Apple Application Store Downloads Exceed 2 Billion.

Sept. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. said more than 2 billion applications have been downloaded from its App Store, marking a
milestone for the company’s year-old business.

More than 85,000 applications are available to 50 million iPhone and iPod Touch customers worldwide, Cupertino, California-based Apple said in a statement. More than 125,000 software designers are registered in Apple’s iPhone Developer Program.

The App Store generates $60 million to $110 million in revenue per quarter for Apple, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst Toni Sacconaghi said in a report last week. The outside developers, who split revenue with Apple, bring in $140 million to $250 million each quarter, according to the report. The average cost of a paid Apple program is about $3, Sacconaghi said. Most of the applications are free.

Apple started the site in July 2008 to entice outside companies to help give customers reasons to choose the iPhone over rivals. The strategy quickly caught on, with competitors such as Palm Inc. and Research In Motion Ltd. also opening their phones to programs from outside companies.
Apple climbed $3.78, or 2.1 percent, to $186.15 at 4 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The shares have more than doubled this year.

- Via Bloomberg