The mobile operators have been busily readying their own application stores and underlying processes, seeking to steal the limelight ‘ and pole position in the mobile value chain ‘ back from Apple, Google and Nokia. Some, like Orange and T-Mobile, have been focusing on cross-platform stores to span all their portfolio of devices, plus PCs and even TVs, but Vodafone has made the most aggressive move yet, opening up its billing platform to third party developers.
This will allow any developer to reach Vodafone’s 289 million subscribers from a single point of access, and any of those users will be able to purchase the software via their usual Voda bill. It is not too much of a stretch to think that, in future, Vodafone could also extend the system to non-competitive partner operators, to make it even more attractive to developers ‘ Verizon, China Mobile and Softbank, with which it is creating a common widgets platform, being obvious candidates.
The UK-based cellco made a point of noting that its latest move was related to its involvement in this initiative, Joint Innovation Lab (JIL). This will also underpin China Mobile’s planned store, due later this year ‘ which is reported to be branded Mobile Market. The Chinese cellco’s determination to control the branding and business model of its software was said to be a key reason for the breakdown of its talks to carry the iPhone, with its integrated App Store.
Vodafone will publish a set of network APIs to enable the programmers to build capabilities such as direct billing and location awareness into their products and will offer access via JIL. Developers creating widgets using the JIL interfaces will be able to deploy them across all four JIL operators’ networks and stores unchanged. This cuts down on the complexity of making apps suitable for a particular cellular network or store, making the apps instantly suitable for Vodafone’s storefronts, and those of Verizon, Softbank and China Mobile as they upgrade these to support JIL.
Vodafone hopes to gain a far wider choice of software for its stores, vying with Apple’s and Nokia’s grand totals, but also says it should benefit from an increase in revenue via the revenue sharing model with developers (though it refused to specify what this share would be). JIL will release its web site and software developers’ kit later in the summer.
Vodafone’s statement said: ‘Developers will only need to create internet applications once in order to reach millions of Vodafone customers on any device and will be able to charge for it directly through Vodafone’s billing system.’ Users gain the benefits of a wider selection of apps, more payment and micropayment options, a simpler web experience, and consistent quality of service across the Vodafone footprint, it added.