Twenty-four of the world’s biggest mobile operators have combined to form what is currently known as the ‘Wholesale Applications Community’; the most coordinated attempt yet to take on the giant that is Apple’s App Store. The carriers, which include O2, Orange and Vodaphone, have a combined customer base of around 3 billion – as The Times Online puts it, “a tantalising prospect for application developers looking for the widest possible audience for their product.”

Yesterday also saw the unveiling of a prototype for Microsoft’s latest entry into the SmartPhone market – the Windows Phone 7 Series.

The Windows Phone 7 should provide another interesting platform for developers to utilise, whether porting current apps over, or developing specifically for it. A number of handset makers are reported to have committed to the Windows Phone 7, which is currently rumoured for a ‘holiday 2010′ release.

Ails.