The Android Market. Apple's App Store. The Mozilla Marketplace? The Firefox browser creator is hoping to open up a one-stop shop for applications that can be used across all HTML5-enabled devices. To reach that lofty goal, Mozilla will give developers a crack at it during next week's annual Mobile World Congress expo in Barcelona.
The Mozilla Marketplace will bridge the gap between the Internet and normal app shops by allowing developers to craft a single app that is bought once and then can be accessed on iPads, Android smartphones and more, the company said in a press release. In other words, it's building a true web-based app platform.
"The Web is the largest platform in the world," said Todd Simpson, Mozilla chief of innovation. "We are enabling the Web to be the marketplace, giving developers the opportunity to play on the biggest playing field imaginable. By building the missing pieces, Mozilla is now unlocking the potential of the Web to be the platform for creating and consuming content everywhere."
Mozilla believes the benefits of a "write once, deploy everywhere" store will be popular for developers and consumers alike. Both groups will have the chance to prove, or disprove, that theory soon. Interested app creators will have the chance to do so when the company begins accepting early submissions for the undertaking at the Mobile Web Congress, held between February 27 and March 1, while consumers will need to wait until later this year to give it a go.
Would you welcome another app store, or are you happy with the big two? Let us know in the comment section.
