Vodafone today announced plans to open their own app store for third-party applications that will be made available across a wide variety of mobile platforms.
The mobile operator announced in a statement that they hope to “stimulate a new generation of mobile internet applications by providing internet service developers with a single point of access to Vodafone’s global customer base”.
The mobile apps will take the form of widgets, and will support many of the most popular mobile platforms due to a “new layer of management technology based on service-oriented architecture”.
“Vodafone is making these changes to make it easier for third parties to develop attractive new services as well as bill and support our customers through our network capabilities in all markets,” Vodafone’s chief executive Vittorio Colao said in the company’s statement. “By giving them simple access to our global customer base and network assets, such as direct billing and location awareness, we will help them to make more money while providing our customers with the innovative services that they want.”
Vodafone will offer developers a 70% revenue share, along with “unique software advantages”. According to Vodafone, the main attraction for app developers lies in the “extra functionality” that can be accessed through Vodafone’s network APIs, instead of developing for the global iPhone, Nokia, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile or Android app stores.
Vodafone aim to launch the store by the end of 2009, targeting western Europe initially, with Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK getting the earliest access.
Vodafone have previously speculated that future android phones may include less Google, and instead include a more more ‘basic’ package allowing networks to integrate their own clients software .
Earlier this month Vodafone launched their first Android powered handset, the HTC Magic.
[via ZDNet.co.uk]
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