14 DAY TRIAL // Redmond-based Microsoft announced on Monday that developers in 29 countries were enabled to submit their applications to the company's upcoming Windows Marketplace for Mobile. In addition to opening the gates for application submissions, Microsoft also launched a Race to Market Challenge meant to attract developers even more and to make things more interesting. All applications will get through a certification process, as the company announced previously, and will then be cleared for use with its Windows Mobile operating system (6.0, 6.1 and 6.5 versions).
“Registered developers and ISVs can now upload their application, game or widget to the Windows Marketplace platform and we’ll begin certifying those apps according to the process, policies and guidelines we’ve published. We certify apps on a First In, First Out (FIFO) basis. Certification should normally take about 10 business days initially and you can always check on your application during the process through our Developer Dashboard. To better market your app, you can provide us with all the product information and promotional materials you’d like us to use to describe and showcase your application for the more than 30 million Windows Mobile devices out there,” is what the company says on the Windows Mobile Blog.
As one can easily imagine, not all apps will pass the certification test right from the start, but developers will receive a detailed report on why. Microsoft already published all the criteria and guidelines for application submissions, so everything should be clear by now. The applications that will make it into the Marketplace will have to meet certain quality standards, as well as usability. According to Microsoft, the idea is to have a wide range of well-organized applications available for users either from their PCs or mobile phones.
As for the Race to Market Challenge, it will run from the launch day until December 31, and will classify applications according to four criteria: Most downloads of a free app, Most valuable app (downloads x price), Most useful (as judged by Microsoft panel), and Most playful (as judged by Microsoft panel). The prizes for the contest are 4 Microsoft Surface tables (Developer Edition), along with online marketing & promotion of the app and challenge trophies for the mantle. More details on the Race to Market Challenge can be found here.