An open platform that delivers applications to all mobile phone users – that’s the objective behind the GSMA’s freshly announced ‘Wholesale Applications Community‘. Besides 24 operators, LG, Samsung and Sony Ericsson have lent it their support.
Apparently, the MAC alliance will initially use the JIL and OMTP BONDI requirements, before evolving these into a common standard – hopefully within a year. The attraction is that the combined 24 operators have a userbase of over three billion customers.
The alliance’s move, “Leverages the work we have already undertaken on open network APIs (OneAPI),” according to GSMA CEO, Bob Conway.
Stating the blindingly obvious, IDC analyst, Jonathan Arber, commented: “Mobile application developers currently face a high level of fragmentation in the industry, in terms of both technology platforms, and individual operators’ working practices.”
He doesn’t see the MAC alliance as creating yet another store to compete for developers’ attentions. Instead, he views it as “A simple, single point of access to a large number of operator storefronts.”
He also believes it will: “Help to drive uptake of existing, open standards among developers, operators and manufacturers – thereby reducing fragmentation and benefiting the whole industry.”
The Wholesale Applications Community’s ultimate objective is to create a W3C standard to truly ensure developers can write applications that not only port across a wide range of mobile device platforms but eventually will work on fixed devices, too.”
Oh No, not another store is TechEye‘s initial reaction, however.