Aircel, Infosys launch mobile app store

Aircel, a part of Malaysia’s Maxis Communication, and technology giant Infosys Technologies have announced the launch of a mobile application store to provide services across different segments to Aircel subscribers. The Aircel Application Store will offer mobile applications related to health, lifestyle, entertainment, productivity (traffic, weather, etc) and education, among others. Subscribers can access these apps through voice, SMS, GPRS and internet (on a desktop). The store is will offer apps that are compatible with most handsets, irrespective of the model and manufacturer. Aircel is currently offering many free apps along with marginally priced and premium ones, and it also has several India-focused apps in its store.
Infosys will be providing the ecosystem and the platform for the Aircel Application Store. The store will be powered by Flypp, a ready-to-launch application platform by Infosys that enables operators to offer a range of apps, across devices. The platform can be integrated into an operator’s current technology environment or they can plug-and-play with their existing applications.
Throwing light on the App market in India, Sandeep Sawhney, head, new product development, Aircel, said at a press conference, “Over 200,000 apps are available through various providers globally and there were 2.5 billion downloads, of which most happened during the last nine months. In India, the app market is very small and less than one per cent of devices are smartphones. Voice and SMS dominate here and Indian needs are not taken care of by global app providers.”
Aircel is presently operating in 18 circles and has a subscriber base of 30 million as on December 31, 2009.