Verizon Wireless has announced plans to put its weight behind the Joint Innovation Lab (JIL) established by China Mobile, Softbank and Vodafone, to help accelerate the uptake of innovative mobile technologies on a mass-market scale.
The initiative is set to culminate in the launch of a range of tools to encourage innovation among global mobile developers, taking place later this year.
These include a common mobile widgets specification, easy-to-use developer kits, and an online repository, distribution and payment mechanism to ensure developers can roll out their products to customers in more than 70 countries across North America, Asia, Europe and Africa.
Says JIL Chairman Masayoshi Son: “This partnership will enable four of the world’s leading mobile operators to pool their combined expertise, innovation and scale for the gain of customers across the globe,”
“As well as driving innovation in the mobile developer world, this initiative is set to empower consumers by giving them access to a range of easy-to-use and compelling web applications that will enable them to get even more benefits from their handsets.”
The addition of Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone, would mean that the JIL now has a combined customer reach of approximately one billion consumers.