China Mobile – the world’s largest mobile operator by subscribers – has revealed plans to adopt a more open business model, including the launch of an Android-based software platform and its own application store. In an exclusive interview with Mobile Business Briefing, Wang Jianzhou, chairman and CEO of China Mobile, said the operator is “heading the development of a mobile operating system called OMS, or Open Mobile System. This system will embed the most popular China Mobile services, including mobile TV, mobile music, mobile stock trade, Instant Messaging etc in the form of Widget applications.” Based on Android, Chairman Wang said OMS will support the operator’s 3G TD-SCDMA technology and could potentially run on handsets using other 3G standards. “We welcome all kinds of OMS handsets on the market.”

In line with this open approach, China Mobile also looks set to join the fast-growing list of companies launching application stores. Initially referenced at the GSMA Mobile Asia Congress last November, Chairman Wang has now unveiled further details on the store: “We have initiated the construction of Mobile Market, and plan to launch it in two phases within the year. Our major purpose is to gather the application developers via this developer community, better leverage resources of terminal vendors, and provide the users with abundant and high-quality applications that are easy to download, use and pay for.” The launch of its own application store may be the reason behind China Mobile’s reported reluctance to offer Apple’s iPhone, which features the hugely successful ‘App Store.’ Chairman Wang, however, insisted the operator “will continue the negotiation with Apple in terms of introducing iPhone.”