Huawei has announced a new research platform that aims to bring together operators, technology providers and vertical industry partners to explore future use cases for mobile applications.
The X Labs initiative will aim to encourage mobile operators to build application-centric networks and help establish an open industry ecosystem.
The research platform is designed to explore three areas of mobile communications – people, verticals and the household, Huawei said. The mLab focuses on creating immersive user experiences for emerging mobile applications including live video, VR and AR.
A second lab, vLab, focuses on ways mobile technology can enable digital transformation across all industries. The third is hLab, which will concentrate on connecting more households with smart home applications utilizing broadband connections.
During a keynote speech announcing the initiative, Huawei rotating CEO Ken Hu said mobile applications are reshaping everything in the world.
“I firmly believe that in the future, all services will be delivered through mobile applications,” he said. “I would say that we are living in a wild world of mobile applications.”
Hu noted that when Apple's App Store launched eight years ago, it had just 500 apps. It took just six years for that number to reach 1 million, and this figure doubled in another two years. Android app stores have even more apps – around 5 million.
"At Huawei, we aim to support and enable the mobile ecosystem. We have made a lot of progress, and we want to do more,” he said.