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Mozilla document points towards one App store for all platforms.

The Mozilla foundation (most well known for Firefox) has released a roadmap showing their hopes for the future of App Stores. Rather than have a single App Store for each platform, the document suggests web platforms could be updated to deliver all Apps to any device or platform via the Web.

While already praising the wide scope of HTML5, it says there are “still gaps to fill”. 

The Web lacks standard, consistent ways to find, rate, review, purchase and prove ownership of apps. Mozilla’s goal is to foster an ecosystem that combines the best elements of the Web with the best elements of the app model.

The Web must be made easier to develop for than proprietary platforms.

HTML5, CSS and JavaScript continue to enable amazing websites and apps, but there’s more to be done to support the most cutting-edge, high-performance apps, especially on mobile devices. Mozilla must continue to lead the Web platform forward by enabling access to the hardware, communications and connectivity capabilities of smartphones and tablets (camera, SMS, telephony), make it easy for app developers to build “instant-on” apps that run as well offline as they do online (improve app cache and local storage), and enable rich media support and interactivity at high frame-rates.

While an open, standardized platform would be great news for consumers, it’s hard to imagine a world where Microsoft, Apple and Google would all let go of their proprietary (and money making) App Stores, to embrace this open model.