Plaza Retail, announced Monday by Qualcomm, expands the wireless developer's Plaza suite of mobile software with an app store retailing site available on a wide range of wireless devices and networks.

Plaza Retail is built on Qualcomm's fourth-generation content retailing system and will enable CDMA mobile operators and other providers to present a uniform shopping experience to subscribers.

"Consumer expectation is defining the market for mobile content, and in order to remain competitive and contain costs as complexity increases, operators and device manufacturers will need to deliver more than just an application store," said Arvin Chander, Plaza Retail's VP and general manager, in a statement. "Success in this market will be dictated by delivering mobile retail experiences across multiple platforms and networks, backed by a healthy ecosystem of publishers with an automated, transparent supply chain."

Qualcomm noted that the app store phenomenon has created a multiplicity of app stores that cater to users addressing a single store or platform. Adding that Plaza Retail increases market opportunity for developers and publishers alike, Qualcomm pointed out that consumers will be able to upgrade or change devices easily with Plaza Retail.

According to Qualcomm, Plaza Retail consists of three elements. First is management content, which is a content merchandizing system that supports Java, Brew, Flash, and BlackBerry offerings, with future support planned for Symbian, Android, Windows Mobile, Palm, and LiMo platforms. Second, it provides an open connection marketplace that brings retailers, device manufacturers, and publishers together under the same roof while automating and streamlining applications in a transparent manner. Finally, a mobile multiplatform client storefront, built on Web standards, will enable retailers to easily update storefront layouts.

"Plaza provides customers a modular toolset for creating or managing app stores, either from the ground up or by building on their existing investments," said Michael Wallace, senior VP of Qualcomm Internet Services. "As a horizontal solution, the suite addresses fragmentation by allowing customers to deliver a consistent experience across a wide variety of platforms and devices."

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