NTT and Index Announce Appliko

NTT and Index are joining to launch their own Android market called Appliko, debut in Jpn spring 2011 w/global plan: http://bit.ly/gGpRkS

Press Release:

TOKYO, JAPAN - NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com) and Index Corporation announced today the immediate launch of an online market site that introduces applications for smartphones running the Android operating system targeting new users of these devices, particularly females. The online market, named “appliko” (http://appliko.jp; Japanese only), will begin selling applications and content by April, 2011.

In addition to offering reviews of applications and smartphones running Android, the site will enable visitors to search for items by popularity, view recommendations, and purchase applications through easy payment systems.

Android applications developed by NTT Com and Index will be premiered via appliko. The site will be supported with NTT Com Group-developed technologies for searches, recommendations and unauthorized copy prevention, and Index’s mobile content-management know-how.

Some 2,000 reviews are expected to be available by the end of next March. Information will be arranged conveniently into 18 categories and 108 sub-categories for easy discovery. Applications targeting females will cover themes such as manicure treatment, fashion and magazines.

Support for Android application developers will be provided, including use of NTT Com’s open laboratory as a development environment and Index’s testing environment and proxy application registration. Competitions will be held to encourage the development of new Android applications for Japanese users.

The site will be open to all visitors, including the roughly eight million customers of NTT Com’s OCN-brand ISP service and four million subscribers to Index’s 3G mobile services. Once sales begin, subscribers to NTT Group services, such as OCN or NTT DOCOMO’s mobile services will be able to pay for purchases via their monthly service bills.

The companies are considering the possibility of localizing the appliko website for overseas markets in Europe and Asia.