Comments on: Verizon to Open App Store- Nobody Wins

By: Gregb

Gregb — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:08:15 +0000

James, thanks for covering this. I’ll definitely be factoring this in to the smartphone purchase I intend to make next month.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:17:39 +0000

In fact, Verizon was the first entity in the US (carrier, manufacturer, content aggregator) to offer a comprehensive, all-inclusive app store with proper billing, subscription, developer revenue-sharing, etc..

Their BREW-based GetItNow store has been shipping on every non-smartphone handset on their network since 2001-2002.

AT&T and Sprint (and T-Mobile, barely…) also have been offering their own app stores for years.. so in this sense, the carriers are the incumbents in the app store space and the manufacturers are the newcomers.

Now, which stores offer better user experiences and choice for consumers is a completely different topic….

By: Terry

Terry — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:47:58 +0000

Its a dumb, greedy, and short sighted move by Verizon that in the long run will end up hurting them more than helping them. It is in their long term interest to have a vibrant ecoystem (buzzword!) around their phones if they ever hope to compete with the iPhone. Never underestimate the greed, stupidity and customer hostility of any Tlco.

I don’t much care what Verizon does though since I have an iPhone. Even if i had a Verizon BB most BB apps are garbage and that goes double for Windows Mobile. But if Verizon gets the Pre and if the Pre gets a decent development environment this will really hurt. Same with Android phones.

By: Nate

Nate — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:02:33 +0000

Verizon has had Get It Now on their dumbphone line for years. They’ve also had a smartphone app store for some time now.

Verizon has always been in the app game. The fact that they want to push is further shouldn’t surprise anyone.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:57:02 +0000

Yep, AndyT’s got it.

Verizon wants paid. If I recall phone add-ons like ringtones are extremely profitable for phone companies, and this opens up a whole new (functional) segment of the market for them.

By: Brad W Hagedorn

Brad W Hagedorn — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:56:32 +0000

This analysis simply isn’t correct. Using BlackBerry App World on a RIM device is by no means ‘easy’ and is definitely not the only source of BlackBerry Apps. What about Handango, Handango InHand, and developer websites? An alternate look at the current app situation for BlackBerries:

http://blog.endeavourpartners.net/2009/07/08/blackberry-app-world-no-news-is-not-good-news/

By: James Kendrick

James Kendrick — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:52:42 +0000

Very good point, Jake. It gives Verizon the control over VoIP apps, for example. At least in this instance we’ll still have the platform app store.

By: Jake

Jake — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:36:50 +0000

I don’t know if it’s fair to say that they are copying Apple. 3UK have always offered their own app store and, from memory, other phone companies that I’ve dealt with have too. In fact, I’m surprised that Verizon is the first to do this in the US.

I agree that they this allows the phone companies to make a profit on all application sales but it also lets them control what applications get through. That means that you won’t have access to anything that competes with the phone company, makes use of services that they would prefer you don’t use or that they just don’t approve of.

By: AndyT

AndyT — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:20:35 +0000

Sounds like the telcos feel left out and want some of that green. This is nothing short of corporate greed of the highest order. The lack of innovation in the smartphone space is mind boggling, all i see is every vendor simply trying desperately to COPY Apple’s every move. It’s time for these telcos and the other smartphone makers to start thinning their herds and get rid of all those brain-dead-monkies working in upper management.

By: GoodThings2Life

GoodThings2Life — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:40:28 +0000

I have to admit that it is more confusing than helpful.

It’s absurd for a carrier to do this. Leave it to the OS platform vendor.