Verizon To App Developers: Can You Hear Me Now?

Verizon on Tuesday officially launched its long-expected V CAST App storefront and its developer portal.

The company used its first-ever Verizon Developer Community conference, held this week in San Jose, Calif., to introduce the storefront and portal in front of a crowd of more than 500 mobile application developers and related attendees.

The V CAST App storefront, which is expected to go live before the end of 2009, is aimed at helping the company and its developers expand the marketplace for mobile wireless applications.

V CAST App seems to have taken part of its playbook from the Apple iPhone App store and its developer ecosystem.

The V CAST App storefront is slated to offer a simple click agreement, and include a streamlined testing and certification process to help launch applications within two weeks after they are submitted. In addition, Verizon said, developers will be able to set their own prices for their applications.

Part of the VDC conference is devoted to helping developers look at how to use open network services and APIs to bring their applications to market quickly, and to look at how to handle revenue sharing, Verizon said.

To help generate developer interest in the V CAST App ecosystem, Verizon plans to promote in August a developers' contest. For that contest, called Apply Your Ideas, developers will be encouraged to submit applications in multiple categories, with the winners slated to be featured in the V CAST App storefront once it launches.

Verizon on Tuesday also said it planned to open a new "Innovation Center" in 2010 somewhere in the Silicon Valley area in order to provide developers with Verizon services and resources to help them create their applications.

The company also unveiled its new Verizon Developer Advisory Board, a group of 11 large and small developer companies who are expected to provide feedback about the new Vendor Developer Community and the V CAST App storefront.