Microsoft's app store challenge commenced in 29 countries
By siliconindia   |   Tuesday, 28 July 2009, 18:53 IST   |    3 Comments
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Microsoft's app store challenge commenced in 29 countries
Bangalore: Microsoft has began the challenge to develop applications, games and widgets for developers in 29 countries for its Windows Mobile application store. To heat up the excitement, Microsoft has also announced 'Race to Market Challenge', a contest in which all four winning developers will get four touch screen Microsoft Surface tables. Microsoft is planning to launch the application store with 600 applications initially. Along with Microsoft Surface tables, the prizes for the winners include marketing and promotion of applications and trophies. The four categories include most downloaded freeware, most money making application, most useful product and the most playful, where all applications, games, and widgets certified in the Windows Marketplace for mobile before December 31 will be eligible to win. The last two subjective awards will be decided by Microsoft by a panel decision. "Developers can upload their applications to Windows Marketplace now and will probably have to wait about ten business days for certification or a detailed explanation of the reason of rejection," said Todd Brix, Leader of Windows Marketplace for Mobile at Microsoft. "Our strategy for all of this is pretty straightforward; we want to create a global marketplace for Windows Phones, where developers and users meet to sell and buy high quality and high value applications that make work easier and life more fulfilling," added Brix. The developers will also get to include their marketing materials on the applications and earn money on sales. Microsoft's Windows Marketplace for mobile applications will be featured on Windows Mobile phones with the upcoming version 6.5 of the mobile operating system. It will be the distribution link for free Windows Mobile applications and is similar in concept and form to Apple's iTunes App Store, Google's Android Market, and RIM's BlackBerry App World. The countries where the challenge has been kicked off, include, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, U.K., and the U.S.

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