Just the other day, PocketGear announced they were going to go ahead and acquire Handango. Kind of big news, especially when you consider combining them both will form the world’s largest cross-platform, open app store and content marketplace. How large? Here are some of the key facts for you to chew on:
- over 140,000 paid and free apps will be available
- apps available for Android, Symbian, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Palm, Linuk and Java-powered mobile devices.
- Combined, PocketGear and Handango have generated over $400 million in mobile app revenues
- the PocketGear Developer Program holds more than 32,000 developers and 40 storefront and distribution partners, including 4 of the top 5 handset manufacturers
Jud Bowman, President and CEO of PocketGear commented on the merger:
“Our vision is to facilitate an open app store ecosystem that supports every mobile device, every application, and every carrier network globally…By combining the two largest independent app store companies, we’re creating significantly more scale and value for all of the stakeholders in the open app store ecosystem.”
So what’s your take on this? Are you ‘pumped’ to jump in and buy apps at a cross-platform ‘superstore’, or would you much rather pop open the Apple App Store, Palm App Catalog, BlackBerry App World, Android App Market, etc, etc to get your apps? Cross-platform app browsing, or platform specific? Third-party goodness, or platform/manufacturer based love? Your app spend will tell the story in the end!