Microsoft is trying to do everything in their power to make sure Windows Phone 7 get’s off to a good start. I don’t know why but everyone holds the amount of apps a platform has as some sort of merit badge. The more crappy apps you some across the less important this becomes. However having a lot of developers is not a bad thing. According to Microsoft, they want more developers
We’re taking the next step with Marketplace to attract a much wider range of developers, from large software companies down to students and hobbyists.
To achieve this goal Microsoft has revamped the Windows Phone Marketplace rules.
Here are the new policies
Specifically, the new Windows Phone Marketplace policies offer:
- Annual registration fee of $99
- No limit to the number of paid apps submitted 5 free apps per registration, $19.99 each after that
- Free registration to DreamSpark students (same unlimited paid and 5 free apps applies)
- A new optional push notification service to help developers stay engaged with customers
- A new optional Trial API – trials mean more customers try your app, and less likelihood that they return it. The length or type of trial is fully controlled by the developer
- The ability to publish to all available Marketplace markets through a new “worldwide distribution†option, allowing developers to pay once and distribute broadly
- Wider range of business models; free, paid, freemium and ad-funded
- Equally important to many developers is what isn’t changing:
- A revenue share of 70/30
- Developers manage their business with Marketplace via the self service portal http://developer.windowsphone.com
- Payout takes place monthly for developers that have earned more than USD$200 worldwide
- Developers can make ad funded applications
- All applications go through a process of technical and content certification
- Marketplace offers support for credit card commerce, and where available mobile operator billing.
- Microsoft continues its practice of publishing policies, guidelines, and submission process details to developers so they understand exactly how marketplace works.
There is also a list of the full policies available.
I like the fact that Microsoft was holding the developers to a higher standard so hopefully they don’t slip on that stance too much