Apple’s rivals are coming from all directions: PC manufacturers trying to copy the iPad, the iPhone, MacBook Air and now even the App Store.

Officially announced on Tuesday, the Chinese Internet giant Tencent Holdings has launched its multi-platform web-based Tencent Application Center, to compete with Apple’s App Store.

The Chinese App Center, upgraded from its predecessor Tencent Mobile Software Center, currently has 3 billion downloads.
The company invites developers and advertisers to join its new platform and to promote their apps via the App Center.

“We will not consider charging users any fees at least within one to two years,” declared Zhu Tax, director of Tencent’s application product department. In an interview with 21st Century Business Herald, Zhu said that in the beginning Tencent App Store, as it is also known, will primarily provide free access for users. This is because the competition with other app store, Apple, Nokia, Amazon, China Mobile, is already tough.

The idea behind the Tencent App Center is to combine developers and advertisers to form an application alliance and evolve it into an applications ecosystem.
The App Center will collect promotional fees from developers and will also render financial assistance to selected developers that are showing the most potential. Tencent’s has an Internet investment fund valued at $156 million.

(Via: WCT)