Today Microsoft released an update to its App Hub for developers building Windows Phone 7 applications.
Perhaps most important amongMicrosoft’s announcementson the matter is that developers can begin to submit applications designed to run on Mango, the next version of Windows Phone 7, in August. This jives well with reports that Mangoed WP7 handsets are set to land in eitherAugust, or September.
Microsoft also announced that developer interest in WP7 had recently risen, with the rate of new developer sign ups growing in the past few months. There are now ‘tens of thousands’ of developers using the new Mango tools, the company claimed.
Also released today is access for developers to sell their apps in 19 new markets. And, Microsoft expanded the number of countries that can submit applications by 7. Those two moves should help to both boost app sales, and maintain developer momentum. Finally, Microsoft Advertising pubCenter will be available in 18 countries by the end of the year.
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Mango will bring a sheaf of new capabilities to the consumers who own WP7 handsets, but it is also set to make the development experience far more enjoyable. We ask the question again: Why wasn’t this the case when the phone line launched? It feels like now, at last, Microsoft has a complete developer platform in place, almost a year post launch.
The full Microsoft changelog can be found below:
New App Hub functionality and geographic expansion:
1.Geographic expansion:A large part of your success in Marketplace hinges on your app’s discoverability and reach. I’m excited to announce a number of new consumer and developer markets to help get your app in front of more people.
To enhance developers’ long term success with ad funded Windows Phone 7 apps, we continue to offer more effective ad monetization and expand overall demand.
2.New private distribution options:Developers can now choose to distribute apps privately to users using two new options: beta and/or targeted distribution. Apps distributed through these private distribution methods can only be downloaded by users using a deep-link and the apps cannot be discovered via browsing or searching in Marketplace.
3.Enhanced application management:For Mango, we’ve also heard your feedback and made lots of improvements, big and small, to App Hub to give you better account management tools, a streamlined application submission process and enhanced reporting capabilities.
Story byAlex Wilhelm
Alex Wilhelm is a San Francisco-based writer. You can find Alex on Twitter, and on Facebook. You can reach Alex via email at alex@thenextweb(show all)Alex Wilhelm is a San Francisco-based writer. You can find Alex onTwitter,and onFacebook.You can reach Alex via email atalex@thenextweb.com
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