Virgin rolls out app store; unlimited music service

Virgin may be late to the party but it’s looking to cut itself a slice of the app store action by teaming up with white label operation GetJar.

This week Virgin Mobile France tapped up GetJar to offer its entire catalogue of free mobile applications – around 45,000 apps – alongside Virgin’s own ringtones and premium games.

With all the industry buzz around app stores, GetJar has established its own niche, recently announcing partnerships with 3 UK and Sony Ericsson to build out white label app stores.

GetJar now claims to receive over one million downloads a day across more than 200 countries, with over 200,000 developer accounts under its belt. The app store caters to Java-based devices and targets Symbian, Windows Mobile, iPhone, Palm, BlackBerry, and Flash Lite-compatible phones.

On a related note, Virgin’s cable carrier, Virgin Media also announced a deal with record label Universal to build what they claim is the world’s first unlimited music download subscription service.

Under the offer, Virgin Media’s broadband customers will be able to stream and download as many songs and albums as they like and listen to them on any iPod, MP3 player, mobile phone or PC. The music will be theirs to keep forever.

The service is due to go live later this year and Virgin is keeping quiet about pricing, although it did say it would be sold as a monthly subscription. The company is also negotiating to get other major and independent music labels on board for launch.

The deal also marks a sea change in the way the music industry is seeking opportunities in an increasingly digital world. Virgin said part of the initiative will involve implementing a range of different strategies to educate file sharers about online piracy and to raise awareness of legal alternatives. They include, as a last resort for persistent offenders, a temporary suspension of internet access. No customers will be permanently disconnected and the process will not depend on network monitoring or interception of customer traffic, the company said.