Apple's iTunes App Store for the iPhone isn't the only applications store for mobile devices these days: Google already has the Android Marketplace for phones running on its operating software and others are looking to launch stores: Nokia's Ovi Apps Store for Symbian, RIM's BlackBerry Apps Storefront, Microsoft SkyMarket for Windows Mobile, and Palm's webOS Software Store for its upcoming Pre smartphone. That's a good number of stores and a good number of fragmentation. One analyst group believes these stores are segmenting the industry along the wrong lines.
The Shosteck Group believes these myriad app stores are creating closed systems like wireless carriers had a few years ago. What ever happened to common platforms?
The analyst firm encourages wireless companies to develop new mobile services for individual sectors like health care, agriculture and education: sectors that have yet to fully embrace mobile technology.
"The Shosteck Group finds it fascinating that very few are paying attention to these lucrative segments that need to better understand how mobile can play into their future," the analyst group's newsletter said.
