Facebook prepares app store

IPO-bound social networking giant Facebook has revealed that its own online and mobile app store, the App Center, will be made available to the public in the coming weeks.
 
The unveiling of the store came as Facebook again warned potential investors that earnings projections could be impacted unless the company can develop a way to consistently make money from its mobile users.
 
In a developer blog post, Facebook engineer Aaron Brady revealed that the App Center will be available on the web, and within iOS and Android Facebook apps. For the first time, developers will have the ability to offer paid apps as well as free apps. If a mobile app requires installation, iOS and Android users will be sent to download the app from the App Store and Google Play respectively.
 
Apps will need to make use of Facebook's Connect log-in system in order to be listed on the App Center.
 
Having the ability to promote adoption of Facebook-centric mobile apps could go some way to helping the company work out a way to profit from the growing number of mobile Facebook users. When it drew up the prospectus for its multi-billion dollar IPO, Facebook warned that its ability to reach its profit potential hinges on developing such a plan.
 
Now the company has amended its prospectus to warn that these risks are even greater than it first suggested the Washington Post reports.