Windows Phone 7 Enjoys 3,000 Apps, 15K Developers

Windows Phone 7, the latest version of Microsoft mobile operating system is enjoying increased interest from developers all around the world, with over 15,000 of them already showing interest in building applications for the platform.

Made available on shelves roughly a month ago, Windows Phone 7 devices are slowly picking up pace, and the availability of an increased number of applications for the platform will certainly help the cause.

The Redmond-based software giant reports a number of around 3,000 applications available at the moment for the mobile platform, almost three times the software solutions listed in the Windows Phone Marketplace when the first devices were launched on October 21st.

“We’re heading into one of the biggest shopping weeks of the year and we’re on pace to offer roughly 3,000 apps and games by the end of this week,” Microsoft's Todd Brix notes in a recent post on the Windows Phone Developer Blog.

“We’ve also seen a near 80% increase in the number of registered developers since September, with more than 15,000 developers already signaling their intent to bring exciting content to Windows Phone. Clearly we’re just getting warmed up,” he continues.

Microsoft has made available all the necessary tools and resources for developers to start building applications for the new mobile platform, some of which were released ever since March this year, and is committed to provide even more such solutions to developers in the future.

Moreover the company also came up with details on different ways in which developers can make their applications more visible than they already are.

Not only would end-users be able to find Windows Phone 7 apps via Bing, through using the Bing Visual Search Gallery, or the Windows Phone Marketplace, but they can also see these apps promoted via Xbox 360, on Windowsphone.com, and via other channels.

Developers too can make certain steps towards promoting their applications, through adding “deep links” to their Web sites so as to take users straight to a specific app on their phone or the Zune PC software. Devs interested in this approach should install the Download Now Kit from Microsoft.