Vodafone announced today that is has launched an initiative to make application development for the handsets it carries easier. The new programme is aimed at content partners and developers, and is based around a set of APIs to help apps roll out quickly across the Vodafone network. Of course since Nokia did this for it’s handsets three weeks ago, it renders Vodafone’s claims that this service will “redefine” the mobile Internet experience a bit spurious.
Nevertheless, Vodafone is working to create a single point through which developers can access it’s entire customer base. The aim of the APIs is to reduce the amount of work required to create a decent mobile application on Vodafone. Having to recode an app for every single different device leads to apps only being coded for the few most popular devices. The APIs also allow for payments made for or through these apps to be made directly through pre- and post-paid bills. So a mobile application for Vodafone can now immediately roll out and be monetized on it’s entire portfolio of web-connected phones.
From the release:
“Vodafone is making these changes to make it easier for third parties to develop attractive new services as well as bill and support our customers through our network capabilities in all markets,” said Vittorio Colao CEO of Vodafone. “By giving them simple access to our global customer base and network assets, such as direct billing and location awareness, we will help them to make more money while providing our customers with the innovative services that they want.”
What we think?
This is an interesting one. The service is going to be launched later this summer, along with a website for Joint Innovation Lab (the mobile application workforce that Vodafone is a member of). It won’t be until then that we see a Software Developer Kit for this service. So while we currently see that Vodafone is releasing open APIs (which is great, don’t get me wrong), what we don’t see is what kind of quality control there will be. I really can’t imagine Vodafone going down the Android path, where mostly everything is allowed so long as the technical specs are adhered to, and the audience regulates the market. I would say that we will soon see a list of regulations and prohibitions, much like the one that Microsoft recently released. Vodafone certainly aren’t going to want to see disasters like the baby shaker app popping up, or anything with adult content. However, its liberal attitude towards enabling simple micro-payments should make the mobile gaming developers happy.
