Vodacom's mobile app store will go live on Thursday, offering over 140 000 apps.
The service provider says the launch of Vodacom Apps will usher in “a new South African mobile app ecosystem”.
According to a statement, Vodacom Apps will support the major mobile platforms, including Android, BlackBerry, Java, Symbian and Windows Mobile for the “vast majority” of data-capable phones and smartphones.
Vodacom CEO Pieter Uys says the store will cater for a large number of users: “In fact, more than 10 million cellphones on our network can run at least Java apps.”
The store will feature various categories, such as games, travel and entertainment, business and professional, work and school, and phone tools.
Uys says the app store is “just the beginning”. “We're building an entire community that will supply home-grown apps relevant to the South African environment. With all the talent available in this country, there's no reason we can't create our own application industry.”
Uys also announced a Vodacom Developer Programme would be launched in conjunction with the Vodacom Apps store, in order to further develop the local apps market.
“The Vodacom Developer Programme will provide the developer community with technical and commercial support, including training, workshops and innovation incentives over the coming months,” says Vodacom.
“This will further stimulate the local development of apps by allowing developers to upload their own developed applications and generate revenue from this.”
According to Vodacom, app store users will be able to download free apps, for which standard data charges will apply.
“In the near future, Vodacom will introduce paid-for apps, which customers can pay for using their airtime account.”
The Vodacom Apps store will be accessible from Thursday via the http://vodacom.mobi/apps link, or from the Apps feature on Vodafone live! Further information about the developer programme will be available at a later date at www.vodacom.co.za/developer.
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