Yandex?We hope that this will be the case.

To do this, we will need to negotiate with the relevant foreign vendors, and we will be happy to do this. In Russia, agreements with several manufacturers of devices already exist, it is interesting and profitable for many partners.

How much interest will you take from the profit?The same as everyone else – 30%.

At the same time, regardless of the type of payment (and we want to immediately support mobile commerce, which allows you to debit money from a mobile phone account), the final cost will be unchanged for the user, and the amount of profit will be for developers. That is, the developer always gets his 70%, and the remaining 30% is divided between us, the partner and the billing.

How will the appruva process take place?We start with basic stories: post-moderation, community messages.

In general, there are a lot of ideas on how to improve the process – we plan to implement them in the future.