Verizon working with Chomp on new Verizon Apps store discovery tools

Operator wants to make it easier for Android users to find new apps and games.

Verizon Wireless is planning to rebrand its apps store as Verizon Apps later this year, and has partnered with startup Chomp to make its recommendations smarter.

The US operator revealed its plans at its Verizon Developer Community conference in Las Vegas, saying that the current store is now available for more than 20 Android devices.

The deal with Chomp will enable people to search for generic terms as well as specific apps: examples given include 'kid's games' and 'expense trackers'.

It's using Chomp's technology, which sucks in data from app stores, Twitter, Facebook and blogs/websites to understand what areas each app is associated with. Chomp says Verizon did its homework before signing the partnership.

"Like us, they realize that app search is completely different from Web search," says CEO Ben Keighran. "It's an incredibly difficult problem to solve, but Chomp has addressed it through years of development and millions of downloads."