RCom readies its own app store

Reliance Communications, the GSM and CDMA telecom operator, has said that it will be launching its mobile applications store in the country soon. The App store will be available for customers through Reliance’s mobile web portal, RWorld 2.0. The portal would be 3G ready and will support all latest features available on mobile handsets such as on-device portals, idle screens, widgets and RSS readers.
The first version of the store would go live on GSM handsets later this month and the expanded version will be launched across CDMA and GSM handsets later this quarter.
In an email response to Telecom Yatra, Krishna Durbha, head, value added services, Reliance Communications said, “The applications created will be cutting across all platforms and channels. All 3,500 applications registered by Reliance Developer Program’s (RDP) Community of over 10,000 developers will be available on Reliance Applications Store offering applications across all categories including infotainment, music, commerce etc. RDP is a platform for promoting innovation and entrepreneurship among students in India through which they can earn revenues while learning.
Durbha added that the applications available on the store will be both free as well as paid, depending on the kind of service. He said, “Application developers in India and abroad can deploy their applications on RWorld 2.0 and monetise it through revenue share model. Applications on RWorld are powered by over 300 partners including Jumpgames, Mauj, Hungama, Astute, Kodiak, Gameloft and Indiagames. Durbha claimed that currently over 500,000 applications get downloaded each month on RWorld.
On promotional plans for the app store, Durbha said, “Applications Store is a highly experiential product and therefore, the promotion of the product largely depends on consumer experiences which, we are confident, will be positive. Therefore focus will be on on-ground events and BTL (below-the-line) for demonstrations and experiences. Also, as sponsors of the ICC Cup, we will certainly be planning activities around the event to promote the product.”
As per a company statement, Reliance Communications has a customer base of 100 million including over 2.5 million individual overseas retail customers.