Windows Phone marketplace policies updated
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It would be difficult to call the Windows Phone marketplace an unqualified success. Microsoft has responded somewhat by updating its policies, making the store more developer friendly.
Microsoft initially aimed to have an app store with a higher quality catalogue, but after having just passed 1000 apps in the store when Android sports 50 000 and iPhone 200 000 they may have rethought their strategy.
New in the store is add-supported apps, cheaper additional applications after the first 5 ($19.99 instead of another $100), support for trail applications and much more.
See the full list below:
- 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.
The full list of Windows Phone Marketplace policies is available here.
Via the Windows Team Blog.
