Vodafone Launches Android Market Channel in Europe

Mobile phone carrier Vodafone has just announced that it is the first wireless services provider in Europe to launch its own content channel in the Android Market.

This is the first channel of the kind to be offered in Europe, set to provide users with regularly updated Vodafone services, as well as with a wide range of applications.

The mobile phone carrier notes that the new channel should put at users’ disposal a selection of mobile software to keep them on top of what's new in the news or in sports, while also offering fast access to information and gaming.

All of the applications available there will be sourced from Vodafone’s global and local partnerships, some of which will be delivered on an exclusive, free or discounted basis.

“Together with Google, Vodafone has made it really simple for customers to get to the essential apps they can trust,” Lee Epting, Vodafone Group’s Content Services Director, commented on the new launch.

“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 wireless services provider also announced that the new own-brand channel was already made available for users in a series of European markets where the company operates.

These countries include the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, and they should be followed by Greece, Ireland and Portugal in the near future, the company continued.

The mobile phone carrier also announced that the channel is available for users through the Vodafone tab on the homepage of Google's application storefront, the Android Market.

While being the first wireless carrier in Europe to launch such a channel, Vodafone is not the first operator in the world to make the move, as others, such as Verizon in the US, already have such offerings in place.