Vodafone launches own-brand Android channel

The giant mobile phone operator Vodafone have announced the launch of a new sub-channel within the Andoir Market that offers Vodafone apps and services, as well as unique apps developed in partnerships with Vodafone, exclusively for Vodafone customers.

From today, anyone using an Android phone with a Vodafone SIM will see a Vodafone-branded tab on the Android Market. While some of this content can be accessed by anyone, some of what is on offer is only available specifically to those on Vodafone.

This initiative is part of the ongoing attempt by all mobile phone operators to try to ensure they are not just supplying the bandwidth and infrastructure as one source put it, ” trying to ensure they’re more than just ‘dumb pipes'”. This is because a lot of the money is moving away from the initial contracts and into the value-added services and mobile commerce like the App stores.

This Android channel gives Vodafone the opportunity to move ahead of its competition.

“Together with Google, Vodafone has made it really simple for customers to get to the essential apps they can trust,” said Lee Epting, Vodafone’s content services director. “More than 75 million Vodafone customers around the world are regularly using the mobile internet, and we are committed to giving them the best possible experience. This focus on quality over quantity helps deliver on that commitment.”

The Vodafone channel is now live in the UK, Germany, Italy, Holland and Spain, and will soon launch in Ireland, Portugal and Greece.