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story category Verizon Promising Application Store
But has a few caveats to avoid being a dumb pipe...
11:48AM Tuesday Jul 14 2009 by Karl Bode
tags: competition · business · hardware · wireless
If you recall, back in 2007 Verizon made a promise to truly open up their wireless network, through the process has so far consisted more of public relations than meaningful evolution. So with news that Verizon is planning its very own application store for smartphones, it's not too surprising that Verizon's attaching some conditions to the project. According to Verizon's Ryan Hughes, competing app stores will be blocked by default unless specifically requested by the customer, which many may not do. So while Verizon's reaching out to developers and glacially moving toward open smartphones, they're doing it in a very "Verizon" way that protects them from their very worst fear: being a dumb pipe operator that simply runs a network where more innovative companies do the innovating (and generate the ad revenue).

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Forums » Verizon Promising Application Store
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grydlok

join:2004-01-06
Richmond, VA

load of crap

I read this yesterday. Put their own app program on every phone on the Verizon network. If you want Palm, or BB you have to go elsewhere to get it.

caster777

@sbcglobal.net

Will this be in a free data zone and not count aginst your c

Will this be in a free data zone and not count aginst your c

DaveNJ
No Fear

join:1999-09-01
New Jersey

Just go full LTE already

Verizon has another competitor called the free market, i am on ATT simply because i can use my nokia N95. The phone i wanted, not the phone verizon wanted to sell me. Just go LTE, so people can choose devices, other then verizon brand.

TKJunkMail
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join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
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Big opportunity for a lot of 3rd party app developers

Coders for the following phone models(Windows Mobile, Palm, Android and BlackBerry) have an opportunity to get their products on to Verizon's huge user base.

The developers conference is the place to start:
»www.vdc2009.com/index.php

It would be nice to see that the iPhone 3rd party apps developers aren't the only game in town.
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TKJunkMail
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1 edit

And MS joins the rush with their own app store

»tech.yahoo.com/news/zd/20090714/tc_zd/242253
Microsoft will open up its Windows Marketplace to developers later this month – and their creations will be available on Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 devices by year's end.

Microsoft will open up Windows Marketplace for submissions in 29 countries starting July 27, the company said in a Tuesday blog post.

Marketplace will initially be available on Microsoft's upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5 platform, which launches in the fall. But by year's end, users with Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 devices will also have access to Marketplace, Brix said.

"This means that developers will have an opportunity to reach more than 30 million Windows Mobile devices," he said.
Apple set the standard for app stores and now everyone is joining in: Blackberry, Palm, Google/Android, & now MS for Windows Mobile.
»news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-102864···1_3-0-20
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NOCTech75

join:2009-06-29
Marietta, GA

Always wanted that Baby Shaker app

And soon I may get it!
moonpuppy

join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

And people wonder why they can't get a Verizon iPhone

This is the clearest example of why there isn't a Verizon version of an iPhone. Apple would not have given up control and Verizon would have demanded more control.

DaveNJ
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1 edit

Re: And people wonder why they can't get a Verizon iPhone

Hence the antique use of cdma. Gsm has always been freer to the consumer. Verizon doesnt like the consumer having any control. Really why ATT and tmobile doesnt point this out more is beyond me. Any GSM phone with the proper frequencies can be used on the ATT or tmobile net.

kyler13
Is your fiber grounded?

join:2006-12-12
Arnold, MD

Re: And people wonder why they can't get a Verizon iPhone

Because AT&T and T-Mobile can't point it out. It's not just the proper frequencies, it's what's used on those frequencies. Yeah, the voice will work, but AT&T vs. T-mobile vs. Int'l GSM all operate their 3G service on different bands.

DaveNJ
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Re: And people wonder why they can't get a Verizon iPhone

said by kyler13 See Profile :

Because AT&T and T-Mobile can't point it out. It's not just the proper frequencies, it's what's used on those frequencies. Yeah, the voice will work, but AT&T vs. T-mobile vs. Int'l GSM all operate their 3G service on different bands.
Voice and data work on my phone, and its unlocked. The network doesnt care what 3G frequency its on. The Xperia 2 is supposed to a 3g world phone.
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kyler13
Is your fiber grounded?

join:2006-12-12
Arnold, MD

Re: And people wonder why they can't get a Verizon iPhone

Point is, it's dependent on the phone. Europe uses 2100 MHz for 3G while the US does not. T-mobile only uses one of the two frequencies AT&T uses for 3G so if you take an unlocked T-mobile phone to AT&T, your 3G coverage may be worse than if you had an AT&T phone. Point being, the misconception is that GSM is GSM is GSM and it works everywhere.
rmdir

join:2003-03-13
Chicago, IL

V

There's a reason I did an early termination after the better part of 10 years with Verizon and switched to an Android phone, and this is it. Yes, I had to root my phone, but it's no big thing.

