Verizon Putting V-Cast App Store on Android Phones?

[jntdroid]

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In a move that, at first glance, seems like just another brick in the wall of Verizon asserting itself lately, stories are now surfacing that Verizon will open its own “V-Cast Apps” store to go alongside the Android Market. Yes, there is currently a Verizon tab within your Android Market app on your phone, but this is different. According to the articles linked below, it will be its own separate app, and there will be an approval process for any apps submitted to V-Cast Apps. Check out the articles below for more details and for Verizon’s official press release, as well as why they think V-Cast Apps is a good idea.

As the double rainbow guy says so fervently... what does it mean? (if you don’t know what I’m referring to, youtube “double rainbow guy”) Well, it might mean nothing. It might have little effect. It might add competition for the Android Market, which is typically good for the end user. It could simply be another “brick”, as I previously mentioned. It could mean a number of things...

When I try and step back and look at the forest, this is what I’m seeing. Back in October of 2009 there was a perfect storm brewing. Verizon needed to be a stronger competitor in the smartphone market. Google needed Android to become a household name. Motorola needed to manufacture a solid device that would put them back on the map. Long story short - they all accomplished what they wanted, alongside a massively successful marketing campaign (blitz?) by Verizon. Now that the storm is settling, what are we seeing? Motorola is locking up bootloaders and adding their own software (Blur). Verizon is reclaiming some semblance of control of their phones again with moves like V-Cast Apps and the Bing/Google search debacle. Google, at first glance anyway, is between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, Android is huge now, compared to just 1 year ago. On the other hand, Android is being modified, tweaked, some might even say contaminated, by the carriers.

Is it possible that our hacking based community is thinking too idealistically? Android is open source, so maybe this is exactly how Google envisioned it. After all, they only really make money off of ads, and the more devices Android occupies, the more ads they can sell. So, maybe Google is as pleased as Verizon and Motorola at this stage. Maybe Google has no problem sitting back and watching Verizon make these moves. Verizon, after all, is still truly the one in control. Until our American way of doing wireless changes, the carriers will always have the final say. Lest we also forget, these are all for-profit corporations whose number one goal is (and should be) to increase the value to shareholders.

V CAST App Store to compete with official Android Market? – Android and Me
Verizon To Undercut Google Again, Put V-Cast App Store On Android Phones

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[furbearingmammal]

What value for shareholders? The people in charge's number one concern is to make more money so they can get bonuses, except for the ones who do it so they can have more power. Let's be realistic here -- "increasing value for the shareholders" is too altruistic. The reality is nobody on the board is worried about doing anything "for the shareholders" except when it comes to getting voted off the board BY the shareholders.

 

[nooter99]

Furbearinganimal, that was amazing! While I was thinking it, you were typing it!! Couldn't agree with you more.

 

[nooter99]

Oops, sorry, I meant furbearing"mammal"

 

[jntdroid]

Stock price... that's the value for shareholders. Don't get me wrong, I'm not as altruistic as that might have sounded, and I don't believe for one second that those decision makers aren't in it to make more money for themselves. Whether it's motivated by keeping a board position, or simply financial greed, the premise is the same. If the company is not making money, the stock price will perform poorly, which will put all of their positions at risk. So they have a vested interest, whether it's purely selfish or not, to maintain and/or increase shareholder value.

 

[JSmallS]

Thanks for that! On one hand I think its good to have the VCast store for approved apps but on the other hand I can see them trying to smother the Android Market out and take their revenue that they were getting from the apps being bought. Personally I liked that Android had their own market and it wasnt goverened by the stupid VCast store. That VCast stuff sucks. I hope this will be better than their previous endevors, but unlikely.

 

[johnomaz]

The only app on the VCast tab that I am interested in is the VCast NHL. However, its not there. I know it exists on phones, but I don't see it. I don't know if it appears during the season only, but I would love to have it. If it never appears, oh well then.

Competition may be good for users, but if there are too many different sources, then it just gets congested and confusing.

 

[TheOldFart]

What value for shareholders? The people in charge's number one concern is to make more money so they can get bonuses, except for the ones who do it so they can have more power. Let's be realistic here -- "increasing value for the shareholders" is too altruistic. The reality is nobody on the board is worried about doing anything "for the shareholders" except when it comes to getting voted off the board BY the shareholders.

That's right. The only shareholders that the exes are concerned about is themselves, so that their stock options can make them more millions. They could care less about the pension funds and the people who own a couple hundred shares of their stock. They only care about the ones who own millions worth and have the voting power.

 

[sranger]

As long as this remains options, I think it is ok.... However, I think Verizon is moving tword a more closed experience on their network...... If they do what I think they are doing I will leave the network...

 

[DF Smod]

I don't like the idea of this at all, hopefully I won't have to be subjected to it

 

[Martin030908]

I think this will sour the relationship between Google and Verizon.

I will never pay for VCast services while I already pay for a data plan.

 

[DF Smod]

VCast has a Horrible UI anyways, all of the VZW red and the swish and swoosh and that terrible intro music that is played

Nein Danke

 

[aaf709]

VCast has a Horrible UI anyways, all of the VZW red and the swish and swoosh and that terrible intro music that is played

Nein Danke

Yeah, I left that behind with my Voyager (which had, IMHO, a better keyboard than the Droid). I'd like to see what they have, but I doubt I'd get anything.

 

[DragTheRake]

VCast has a Horrible UI anyways, all of the VZW red and the swish and swoosh and that terrible intro music that is played

Nein Danke

Yeah, I left that behind with my Voyager (which had, IMHO, a better keyboard than the Droid). I'd like to see what they have, but I doubt I'd get anything.

Yeah, I came from the Voyager Titanium and I do kind of miss that keyboard. I have adapted pretty well to the touchsreen on my X, but I'm nowhere as fast as I was on the Voyager.