http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/813285-phone-companies-team-up-to-take-on-apples-app-storeThe future is Bright, the future is Orange... and Vodafone, Sony Ericsson, LG and Samsung, and a load more people.
They are grouping together to crush, annihilate, destroy, burn, trash, recycle bin, the infamous app store, along with RIM, google and microsoft marketplace.
Basically they will create multi-platform apps, hopefully out the wazoo, and give us a great selection of apps in 1 convenient place for EVERY phone we own/will own.
My one doubt is price, i would have to hope they keep it reasonable but... ye money, they wantz it.