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It’s not enough that Stefan and your mom both have their own mobile applications store, it looks like Verizon Wireless wants in on the party. Following LG’s just-launched LG Application Store (creative, no?), Verizon Wireless is planning a July 28 event to unveil their own mobile app store. The kicker here is that Verizon has announced that it will not allow any other app store on its mobile phones. Microsoft unexpectedly opened the Windows Marketplace to Windows Mobile 6.0 and Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphones, so it’s sad to hear that Verizon will be blocking the Marketplace on all its handsets.
So, why would anyone want to deal with Verizon’s application store? The No. 1 US wireless carrier is hoping that developers will want to take advantage of Verizon’s subscriber data and billing systems to help peddle their wares. The Verizon application store will be open to apps for Windows Mobile, Palm, Android and BlackBerry, but will require developers to submit their app to Verizon for approval. It’s unclear how much Verizon will be charging its developers for the pleasure of selling apps to its customers, but Verizon’s VP Partner Management Ryan Hughes promises that the Verizon app store will be “competitive, not only with the price, but with the process and the simplicity which developers have come to expect in open ecosystems.”
We presume Verizon is trying to cash in on the wave of mobile application revenue flooding the iPhone AppStore, but they may just end up alienating potential smartphone buyers who are more interested in full access to the BlackBerry App World, Windows Marketplace for Mobile or the WebOS App Catalog. What about the iPhone App Store? Now, that‘s the question everyone is really asking themselves.
[Via: GigaOm]
About The Author
Will Park
Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...
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Kevin
