Windows Phone 7 gets developers revvin'

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Saturday, 06 November 2010 16:48

Your IT - Mobility

Microsoft has finally launched Windows Phone 7 app submission on its 'App Hub' developer site for Windows Phone and Xbox 360, and while it comes just after the phone itself has launched, rather than before, Microsoft has long been energising its developer base for this moment!

The news that Microsoft has finally opened up its app submission process for Windows Phone 7 developers is good news for the platform, and like the iPhone, the app submission process has arrived after the phone itself became available on the market, in what is another little co-incidence with Apple's dominant iPlatform.

The step-by-step submission process is here for those either personally or as a company registered as a developer in Microsoft's App Hub.

The Inquirer's Lawrence Latif thinks the 'lateness' of the app submission's appearance is a bad thing, saying 'The fact that it took the Vole nearly a month after the launch of Windows Phone 7 to make this announcement goes to show that Microsoft still doesn't understand the smartphone market.'

But that makes it sound as if Microsoft hasn't been very active in courting developer support for its Windows Phone 7 platform, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Microsoft's CEO is the man famous for the on stage developer dance, with Microsoft having such a strong hold on the industry not only because of Windows and Office but also the massive developer community and billion strong PC userbase behind it.

Earlier versions of Windows Mobile weren't left out of the developer loop, and naturally, Windows Phone 7 won't be either. In Australia, Microsoft has been promoting development for all of its software platforms at Remix (covered here, and here) and Tech Ed 2010 (covered here), and naturally, this did indeed cover Windows Phone 7 development.

Microsoft's strong, multi-handset, multi-country launch of Windows Phone 7 handsets, along with an update penned for early next year, delivers an instant user base of new WP7  users clamouring for new apps to devour, to install and play with, and if they're worth buying, using a credit card to pay with.

The story develops for developers and end-users on page two, please read on!