Who cares which operating system your mobile software is on, as long as it’s operating. At least that’s the stance Verizon Wireless is taking.

At the CTIA Wireless keynote this morning, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg announced that it will join the Joint Innovation Lab (JIL) created by China Mobile, Softbank and Vodafone to help standardize mobile app development.

Formed last April, JIL is working to create a single mobile platform for developers. This would let applications run on multiple operating systems. Starting with simple widgets, the group will expand to games and other apps later in the year.

The JIL plans to include a specification, developer kits and “an online repository, distribution and payment mechanism to ensure developers can roll out their products to customers in more than 70 countries across North America, Asia, Europe and Africa”, or an application store by any other name. The inclusion of payment and distribution means a single repository, and a single certification authority for fully-featured widgets.