Software giant Microsoft Corp. is encouraging developers to build and sell applications for Windows phones through Windows Marketplace for Mobile, the recently announced application store available with the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system.

In an effort to help developers create new applications, Microsoft will provide developers with 70 percent of the sales revenue of their applications from Windows Marketplace for Mobile, transparency throughout the certification process and guidance and support from the stage of development to the final sale to the consumer.

"We are more committed to the developer community than ever," said Greg Sullivan, senior product manager at Microsoft, Redmond, WA. "In fact, for many years now we have enabled and encouraged developers to build Windows Mobile applications through partnerships with app providers such as Handango.

"Now with Windows Marketplace for Mobile, we are thrilled to give developers the opportunity to generate greater exposure and revenue by selling their applications directly to millions of Windows phone users," he said." Our objective behind Windows Marketplace for Mobile is to make it very easy for users to find, acquire, and use great applications for their Windows phone.

"This will reinvigorate the Microsoft developer community by empowering them to generate new revenue opportunities by using our familiar tools and technologies."

While competitors such as BlackBerry maker Research In Motion have begun courting consumers, business/enterprise customers are still Windows Mobile's bread-and-butter, although Microsoft has added some consumer-friendly features.

"One component of our strategy has been to build our platform for the business market first," Mr. Sullivan said. "Addressing the needs of this market required that we build a platform from the ground up to deliver capabilities important to IT professionals like security, multitasking, management, deployment and so on.

"Building on the solid foundation we have in business, we are enhancing the platform in ways that people will enjoy outside of work," he said. "We've been one of the first platforms, for example, to offer people the ability to record and send video right on their phones -- a task made possible because we built the platform to handle things like this.

"The updated features for consumers built into our platform and services like My Phone take advantage of our solid foundation, and we're just beginning to see market maturity with the convergence of technology and consumer awareness, so we think our timing is just right."

The Windows Marketplace for Mobile is Microsoft's response to competitors such as Apple, with its App Store, and Google, with its Android Marketplace. Even Apple takes a 30 percent cut of the developer's revenue from application sales.

"The standout feature of mobile phones until recently has been the hardware itself," Mr. Sullivan said. "It's true that people will always want their phones to feature beautiful design, but we see our customers purchasing phones more and more based on how the software and services inside the phone help them connect to what's important in their lives, whether it's stuff back at the office, favorite social networking sites, or entertainment content they have on their PCs.

"The opportunity is clear to us -- with the right software and services, mobile can sit at the center of the wider digital universe that surrounds us," he said.

"We believe that by delivering great experiences that span the phone, PC and Web, we'll deliver more value to people and with our innovative partners will show that you can do more with a Windows phone."

Late last year, a study from Evans Data ranked the .Net Compact Framework on Windows Mobile as the most targeted platform among mobile developers -- 43 percent.

"With a following like this and the continued investments we are making, we are confident in our position in the industry right now up against tough competitors," Mr. Sullivan said.

Courting app developers
Developers can get the tools to begin developing applications for Windows phones at http://developer.windowsmobile.com.

Developers who sell applications through Windows Marketplace for Mobile will receive 70 percent of the revenue from the sales of each application.

In addition, they will be able to set the price for their applications in each market, maximizing their revenues based on targeted pricing strategies.

Developers can also choose to distribute their applications at no cost.

Up to five application submissions to Windows Marketplace for Mobile are included in the introductory annual registration fee of $99.

Each additional submission within the annual period will cost $99.

The registration fee is waived for student developers who want to reach consumers with Windows phones through enrollment in the Microsoft DreamSpark program.

With Windows Marketplace for Mobile available in 29 countries, developers will be able to tap into a broad international customer base.

At the same time, Microsoft will continue working with developers to ensure that their applications run optimally on Windows phones by running a certification and testing process before applications go to market.

Developers will be able to see detailed feedback during and after the certification process of their application on the Windows Marketplace for Mobile developer portal.

Ultimately, this enables developers to devote more time to writing applications and less time trying to navigate the approval process, according to Microsoft.

Developers will have access to all details once the registration doors open in the spring and will be able to start submitting their applications later this summer.

Developers can use familiar tools and technologies to build experiences for the Windows Mobile platform through Windows Marketplace for Mobile, including the Windows Mobile 6 SDK and .NET Compact Framework 3.5.

There are more than 20,000 applications already in market for the Windows Mobile platform.

Windows Mobile 6.5, the next generation of the Windows Mobile operating system, will allow developers to build mobile applications without having to learn new skills or programming languages by leveraging familiar desktop and server development tools such as Win32, Active Template Library and Microsoft Foundation Classes (Visual C++), Visual C#, Visual Basic .NET, ASP.NET and asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX).

Twenty mobile operators and hardware makers have already announced support for Windows Mobile 6.5.

"You'll see more and more of our 160-plus mobile operator partners making the commitment to carry new Windows phones throughout the year," Mr. Sullivan said.

Windows phones will be available from the following companies beginning the second half of 2009, helping customers access updates from favorite Web services and work or personal email: Acer Inc., Bell Mobility, Celcom Mobile Sdn Bhd, Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd., Cosmote Group, CSL Ltd., Garmin-Asus, Giga-Byte Communications, HP, NTT DOCOMO Inc., Palm, Singapore Telecommunications Ltd., SmarTone-Vodafone, Softbank Mobile Corp., Tata Teleservices Ltd., Telefónica, Telstra Corp. Ltd., Willcom Inc. and Wind Hellas Telecommunications SA.

"As a cross-platform provider of mobile apps and long-standing partner of Microsoft's Windows Mobile team, we are excited by the launch of Windows Mobile Marketplace as a channel for branded entities to reach targeted audiences through mobile app development," said Cindy Spodek Dickey, vice president of marketing for mobile applications developer Zumobi, Seattle, WA.

"The Marketplace represents a significant opportunity for the continued growth of the mobile marketing space," she said.