A consortium of 24 telecoms operators are hoping to build the world's first open platform that delivers applications to all mobile phone users. In doing so, The newly formed Wholesale Applications Community is set to rival to Apple's app store, but not without challenges, observes Frost & Sullivan's Industry Analyst, Saverio Romeo.
"Apple has built a nice and very well functioning castle with a direct bridge to consumers over which no one else seems able to walk comfortably so far," said Romeo. "The other players, mobile device manufacturers, mobile network operators etc can offer competitive devices, development platforms and revenue models, but there is one point that are missing - Apple's brand and marketing power.
"Apple has a strong brand advantage and it is excellent in exploiting it. Consequently, the real challenge is not to walk on the same bridge to reach the castle. The real challenge is to move the attention towards a new mobile content paradigm, one that is not immediately associated with Apple.
"For example, a paradigm that combines the concept of store with other content distribution models such as the mobile web. All this requires a strong brand action. Probably, the main challenge of consortia like the The Wholesale Applications Community is branding."
'There's no getting away from the fact that for more and more business users their mobile device has become the comms tool of choice.'
Alan Reeve, Managing Director, Aastra UK and Ireland
Having hidden its light under a bushel and keeping its modus operandi a close industry secret, Exponential-e finally spills the beans on its scope of operation and scale of channel opportunity as a carrier with distinction.