Vodafone has begun an initiative that will enable content partners and developers to create a range of mobile internet services that can be rolled out to all Vodafone customers. Vodafone is seeking to stimulate a new generation of mobile internet applications by providing internet service developers with a single point of access to Vodafone's global customer base. Developers will only need to create internet applications once in order to reach Vodafone customers on any device and charge directly through Vodafone's billing system. This will provide internet content partners, such as media or game developers, with a cost-efficient and effective micro-payments system to reach all customers on mobile devices. Vodafone will also provide partners and developers with customer controlled access to other network capabilities, such as location awareness. The move will be accompanied by a framework to provide customers with transparency and control over how their information is accessed and used. Vodafone claims the scale of the initiative will provide partners and developers with an unparalleled opportunity to increase revenues from the mobile internet, while delivering services to Vodafone's 289 million customers. Vodafone will also benefit from any uplift in sales under a revenue-share model. Vodafone is making the enhancements through the creation of a set of network Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) which will enable developers to build capabilities such as direct billing and location awareness into their services. Vodafone will start to offer access to selected network enablers through the Joint Innovation Lab (JIL) initiative.
