Windows Phone Marketplace and Launch Update

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Windows Phone Marketplace Update:

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We’ve given Marketplace an overhaul so that the quality of the developer experience in distributing apps and games matches our commitment to the customer experience on our new phone. The fair and transparent policies that we use to govern app certification remain intact, and we still strive to offer the industry’s best shopping experience for finding full-featured apps and games that meet or exceed customer expectations. In fact, many of the biggest changes to Marketplace for Windows Phone 7 are features and streamlined processes to help developers get their apps to market faster. For example, next week developers will see a brand new developer portal that makes it even easier for them to distribute and manage their apps and games. We’re taking more of the burden off of the developer so they can focus on their creativity.

The timeline looks like this:

  • Oct 4: All registered developers have been contacted and invited to request early submission to the Marketplace certification process.
  • Oct 6: Deadline for registered developers to respond to the invitation to participate in early submission.Of those that request access, an initial group of a couple of thousand developers will be accepted on a first come, first served basis to receive guidance and early access to the new application submission and certification process.
  • Oct 11: Participating early certification developers will receive instructions on submitting their xaps, allowing those apps to be published in Marketplace in the lead up to, and after, launch.
  • Oct 12-November: Microsoft will continue processing submissions and prioritizing new requests in the order they are received until the self-serve submission process is broadly enabled.

We expect to make Windows Phone Marketplace fully available to all developers in November, giving end users and developers alike the kind of quality experience that we hope will establish a rewarding long term relationship with Windows Phone.

Windows Phone 7 Launch Events:

Get ready to capitalize on this exciting new frontier with two days of fast-paced learning. Day One takes you under the hood of Windows Phone 7 with the tools and fundamentals of application development, plus design scenarios using Silverlight, XNA and the Windows Phone 7 SDK. Day Two is all about turning your napkin sketches into real, sellable apps. Go at your own pace or follow along with proctored group labs to build your app and upload it to the full-service Marketplace. Check your calendar and pick the day that works best for you – or join us for both days. Either way, you’ll get all the information you need to build high-demand apps with Windows Phone 7. Register at www.msdnevents.com/wp7.

Additional Resources:

Microsoft Platform Ready is always available online to help you develop, test and deploy your WP7 app. Get access to trainings, offers and 24/7 support @ https://www.microsoftplatformready.com/home.aspx.

Bill Zack