Microsoft: submit paid applications for free

In the past, one of the most annoying “features” of Windows Phone 7 was that you had to pay a fee per paid applications once you had uploaded your first five. Given that Windows Phone 7 would have zero apps on release, pissing off developers can best be described as unwise.

Understanding the obvious, Microsoft has now rowed back by introducing a variety of new rules for the Marketplace for Mobile.

In particular, the changes now look as following:

* Annual registration fee of $99
* No limit to the number of paid apps submitted 5 free apps per registration, $19.99 each after that
* Free registration to DreamSpark students (same unlimited paid and 5 free apps applies)
* A new optional push notification service to help developers stay engaged with customers
* A new optional Trial API – trials mean more customers try your app, and less likelihood that they return it. The length or type of trial is fully controlled by the developer
* The ability to publish to all available Marketplace markets through a new “worldwide distribution” option, allowing developers to pay once and distribute broadly
* Wider range of business models; free, paid, freemium and ad-funded

More on the topic can be had at Microsoft’s:
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_phone/b/wpdev/archive/2010/06/07/new-policies-for-next-gen-windows-phone-marketplace.aspx

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