Verizon Wireless relaunching V Cast Apps in September

Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) will unveil a revamped V Cast Apps storefront in September, promising an improved user experience for both mobile application developers and consumers.

Verizon Wireless will introduce the V Cast Apps makeover during its annual Verizon Developer Community conference, which kicks off Sept. 13. The operator first announced V Cast Apps at the maiden VDC event in mid-2009, promising a simple, intuitive customer experience highlighted by direct carrier billing integration as well as rigorous software testing, resulting in a smaller, more focused app inventory than rival portals. Verizon formally rolled out V Cast Apps in March 2010 to BlackBerry Storm2 users; the store expanded to Android smartphones last September.

"The first V Cast Apps store missed the mark a little bit," Verizon Wireless VP of network and technology Kyle Malady told Computerworld Wednesday following the opening of the carrier's new Application Innovation Center in San Francisco. Some consumers found it slow to browse the store and download apps, Malady said, adding that developers ran into delays as well. "We had a hard time ingesting a lot of the apps into the system in an efficient way," Malady said, noting Verizon will now strive to process and approve app submissions within two weeks.

The new Application Innovation Center supplies resources and support for Verizon Wireless developer partners creating new apps optimized for the company's LTE network. During a webcast spotlighting Wednesday's launch event, Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead said the center will "test, challenge and make better what our customers will do with their phones and other wireless devices."

Verizon Wireless CTO David Small said app developers will be invited to seminars and demonstrations to test and discuss their apps. The center will also have office space where Verizon engineers and network experts can work with the developers using a full replica of Verizon's commercial LTE network. Small said developers will have access to pre-production network APIs and will be able to test out new hardware and software to speed time to market.

For more:
- read this Computerworld article

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