Another day, another app store. But the latest one, from Malaysian operator Maxis, shows that as the app store concept goes global, it will also go local. Not content to settle for the “international” apps being churned out by developers in high-tech and creative hotspots, such as Silicon Valley, London, Amsterdam and Israel, Maxis understandably also wants plenty of home-grown software and content.

Maxis says it will “promote rigorously” Malaysian content and applications on its new Maxis 1Store, particularly winners of the Mobile Content Challenge 2009, a competition Maxis is running, in conjunction with the government, for students in Malaysia developing mobile content and applications.

Over the next 12 months, Maxis plans to provide a software development kit that will enable developers to tap capabilities in its network, such as location finding and messaging. Opening up these assets will certainly encourage the development of more apps tailored to the local market.

But the demand for local content again highlights the importance of standards that enable the easy production of compelling apps that will work across many different mobile devices. Otherwise, developers may find it hard to justify commercially the creation of apps exclusively for the Malaysian market, for example, knowing that they will have to develop a dozen variations each tailored to a specific device platform.