U.S. wireless carrier Verizon Wireless is holding a contest for mobile application developers, called "Apply Your Ideas," in which it's offering up $50,000 and a featured spot in its upcoming on-device V CAST Apps mobile software store to the developer with "the coolest and most appealing applications." The catch? Eligible apps must be new to the BlackBerry platform--and BlackBerry Storm compatible. Verizon Wireless wants its upcoming V CAST mobile app store to shine among the current crop of on-device application storefronts like Research In Motion’s (RIM) BlackBerry App World, Microsoft’s Windows Marketplace for Mobile and, of course, Apple’s mega-popular iTunes App Store. And it’s holding a contest, aptly named “Apply Your Ideas,” to locate the cream of the mobile-app-crop. The Verizon Developer Community Logo Apply Your Ideas starts today, August 14, and the company’s accepting application submissions through September 20 at ApplyYourIdeas.com. You must be a registered Verizon Developer Community (VDC) member to participate, and the Grand Prize winner will claim $50,000 in prize money; 200 percent of the app’s V CAST Apps revenue for one year (with a maximum limit of $100,000 on top of actual revenue); and a featured spot in the carrier’s V CAST Apps store, which is expected to launch some time this year. All submitted applications must run on a BlackBerry device, though they can also run on other mobile operating systems. Specifically, all Apply Your Ideas apps must be BlackBerry Storm compatible, though “Verizon encourages developers who have been creating apps for other platform such as Java, BREW, Android, Windows Mobile and others” to also submit their work for consideration. RIM’s BlackBerry Storm 9530 smartphone is currently exclusive to Verizon in the United States, so it makes sense for the company to focus its initial efforts on that device. The Storm is also RIM’s only touch-screen BlackBerry, and it enables developers to build innovative, touch-based features into their Storm apps. “We want developers to make V CAST Apps the home of the coolest, most-wanted mobile apps,” said Ryan Hughes, vice president, partner management and business development at Verizon, in a statement. “[W]e look forward to developers bringing new concepts as well as existing apps from many platforms to the BlackBerry platform, not only for this contest, but ultimately to V CAST Apps.” Apply Your Ideas submission will be accepted through September 20. VDC members will vote online to determine semi-finalists September 24 to September 28, and semi-finalists will be announced on October 6. Next, online voting for category winners and the “People’s Choice” award will take place October 7 through October 18, followed by the Grand Prize winner announcement on October 30. More information on Verizon’s Apply Your Ideas contest can be found online. And you can read “Verizon to Launch Cross-Platform App Store for BlackBerry, Palm, More” for additional details on the upcoming V CAST Apps store. AS FREE CIO BlackBerry NewsletterGet better use out of your BlackBerry and keep up-to-date on the latest developments. Sign-up » Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP How the cloud and AI will help more companies become future proof In a world where macroeconomic uncertainty has become the new normal, being future-proof is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It’s a must have. By Scott Russell, Customer Success at SAP Dec 06, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership feature 6 generative AI hazards IT leaders should avoid The opportunities to use generative AI will greatly vary for each organization, but the ways it can go wrong are turning out to be fairly universal. By Mary Branscombe Dec 06, 2023 11 mins CIO Application Performance Management Generative AI interview Delivering value through IT at Village Roadshow During a recent CIO Leadership Live session, Michael Fagan, chief transformation officer of Australian cinema and theme park company Village Roadshow, spoke with CIO’s editor in chief for APAC Cathy O'Sullivan about delivering value, colla By CIO staff Dec 06, 2023 8 mins CIO CIO Leadership Live Change Management feature DS Smith sets a single-cloud agenda for sustainability The British packaging manufacturer has launched an AWS-centric digital transformation aimed at better leveraging data for more productive business outcomes — including reduced impact on the environment. By Paula Rooney Dec 06, 2023 7 mins Amazon Web Services Digital Transformation Cloud Computing Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe