Microsoft and Apple in battle over App Store

Microsoft and Apple in battle over App Store




Microsoft and Apple are fighting a behind-the-scenes battle over App Store revenue-sharing policies, according to a new report.

Apple is currently blocking any Microsoft SkyDrive updates in its App Store until the software giant agrees to share revenue generated through its application, The Next Web is reporting, citing sources who claim to have knowledge of the disagreement.

 Microsoft currently offers its SkyDrive storage app to iOS users. The company rolled out the ability for users to purchase more storage from within the application. However, upon doing so, Microsoft decided that it wouldn't share 30 percent of the revenue generated through those transactions with Apple, leading to the kerfuffle.

Apple's App Store has clear policies on revenue sharing. The company takes 30 percent of the revenue generated from app purchases. Apple also requires that developers who use in-app purchasing share 30 percent of that revenue with it.


According to The Next Web sources, a key sticking point appears to be Apple's billing policy. In order for developers to offer in-app purchasing, all billing for services must run through Apple's accounts system in perpetuity. So, if a current iPhone user who pays for additional SkyDrive storage decides next year to switch to an Android-based device, those charges will still flow through Apple's billing, giving the company 30 percent of the revenue, even though the person is no longer an App Store customer a prospect Microsoft reportedly finds unfair.

To make things a bit more troublesome for Microsoft, Apple has decided to stop approving SkyDrive updates, according to The Next Web's sources. Microsoft is trying to push through an update that addresses a bug that crashes the app.

According to the SkyDrive listing on iTunes, the application dasn't been updated since June 1.

The trouble between Apple and Microsoft has also reportedly affected third-party developers that link up their apps with SkyDrive and offer a way for users to sign up to Microsoft's storage service. Apple requires that all sign-ups for paid services go through its system.

For its part, Microsoft is trying to come to an agreement with Apple, according to The Next Web, and has offered to remove all functions that would allow iOS users to sign up for more storage. So far, however, Apple has reportedly ignored those requests.