Microsoft announced today a handful of changes to the Windows Phone Marketplace. These changes will hopefully make it easier for application developers to publish their content.
As cNet reports, Microsoft looked into the habits of most users who browse the Marketplace. According to what Microsoft discovered, a few users who download a trial application or game will end up purchasing that item.
Microsoft plans on initiating the Global Publisher Program which will “enable developers worldwide to work with a Global Publisher to submit apps to the Windows Phone Marketplace,” according to Todd Brix, Microsoft’s senior director of mobile. “Developers from countries and regions all over the world can now submit apps and games to the Windows Phone Marketplace.”
Basically, developers would provide publishers with their applications, who would then ensure that the application make it though Microsoft’s mandatory certification process. After passing the certification process, the publishers would then submit the application to the Marketplace and set the price.
Right now, the Marketplace Application Provider Agreement (APA) already allows developers to publish applications under the BSD, MIT, Apache Software License 2.0, and Microsoft Public License.
As far as policy changes go, Brix states that the APA will be updated to clarify that the Marketplace will “permit applications under the Eclipse Public License, the Mozilla Public License, and other, similar licenses, and…the possibility of accommodating additional OSS licenses.” Other changes include increasing the limit of app certifications for nonpain applications from 5 to 100 and making it optional to leave contact information for application support. Because it used to be mandatory, it slowed down the certification process.
Further reading: Microsoft, Windows Phone