kyler13
Is your fiber grounded?

join:2006-12-12
Arnold, MD

Nice try

According to Verizon's Ryan Hughes, competing app stores will be blocked by default unless specifically requested by the customer.
Nice misinformation here. How about direct quoting what was actually said. You'll get the Verizon app store downloader installed on your smartphone out of the box. If you want the app downloader specific to the OS or device, you'll have to download it yourself. That's much different than blocking access and requiring the customer to specifically request it (like contacting Verizon). I'm sure they're counting on a large majority of customers not being savvy enough to figure this out. The old Verizon would physically block it, but now they're resigned to tricking you into not knowing you have a choice.
beaups

join:2003-08-11
Hilliard, OH

Re: Nice try

Because if the story was reported honestly, it wouldn't have been news. Par for the course. "Newsflash, firefox doesn't come with windows"...it's not blocked, you simply have to download it. Sounds like the same thing Verizon is doing, but reported in such a fashion wouldn't generate the needless outrage BBR is looking for
wev567

join:2006-02-25
Pittsburgh, PA

Re: Nice try

said by beaups See Profile :

"Newsflash, firefox doesn't come with windows"...it's not blocked, you simply have to download it
But Microsoft doesn't make Firefox - VZW does run this app store.
beaups

join:2003-08-11
Hilliard, OH

Re: Nice try

My point exactly. Why would verizon preinstall someone else's app store? Why would MS preinstall firefox? If you want another app store or firefox you install it yourself. Make sense now???
old_wiz_60

join:2005-06-03
Bedford, MA
·Verizon FIOS

Verizon apps

Anyone care to place a large bet that the apps will be pretty much crap? Verizon is totally obsessed with controlling everything you put on the phone. I think that's one reason they wouldn't go with Apple and iPhone; they couldn't bear the idea of anyone else making money off their phone network.

Hpower
Roflmao

join:2000-06-08
Glendale, CA

Re: Verizon apps

Yup.

Gbcue
E.I.T.
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Santa Rosa, CA
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said by old_wiz_60 See Profile :

Anyone care to place a large bet that the apps will be pretty much crap? Verizon is totally obsessed with controlling everything you put on the phone. I think that's one reason they wouldn't go with Apple and iPhone; they couldn't bear the idea of anyone else making money off their phone network.
There will probably be like a million flashlights like in the Apple App Store.
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sameshtdd

join:2006-01-04
Teaneck, NJ

This is a Direct Conflict with what MSFT says

»developer.windowsmobile.com/Help···3da8f75d

So unless MSFT backs down and changes that statement, I don't see how VZ is gonna get the Windows Mobile Marketplace off of the phone.

Also, with this statement, you can say byebye iphone ever on VZW.

NOTE: I read this on another blog's comment section dedicated to Windows Mobile Devices.
Asmodeus

join:2004-05-26
Spring Valley, CA

Dumb pipe provider...

They already are a dumb pipe provider. The whole notion that these companies somehow have a level of content that people want without getting themselves from elsewhere is stupid. They should just adopt LTE, open up their networks, have people pay one flat fee for everything (data, anytime, sms, mms, tethering, etc.) and be done with it. Let people buy their own phones and let them come to the provider for the hookup. CDMA is already shrinking and I don't know why Verizon doesn't get that. If they do, they aren't doing a damn thing to mitigate it and AT&T is just moronic on how they cripple their service or just outright rape the user from services like SMS/MMS.

DaveNJ
No Fear

join:1999-09-01
New Jersey

Re: Dumb pipe provider...

i agree. Verizon should have moved to UMTS earlier, then the migration to LTE, would be cake. But they love there control more.

Wildbill1978

@radford.edu

This smells of Anti-Trust...at least a little bit

This situation reminds me of how Microsoft got in trouble by installing Internet Explorer by default in Windows, and made it difficult for vendors to pre-install other web browsers on their machines. I know there was a lot more to the MS anti-trust issue, but this was one of the bigger issues. I also know that at the time that MS had like 93% of the market so it made it a different as well, but the ideas behind it are very similar.

Basically they are saying "we are going to pre-install our App store on the phone, and remove yours before allowing the customer to have it. They can install other app stores on there, but we aren't going to provide instructions on how to do so." Sounds pretty much exactly what MS said about IE.

I like Verizon for their signal strength only...I wish one of the other companies would step up and not only have cool phones, but a decent network as well.
Forums » Verizon Promising Application Store


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