Open app store PocketGear, which offers more than 140,000 paid and free applications for over 2,000 devices, has acquired smartphone app store Handango.
PocketGear and Handango were already the world's two largest independent app stores. PocketGear CEO Jud Bowman will remain in charge; Alex Bloom, current chief executive of Handango, will become Chief Operating Officer of PocketGear.
Jud Bowman, President and CEO of PocketGear, said "Our vision is to facilitate an open app store ecosystem that supports every mobile device, every application, and every carrier network globally. By combining the two largest independent app store companies, we're creating significantly more scale and value for all of the stakeholders in the open app store ecosystem."