There has been a lot of talk recently surrounding Verizon and the upcoming V Cast App Store for Android. While it is understandable that members of the developer and hacking community would be upset over these recent findings, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is a bad idea when seen from the other side of the table.
Before smart phones dominated the mobile industry, Verizon worked with manufacturers to ensure every device had a similar feel to it and the UI elements seemed the same. A customer could pick up a Motorola V3M Razr or and LG VX8300 and the experience on the screen would be the same. With this in mind it should come as no surprise they would want to continue that experience on smart phones in some ways.
Verizon has spent a lot of time and money on the V Cast brand over the past several years. It started out as just a brand for their OTA music download service and has quickly become the branding for their MediaFlo TV service, video on demand service, and anything having to do with multimedia across all platforms offered by the carrier.
For Verizon smart phone customers, the V Cast App Store is nothing new and originally popped up on Windows Mobile devices and then Blackberry devices before ever being mentioned for Android. The addition of Android to the V Cast App Store-compatible devices list just strengthens the V Cast brand and provides uniformity across all platforms. The app store will allow carrier billing on Android, which is currently only supported by T-Mobile through the Android Market, and may eventually allow subscription based services to be billed to a customer’s account.
It will also provide an avenue for developers to publish applications on a market that is controlled by a carrier where customers don’t have to wade through a lot of duplicate or poorly written apps.
In a letter to developers, Verizon recently gave the following reasons why a developer would want to submit Android Applications to the V Cast App Store:
- It’s Free – No Testing Fees
- It’s Fast – Our Goal is to place your application in the App Store within 14 days of Submission
- Abbreviated Click-Thru Agreement
- Carrier Billing – Your applications are billed directly to the Customer’s Bill; No credit cards, PayPal, etc.
- 70/30 Revenue Share – 70% Developer / 30% Verizon
- Hands-on, Experienced Content Programming Team – Get the visibility you deserve, not just a quality-crushing algorithm!
- Content Programming and Store continuity across multiple platforms (BlackBerry & Android)
- Integration with Network API’s! Messaging & aGPS
- Detailed submission guides online and forums monitored by our support staff
- Subscription Billing – Coming Soon!
The mod community will always be here and they will be able to find ways around pre-installed apps and carrier specific preloads. If you have the ability to circumvent this why complain about it?
How do you feel about the upcoming Verizon V Cast App Store? Be sure to sound off in the comments below.
