14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just announced that it has merged the Windows and the Windows Phone developer accounts, which means that developers will have to pay a lower fee to create apps capable of running on Redmond’s platforms.
At the same time, Microsoft expects to bring more apps in the Windows Store, as developers creating apps for the mobile phone platform can now submit software compatible with Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 at absolutely no additional costs.
“New developers can register and existing developers can renew their account using the same Microsoft account. Developers will enter registration information just once and pay a single lower price of $19 [€14] for an Individual and $99 [€73] for a Company account, providing access to publish apps for both Windows and Windows Phone users,” Microsoft explained.
What’s more, the company is offering special prizes for developers who submit apps to both the Windows and the Windows Phone Stores, in another attempt to bring more high-quality apps on the desktop platform.
“As an added incentive, we’ve partnered with Nokia via the DVLUP community to give you an easy way to learn more and complete challenges as you develop for both the Windows Store and Windows Phone. Along the way, you’ll earn points that can then be redeemed for great prizes (for example, Nokia Lumia phones and more). DVLUP is currently open to developers in more than 20 countries,” the company noted.
This new decision to merge the two developer accounts is particularly important for Windows users because it’s the first step towards a bigger merger of the two stores.
Previous reports indicated that Microsoft was planning to merge the Windows Store and the Windows Phone Store sometime in 2014, with some people familiar with the matter hinting that this could happen either in the Spring GDR update for Windows 8.1 or in Windows 9.
A unified store would obviously give a chance to Microsoft’s Modern platform to succeed, as the lack of apps available for both Windows 8 and Windows RT has been considered one of the main setbacks for the new operating system.