So, mobile app stores were the major attraction of this year’s Mobile World Congress; certainly they were! So, you will now have more mobile app stores. Yes, the success of Apple’s app stores compelled several other companies to come up with their own app stores.

Even though Apple did not make its significant presence at the MWC, but its App Store, which offers mobile applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch, definitely was one of the most talked about things at the congress.  

Seeing the success of Apple’s App Store, Microsoft and Nokia also did announce their own application stores at the trade show. It is expected that many other mobile companies will come up with their own application stores in the near future.

In a statement, Nokia said it will open its app store in May, and it will use location and social networking elements to edge out its rivals. The service will be available for all Nokia cell phones, and N97 smartphone will come preloaded with it.

Nokia's executive VP of services and software, Niklas Savander said, "It actually suggests things you might like and adds social location dynamics to show you relevant applications, and show you what your friends have bought. And it changes the inventory based on where you are."

Microsoft stated that it will open its app store in the second half of the current year, and it will also commence the Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade and the My Phone content backup service. The company did not reveal many details about its app store, but it is estimated that it will have a large number of mobile applications, as there are already more than 20,000 programs for Windows Mobile.