Urbain Airship launches in-app billing support for Android apps

Portland, Ore.-based Urban Airship Inc. has launched in-app billing support for apps running on Google Inc.’s (GOOG) Android operating system. The update allows developers to give users the ability to make one-click purchases directly from within their apps.
Google launched its own in-app billing mechanism for the Android Market little more than a week ago. Urban Airship has been participating in Google’s beta program to bring its new tools to market. The company claims to have facilitated more than 2.8 million in-app transactions to date. It first launched in-app purchasing services for Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iOS platform 18 months ago.
“A lot of people are still talking about app downloads and tossing around some big numbers,” said Scott Kveton, CEO of Urban Airship. “But true success on mobile comes from increased user engagement and the ability to turn a profit with an app. Our customers have been anxiously awaiting a user-friendly way to monetize on the Android platform and we are thrilled to be able to offer it now with our latest cross-platform offering.