Verizon's business development executive director Jennifer Byrne said at a conference recently that the iPhone helped Verizon change the way it thought about mobile software distribution. While she claimed Verizon had the first mobile store called GetItNow, she said the iPhone's App Store was a turning point for the industry, whereby Verizon adopted a "hands off" approach.
"It’s a drastic change from the walled garden stage to the open approach. It’s been a very big shift," Byrne said. "We’ve seen a tremendous response--so it's validated the decision."
Previously, cellular companies had software app stores that were very much closed off to smaller developers. When the iPhone App Store launched, it paved the way for anyone to develop for the mobile platform. Google is doing something similar with the Android platform.
You can read more about Verizon's new stance on mobile application development on Electronista.
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