Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies, products and services, today announced the expansion of its Plaza(TM) suite of solutions to include Plaza Retail(TM). Built on Qualcomm's fourth generation content retailing solution and backed by Qualcomm's extensive experience in fostering developer ecosystems, the goal of Plaza Retail is to allow application retailers (typically mobile operators) to present subscribers with a uniform and easy shopping experience on any capable device. Plaza Retail also gives publishers and developers the ability to make their content available to multiple retailers instantly, regardless of their development platform. Application retailers can then leverage their knowledge of subscribers and the strength of their own brand to create a rich shopping experience that is highly personalized for each consumer.
The proliferation of app stores has led to multiple solutions that only address the market for a single device or platform. Plaza Retail increases the market opportunity for developers and publishers by offering a much wider range of distribution channels, presenting new opportunities for both new customers and the BREW community. Most important, because content is not tied to the device, application retailers can offer consumers the benefit of being able to upgrade or change devices without losing their application investment.
"Consumer expectation is defining the market for mobile content, and in order to remain competitive and contain costs as complexity increases, operators and device manufacturers will need to deliver more than just an application store," said Arvin Chander, vice president and general manager of Plaza Retail. "Success in this market will be dictated by delivering mobile retail experiences across multiple platforms and networks, backed by a healthy ecosystem of publishers with an automated, transparent supply chain."
Plaza Retail consists of three elements:
* Management Center - A content merchandizing system that will support Java(TM), BREW(R), Flash(R) and BlackBerry(R) with planned support for Android(TM), Windows Mobile, Palm(R), Symbian and LiMo. Management Center allows for managing pricing, licensing, packaging, promotions, placement, segmentation, personalization, delivery and analytics in a unified manner across multiple platforms.
* Connection - An open marketplace that brings retailers, device manufacturers and publishers together, automating and streamlining the application ecosystem and enabling content to reach the market in a frictionless and transparent manner.
* Storefront - A multi-platform client, Web, or mobile Web (WAP) storefront built on Web standards and a storefront management portal that enables retailers to easily update their store layout, promotions and micro-stores, thereby enhancing merchandising effectiveness and driving a common branding and user experience across their entire device lineup.
Qualcomm pioneered mobile content development and delivery with BREW, which continues to prove successful for operators and developers today. In addition to introducing Plaza Retail, Qualcomm continues to demonstrate innovation in device platform software and development tools such as Brew Mobile Platform. With more than two billion paid transactions, BREW serves as the foundation for the Plaza suite of services.
The Plaza suite also includes Plaza Mobile Internet, an end-to-end widget platform that offers operators and publishers an open framework for the development, support, management and monetization of Internet-based content on a variety of handsets.
"Qualcomm's Plaza suite meets the needs of operators, device manufacturers and publishers who want to create rich, personalized content experiences," said Michael Wallace, senior vice president of Qualcomm Internet Services. "Plaza provides customers a modular toolset for creating or managing app stores, either from the ground up or by building on their existing investments. As a horizontal solution, the suite addresses fragmentation by allowing customers to deliver a consistent experience across a wide variety of platforms and devices."
Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Qualcomm is included in the S&P 100 Index, the S&P 500 Index and is a 2009 FORTUNE 500(R) company. For more information, please visit www.qualcomm.com.
Qualcomm and BREW are registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. Plaza, Plaza Retail and Plaza Mobile Internet are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.