Ozzie O 

it's probably better to use the app-signing email to ask questions like this, but seeing as you have brought it up here (which is also ok!!) I'll do my best to respond sensibly.

Ozzie O said:

However, I can't help but notice that 1) most applications by independent developers (one of them truly yours) are no longer available and 2) the applications by the "Trados AppStore Team" have broken links to the images/icons.

You mean at https://appstore.rws.com/ ?  This is because of the problem with that solution.  I think it's unlikely this will ever be reinstated in it current form and we are working on several things:

1. building a web front end to allow developers to showcase their apps that are on the private appstore
2. enhancing the private appstore so we can add versions for Studio prior to 2021 and allow a direct download from the web for all versions available
3. investigating a replacement for the appstore with a more modern and useful set of features for users and developers

Ozzie O said:

1) Has RWS stopped supporting independent developers in the AppStore?

No.  You can find applications in the Private AppStore that are not from Trados AppStore developers.

Ozzie O said:

2) Is there a new policy for independent developers to submit SDL/RWS add-ons and applications?

Contact app-signing.  At the moment developers cannot submit their own apps to the private appstore we are using so if you want apps on there you need to contact app-signing.

You could also create your own private appstore.  We have considerably enhanced this and we have opensourced the code, so any developer who has a lot of apps (and there are some) could set up their own if they wish and users could add the url to the Studio settings.  There is no limit to the number of private appstores you have configured in Studio. 

Ozzie O said:

Please note that the 'server outage' took place almost two months ago (!)

Really?  That long ago.