Verizon Wireless to launch V Cast Apps by end of month

LAS VEGAS--Verizon Wireless will introduce its V Cast Apps store on March 29 according to Leroy Williams, the operator's executive director of applications, content and business development. First announced last July at the maiden Verizon Developer Community Event and originally slated to go live in Q4 2009, V Cast Apps will initially roll out across selected BlackBerry smartphones, beginning with the Storm2--in an interview with FierceMobileContent here at CTIA Wireless 2010, Williams said the storefront will open with about 300 applications, although "that number will ramp up very quickly," adding that thousands of additional applications are now awaiting testing and certification.

Williams said he was "humbled but not apologetic" in regards to the belated V Cast Apps launch, explaining the process of building an app store proved a significant challenge but that Verizon Wireless wanted to guarantee all the pieces were in place before officially going live. "We wanted to extend and expand our relationship with our customers and the developer community, and the expectation is that we will deliver a consistent, high-quality experience. We intended to honor that expectation," Williams explained, adding that Verizon came close to introducing VCast Apps in December. "We decided ‘No, we're gonna do this right,'" he said. "That extra time has allowed us to refine and sharpen what we need to deliver."

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