Microsoft’s Windows Phone team starts with the New Year offering an update allowing developers to distribute applications and games to 6 new marketplaces including: China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru and Philippines. The availability of the new marketplaces represents an opportunity for developers for more revenue although the actual marketplace is not available to customers.
In the Windows Phone blog, Todd Brix, from the Windows Phone team, talking about the update warns developers to be “aware that applications submitted to three of the six new markets – China, Indonesia and Malaysia – will subject to additional requirements due to local laws, regulations or norms.” For developers interested to the new markets, there is a post detailing the requirements.
Brix also talks some additional requirements and steps that developers will have to comply during the process of submitting new applications and games.
“As usual, when submitting either an update or n new application in App Hub, [developers] can choose to publish the app “worldwide” to the full set of 41 markets to [developers] can select specific markets. When [developers] select worldwide, the additional requirements of the new market apply. As a result, if [developers’] application fails certification, [developers] will need to either update and resubmit [their] app to meet all the worldwide requirements, or de-select the markets where [developers] application will not meet requirements.”
Brix also notes that “given the Marketplace is not available for customers in the markets and the addition of new requirements, we’re opening the submission process early to give those of you interested in distribution to these markets a head start on certification. We’re viewing this as an early access period and you can expect the certification process to take a little longer during this time period.”
With the App Hub update, Microsoft also fixed some bug and ushered some minor enhancements including: improvements that will streamline the payout process and enhance reporting to provide data like crash counts and exceptions to assist in improving the developer’s applications. According to Microsoft, the improvement and fixes are based on feedbacks.
In addition to this new App Hub update, Microsoft and its hardware partners notably Nokia are vehemently working to bring new handsets to the markets to lure new customers. That can also be good news for developers.
