• AFP, Monday, February 15, 2010 3:50 PM

Top mobile phone operators -- including AT&T, Vodafone and China Mobile -- have formed alliance to build a single platform for customer applications. The stated goal is to unite a 'fragmented marketplace," and give app developers a single route to users of different devices and operating systems. The move is being interpreted as show of force against industry leaders like Apple and Android maker Google.

The alliance of some 24 operated, named the Wholesale Applications Community, is backed by the GSMA, the industry group that organizes the congress, and device manufacturers LG Electronics, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. Other partners include Orange of France, Deutsche Telekom of Germany and NTT Docomo of Japan.

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