Qualcomm ships one billion BREWs, Verizon thirsty for more
Qualcomm isn't finished with the dumbphone just yet. Even after announcing that 250 handsets with Snapdragon cores are in the pipeline, CEO Paul Jacobs slapped his Uplinq 2011 audience with a stunner: over one billion BREW-enabled devices have been shipped. For its part, Qualcomm is continuing to stoke BREW's flames, and Verizon seems perfectly willing to stay aboard. The carrier will introduce several BREW MP devices over the coming months, and the majority of these phones will feature a new storefront for mobile purchases -- oh joy. In addition to getting recommendations, shoppers will be able to test drive many applications before making purchases. This is all well and good, but we'd prefer Jacobs had previewed some of those new Snapdragons. Follow the break for a joint PR from Qualcomm and Verizon.
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VERIZON WIRELESS BRINGS COMPELLING, INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS TO MILLIONS OF BASIC PHONE CUSTOMERS
Developers Can Distribute Apps Via Media Center and Online Media Store
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and SAN DIEGO – Verizon Wireless, the leading wireless company with the nation's largest and most reliable wireless voice and data network, and Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies, products and services, continue to bring thousands of applications to millions of customers with phones powered by Qualcomm's Brew® and Brew MP™ platform. Brew MP enables smartphone-like functionality and access to high quality apps and compelling services on the phones people use every day.
Verizon Wireless is expanding the number of Brew and Brew MP devices available to its customers, with several new phones to be announced in the coming months. The majority of these new phones will have a completely updated storefront, featuring an easy-to-use and graphically enhanced mobile shopping experience. Among the new features in the intuitive interface will be an icon that lets customers preview hundreds of live applications before purchase, helping customers more easily choose the apps and services they want to use.
The new application storefront will also include a recommendation engine, made possible by Qualcomm's subsidiary Xiam Technologies Ltd. The recommendation engine enables personalized app recommendations, improving the discovery experience for customers, and supporting developers by helping drive adoption of their applications and services. Developers also benefit from support of in-app purchases and direct carrier billing.
"Verizon Wireless remains focused on providing innovative applications across all types of devices, including the millions of Brew and Brew MP phones used by our customers," said Greg Haller, vice president, Consumer Solutions for Verizon Wireless. "Working with Qualcomm, we are excited to provide new options for those basic phone customers to enhance their shopping experience, along with providing even more options for developers to distribute apps, be successful and make money."
"Verizon's commitment to Brew and Brew MP means developers can now more effectively reach a broader audience than ever before," said Michael Wallace, senior vice president and general manager of Qualcomm Internet Services. "The demand for basic phones remains strong, with hundreds of millions of devices being used all over the world today. Brew MP is enabling developers to drive revenue and bring feature-rich functionality to the mass market."
Qualcomm has been a pioneer and leader in mobile content development and delivery since it launched Brew in 2001. For more information about the Verizon Developer Community (VDC), visit http://developer.verizon.com.
