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China Telecom Launches Online Application StoreBEIJING, Sep 02, 2009 (SinoCast Daily Business Beat via COMTEX) -- China Telecom Corporation Ltd. (NYSE: CHA and SEHK: 0728) started an open beta test of ctmarket.cn, its online marketplace for 3G applications, on September 1, 2009. Previously, China Telecom General Manager Wang Xiaochu announced that the application shop would be launched by the end of July. However, the promotion is delayed by one month at last. Thus, China Telecom became the second Chinese mobile carrier to promote its own application shop, following China Mobile Ltd. (SEHK: 0941 and NYSE: CHL). In the fixed-line era, China Telecom had vnet.cn, a value-added service and Internet platform. However, after it started mobile business, 3G applications are believed to be of the essence. Since China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. (NYSE: CHU, SEHK: 0762, and SHSE: 600050) has not begun its 3G commercialization, the competition of applications is mainly between China Mobile and China Telecom. Ctmarket.cn not only provide users with download of mobile applications, but also offer application developers a platform for their online sales. Currently, the Web site supports mobile phone terminals based on the platforms of Windows Mobile, Symbian, Java, Widget and BlackBerry. Its applications are classified into eleven types, including game, theme, entertainment, life, reading, communications, business, travel, education and finance. Internet users are able to search for applications according to their classifications. On the main page, there are information for recommended shops and latest comments of different users, providing customers recommendations of other users for their reference. Ctmarket.cn models the business mode of Taobao.com under Alibaba Group. Users can select their favorite virtual shops to buy applications and even exchange opinions with shop owners. Sichuan Telecom and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd jointly build the Web site. Huawei is also responsible for platform construction and promotion. Their relationship is like that between China Mobile and ASPire Group. ASPire is a joint venture between China Mobile (Hong Kong) Limited, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MER), Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ) and Vodafone. During its open beta test, ctmarket.cn provides its service free of charge, just like Mobile Market of China Mobile. All the applications will be downloaded without charges. After the test, developers can price their applications within the range set by China Telecom. China Telecom will share 30% profits from the sales of applications, which is also the cooperation form adopted by APP Store and Mobile Market, revealed Zhao Huiling, subdecanal of the China Telecom Beijing Research Institute. (USD 1 = CNY 6.83) Source: dycj.ynet.com (September 02, 2009) |