Aircel To Launch Mobile App Store In Partnership With Infosys

Aircel has announced that they are partnering with Infosys to launch mobile application store. The partnership will see Infosys implementing the app store on Telco’s behalf leveraging its ‘Flypp’ platform, a ready-to-go application platform developed specially for telecom operators.

App stores are attracting attention from handset makers to telecom operators as soaring smartphone and mobi-internet usages finds its way into mainstream telecom market. It was just recently that Nokia launched Ovi, a mobile app store whereas Blackberry launched its App store in India.

Aircel will see smooth implementation of its App store as tying up with Infosys will provide it access to their proprietary mobile app platform – ‘Flypp’. Infosys also has tie-ups with numerous app developers to showcase their apps on ‘Flypp’ platform implemented on telco’s infrastructure.

Mr. Gurdeep Singh, COO, Aircel, commented, “Aircel Application Store will provide rich consumer insight to drive and offer the consumers a broad selection of most relevant applications to choose from in the most convenient manner be it through Voice, SMS, GPRS or the Internet on your Mobile. “

Indian telecom market still languishes when it comes to accessing app stores and more so for accessing paid apps as subscribers find payment gateways too cumbersome for micro-payments. Telecom operators based app stores could find significant success if they could integrate billing systems altogether.

App stores are also a way for telcos to proliferate VAS usages amongst its subscribers and with advent of 3G they will surely hope that their subscribers hook on to their app addiction. Many Indian telecos have even went to the extent of funding application developers just like recent corpus of Rs. 250 Crores pulled together by Airtel.