14 DAY TRIAL // Windows Mobile 6.5, the next flavor of Microsoft's mobile phone platform, is expected to surface on handsets on the market for the first time on October 6, this year. Along with it, the Redmond-based company will also deliver new services for its users, among which most of you might already know the Windows Marketplace for Mobile, the software portal where all apps for the OS (WM 6.0 and WM 6.1 too) will supposedly meet. So as to make the service more appealing to users, the software giant will have to attract developers to build apps for the OS and submit them to the Marketplace.
The application storefront has had its gates open for developers for quite some time now, and a wide range of applications are expected to become available through the portal as soon as it goes online on October 6. So as to ensure that even more software solutions will be added to the Marketplace, WMPoweruser found out that Microsoft has recently launched a new contest for developers, this time around on its German site, and announced that prizes totaling €20.000 could be won in this competition.
“If you register your product with our competition, "Marketplace - get ready - go!", you can also win with a little luck - prizes for a total of € 20.000, - and cool Windows phones waiting for you, also the winner expects special promotion for their software in the Market Place and on the Microsoft Web site,” is what a rough translation of what Microsoft's German site would read. In other words, build apps for the Windows Marketplace for Mobile and you have the chance to win one of the prizes the company has prepped for you.
All those interested in the contest can participate, it seems. What is required, however, is for the developer to be signed in with the Marketplace and to have already submitted a German-language widget or application. At the same time, developers also need to send an email containing the name of the application in the Windows Marketplace for Mobile, name of the company and the name of a contact person at marketplace at windows-phone dot de. Microsoft and affiliated companies’ staff, as well as their families and household members, cannot participate. More details can be found here (German).