Microsoft has unveiled its new developer application portal for Windows Phone 8, which will further distance the upgrade from its predecessor ‘ and put pressure on Nokia and others to support the new OS as quickly as possible.
For instance, the new Windows Phone Dev Center will support in-app purchasing, an important driver of profits for application and content partners in mobile stores ‘ this facility will not come to the current WP7.
The Dev Center replaces the App Hub and is designed, according to Microsoft, to simplify processes for programmers, to help them reach more markets, and to get paid smoothly. Although it acts as a repository for WP7 app tools now, the Center will soon be used for
submitting and managing WP8 software, once the software developers’ kit is finalized.
“The site, an evolution of our retired App Hub developer portal, is designed to provide everything you need to build, publish, and manage apps for Windows Phones around the world,” Ash Wahi, group program manager for the portal, wrote on the Windows Team Blog. ‘It has new features to help make Windows Phone app development faster and more profitable.’
Among the changes are a streamlined interface, and a more reliable back end engine. Developers can now use PayPal to pay for their account or to receive payments and specific pricing can be set for each country. Partners can see how their apps have been rated and reviewed in each market via a single view and Wahi said the repository will provide better analytics, such as detailed information about whether downloads were free, paid-for or trials.
Microsoft has learned some lessons from its key OEM Nokia, which has always focused heavily on localized content, especially for emerging economies. Instead of being limited to a single worldwide submission, developers can now submit products for multiple countries, but leaving out or adapting those with additional content requirements.