Apple unprepared for App Store developer renewals

Apple is surprisingly unprepared for the upcoming round of initial App Store developer renewals, according to new reports. Spurred by an Apple Insider report that developers had yet to be offered a way to renew their contracts with Apple, iPhone developer Erica Sadun contacted the Apple Developer Connection in an attempt to renew her paid iPhone developer membership, and was told there was currently no way to do so. “There is no process in place yet to renew it just now,” the ADC representative said. “As soon as a process is in place, you’ll be notified via e-mail or the website. It’s a new program. This program was not yet in place last year, and Apple needs time.” The representative also said that the ADC had been experiencing high call volume over this issue and that there were “many developers in this situation,” while assuring Sadun that Apple will not be removing already-approved applications from the store. Apple announced its iPhone developer program at a special event on March 6, 2008, and began accepting applications from developers shortly thereafter, meaning that the contracts of the first developers accepted into the paid program will be expiring soon, if they haven’t begun expiring already.