Mozilla counters Chrome Web Store with new cross-browser Open Web Apps spec

With the official launch of Google's Chrome Web Store fast approaching, Mozilla today unveiled what they're calling "Open Web Apps."

Basically, this takes the idea behind Chrome's Web Store and makes it available for all desktop and mobile "modern browsers." Plus, it adds the word "open" to the name, which probably guarantees that it will receive bonus points from the open source community.

Open Web Apps will run in all supported browsers (Firefox 3.6 and later, Firefox for mobile, Internet Explorer 8, Chrome 6, Safari 5, Opera 10, and WebKit mobile), but it will allow each browser to compete on "app presentation, organization, and management user interfaces." Paid apps are supported, and the authorization system uses OpenID. Once paid for, an app can be used in all supported browsers. Open Web Apps will support geolocation, but this will be opt-in. You'll be able to distribute your Open Web App through any store you want and also directly to the user. And naturally, an Open Web App will be "installable" to the desktop or homescreen or to a dashboard inside the browser.
For more information, check out the video after the fold and the FAQ that Mozilla has put together.

Tags: browser, browsers, mozilla, Open Web Apps, OpenWebApps, WebStore