Microsoft Paying Mobile App Developers to Create for Windows Phone 7
Microsoft is busy trying to play catch up with Apple’s runaway success of the iPhone and App Store model. According to BusinessWeek, Microsoft is actually providing financial incentives and revenue guarantees to developers that create for their new Windows Phone 7 platform:
The company is providing financial incentives ranging from free tools and test handsets to funds for software development and marketing, said Todd Brix, a senior director at Microsoft who works with app developers. In some cases, Microsoft is providing revenue guarantees, and will make up the difference if apps don’t sell as well as expected, he said.
This is an interesting strategy considering Windows Phone 7 is an OS that doesn’t even exist yet, which is a large obstacle Microsoft faces at the moment. Trying to convince developers to work for an unreleased an unproven platform is no easy task, especially when there is a pervasive gold-rush mentality with developing for the iTunes App Store, and to a lesser extent with Google’s Android Marketplace.
Will this strategy work for Microsoft? If I had to guess I’d say they will closely emulate the iOS and App Store experiences, just like they are trying with the Microsoft Stores that are so closely modeled after the Apple Store. Hey, maybe they’ll even revive Internet Explorer for Mac and bring it to the iPhone? Jokes aside, Microsoft is a potentially fierce competitor to both Apple and Google in the mobile space, so this should get interesting very quickly.
[…] Phone 7 to be relevant from the start, earlier in the year it was revealed that they are directly paying mobile developers to create apps for the upcoming mobile operating […]
[…] in the year it was revealed that Microsoft was paying mobile app developers to create for Windows Phone 7, which is just part of what is expected to be a massive push to grow Windows Phone 7 into a viable […]
Microsoft is not any stranger to having partners galore in the cellphone business, however its lineup of producers for the upcoming, surprisingly promising Windows Cellphone 7 launch isn’t any less impressive. After loads of rumoring, Microsoft has confirmed that Dell and HTC can be making Home windows Telephone 7 telephones, along with ASUS, LG, and Samsung who had already been confirmed. All of those corporations should have their stamp on hardware by the top of the 12 months, with the launch of the OS still vaguely slated for the “holidays” We have little doubt that every one 5 producers can construct some compelling, sexy hardware, however we’re particularly enthused to see Dell actually entering into the sport after the impressive Streak and that drool worthy leak a short time back.