14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8 launched in October 2012 with approximately 5,000 apps in the Windows Store, but the number of Metro tools available for download grew up significantly in the last few months, so there are no less than 145.000 items now available for download.
And still, one of the main problems with the apps listed in the Windows Store is their quality, as many are nothing more than spam that are trying to steal users’ money and capitalize on the popularity of other applications.
In a statement sent to us by a company spokesperson, Microsoft explained that it was working to remove fake apps and spam from the Windows Store in an attempt to offer higher quality, promising to work closer with developers in order to improve the experience offered to users.
“We strive to make the Windows Store an excellent experience for Windows 8 users. We routinely review apps based on performance, ratings and user reviews and take steps to remove apps if they do not meet our certification guidelines,” the company said.
Word Online, one of the apps that arrived in the Windows Store recently, promised to allow users to access features provided by Microsoft’s new Office Online productivity suite right in the Modern UI. The app, however, was quickly flagged as spam, the company told us, so it was removed from the store and can no longer be downloaded.
This isn’t the only case, Microsoft explained, so it’s now working to delete all apps that are violating the store guidelines and thus make sure that users can only download legitimate tools.
“We are aware of the issue and are actively removing apps that offer little value or confuse customers, and will continue evaluating our submission process to make sure Windows offers the highest quality app catalog available. With regards to trademark infringement, with every app there is an option to report the app for violating the Windows Store’s Terms of Use,” a spokesperson told us.
At the same time, companies and developers that have submitted apps to the Windows Store but for some reason got removed from download can always contact the company and collaborate on addressing the issues and republish the removed items, Microsoft guarantees.
“If a company feels a Windows Store app is infringing on their copyrights or trademarks, they should report the app and we will take immediate action to determine if the app should be removed from the Windows Store,” the same representative concluded.