WAC partnership as rival to Apple

23rd February, 2010 by adina
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According to the GSM Association, there is a new alliance meant to develop a common application store platform which will be a direct rival to Apple. The service, also known as the Wholesale Applications Community, is intended to create an open, standard way in order to develop and sell applications for various phone operating systems and networks. This partnership is formed by several phone manufacturers, such as LG, Samsung or Sony Ericsson, but also 24 major carriers which include the four major American networks and the major internationals, such as China Mobile, Orange and Telefonica.

The new application platform will be based on both the Java Intermediate Language and the Open Mobile Terminal Platform, which are expected to become a common standard somewhere within 2010.

Through the release of this new platform, GSMA wants to avoid the mobile application industry fragmentation, as the launch of various operating systems have led to applications which are compatible only with some platforms and, eventually, only with specific carriers. This way, a more united front against Apple is created. Apple’s App Store is the largest in the world and, occasionally, the company has modified or even stolen smartphone market share from the three hardware makers, who form the WAC partnership. It is still unknown if the WAC’s partnership goals will be achieved.

Java is already used to a certain point for Android, BlackBerry, BREW, Windows Mobile and other mobile phone operating systems; implementations for the new platform will not necessarily assure a step forward. In order to take full advantage of native technology, OS-specific code is frequently needed.


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