Microsoft Review 2012 WP Application Development

Microsoft Windows Mobile App and Store Leader Todd · Todd Brix recently published a blog post reviewing 2012 achievements and summarizing the business Three key commitments to customers and three key principles for creating opportunities for developers.

The following is the original blog:

As 2012 draws to a close, I can't help but look back at what we achieved together this year. Our big goal this year is to build a new, scalable platform on mobile phones and in the cloud, so that we can better accomplish our mission: to provide a confident, convenient and customized application to customers around the world. Experience, allowing developers to quickly innovate and realize opportunities.

Relying on a new infrastructure —— new customer platform, new developer toolset, new development center (Dev Center), new directory infrastructure and new global services, we are this year Basically set a new foundation. I know that the process of transformation is frustrating, but it's now complete, and customers and developers have begun to monetize with better apps and store experiences, faster performance and more powerful tools.

Focus on customer experience

As a direct result of our investment, Windows Phone customers now download, purchase and use more applications than we did when we first launched Windows Phone 7 two years ago. There must be more. On average, Windows Phone users download 54 apps each to personalize their phones. This high and ever-increasing customer engagement reflects our commitment to three key customer commitments:

Confidence. Establish a high level of confidence in the app store and the applications it provides. Confidence comes from testing and certifying every application and game to help protect customers from malware and viruses. In the past year, we have certified and released more than 75,000 new apps and games (more than doubling the directory size) and over 300,000 app updates. In addition, this year we improved our features so that customers can tell us if they have concerns about an app.

Convenience. Make it easy to discover and purchase apps. In the past year, we have made a number of improvements in the discovery of applications, including support for Bing, smart lists, and new collections and recommendations for Windows Phone 8 customers. We also expanded our payment options to include PayPal and Alipay, doubling the number of carrier billing connections, making the buying experience easier.

Customization. Allow users to create their own app experience. An example of this is the Live Apps, which lets information pop up from the application on the Start screen. According to customer feedback, 85% of Windows Phone 8 users said they would choose a real-time application. Our job is to give you the ability to build unique experiences through tools and application programming interfaces (APIs).

Creating Opportunities for Developers

The launch of the new Windows Phone 8 Developer Platform and its shared core with Windows 8 greatly enhances innovation, customer reach and opportunities for developers to pursue commercialization . Even though Windows Phone 8 is only available for 7 weeks, and most application developers are still creating new or upgraded Windows Phone 8 apps, we’ve seen developers’ revenues increase month by month, 30 days since the SDK was released. Increase by 40%. We expect this to continue as new hardware sales and applications with new features such as in-app purchases continue to evolve. Our commitment to creating opportunities for developers focuses on three main principles:

Innovation. Create a common user experience design language. With the introduction of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, Microsoft has created a common and attractive user experience design that accelerates and simplifies the user interaction with devices. We've added a large number of shared APIs and a continuous set of tools, so developers can create innovative experiences for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 users.

Customer coverage and engagement. Create global distribution opportunities. During 2012, we were able to expand the market for apps and games for Windows Phone by more than 5 times, 35 markets at the beginning of the year, 63 at the time of the spring release, and over 95 when Windows Phone 7.8 was released. In the end, when Windows Phone 8 was released, there were more than 95, which is equivalent to the market size increase of more than 90%. We also invest to give developers better access to customer feedback reports and in-depth analysis.

Commercialization. Support multiple business models to create a rich application catalog. In 2012, we added in-app purchases beyond the existing advertising, usage, and paid app business models. Simply adding a new business model is not enough, and the payment method that customers like should be available. This year's expansion has added some of the most popular payment methods, including PayPal and Alipay, and has expanded the shipping provider's payment (six operators have been added in the past 3 weeks alone). For example, 75% of Windows Phone users prefer the way operators pay.

At the end of 2012, we built a solid foundation, expanded the developer community on a large scale, and launched the new Windows Phone 8 product. It is currently the best time to develop applications for Windows Phone. If you are not involved yet, we would like to invite you to visit the development center to download the new SDK. For those who have already been with us, I would like to thank everyone on behalf of the entire Windows Phone. Your feedback drives us forward, and your app inspires us.