It’s not just carriers and handset makers jumping on the application store craze. Telecoms equipment maker Ericsson (NSDQ: ERIC) has released a hosted app store aimed at carriers who don’t want to build their own. In May, Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) announced a very similar service in the form of Plaza Retail.

Ericsson’s head of service delivery platform solutions Ida La Spisa told Telephony Online that one of the aims is to give carriers a wider range than Apple’s App Store. The platform won’t be confined to a single device, instead carriers will be able to tailored the app store toward a number of devices and operating systems, allowing both users of both smartphones and feature phones to tap into it.

La Spisa also said that carriers will be able to use of their exclusive subscriber knowledge—such as data and location information—to give their stores an edge, including more targeted advertising within the apps. Ericsson said it can help set up the developer community, and manage their access to a carriers API’s, as well as handling the consumer transactions for the carrier and developer.

• Qualcomm Tries To Top Apple’s App Store By Launching Storefront Services Of Their Own