You’ll be able to have beta versions and other versions to get your app in front of press, analysts, and so forth to get press and feedback. That’s cool.

Question: Can people follow us as a company / pin us to the marketplace, since they like our brand?

“Informed Purchase Decisions”

• Try and buy
• Detailed product description
• Screen shots
• Reviews & ratings
• Related apps
• Option game content rating
• More apps by developer

Question: How are ratings sorted?

Question: There’s a related option, and this shows off the most popular items in other categories and so forth. This would bother me as a developer, since it’s putting my competitors in my description. What if I’m not a #1 app? Do the #1 apps appear? And how do I make sure I’m part of my competitor’s listings as well?

Answer (?): This is for the benefit of the customer.

Question: Why aren’t app updates automatically installed?

Question: Is application data retained across updates?

Answer; The question appears to be Yes, but we’re going to talk more about it offline.

You’ll be able to see change notes in app updates.

Drive Consumer Connection

• Every app appears in App list
• Pin favorite apps to Start
• “Add to quick launch”
• Live tiles offer a unique way to connect with customers
• Can act as a banner with info about your company and so forth (so does that mean it can shimmer ads?)
• Provide dynamic information about your app, game, business or other products

Announcement: App submission guidelines will be available online in MAY at http://developer.windowsmobile.com.

Average certification time is 5 days.

How You Profit

• Single software distribution channel
• Worldwide access, easy of discovery, convenient updates & distribution
• Active merchandising
• Team looks for “very very best” applications and games and find interesting ways to showcase those to people
• 70% Revenue Share
• Trial API
• No details provided other than saying we’ll make more money if we provide Trial versions.
• Credit card & mobile operator billing
• Paid, freemium (try then pay for full version), ad funded and free apps
• Question: Will there be Bing advertising inside apps?
• More information on all this coming in May.
• Showing a map of where you can get paid. Oddly enough, all of Africa appears to be out of the question. Interesting.

Existing accounts will just work – so if you’re already a developer, you won’t have to do anything to keep your account active.

Students in DreamSpark will now be able to submit apps.

They recommend provided a very nice background image for your app – “make it pop.”

You’ll be able to control your publish date (yahoo!).

Question: When do we get access to Trial API?

This is the code for determining trial mode: if (CurrentLicense.IsTrial().Equals(true)

Test Criteria Principles

• Phone functionality is protected
• Applications are well-behaved on the phone
• The certification process is “Super predictable and timely” for developers
• 98% of content is making it through the process in 5 days or less

Test Criteria Pillars

Technical validation

• Apps are reliable
• Use resource efficiently
• Apps are free of malicious software
• Apps do not inerfere with the phone functionality

Policy Validation

• Meets Microsoft’s standards for global content policies
• Content must match what MS is allowing

Market Validation

• Making sure they’re compliant with local laws

Tools and Resources

• Geographic sales and fulfillment reports
• See how your apps are performing globally
• Integrated licensing for trial applications
• Question: Do we have access to email customers? Error reporting?
• Device registration service
• Unlocks retail devices for development
• Manage registered devices through the developer portal
• Your device gets unlocked “for a period of time”

Question: When will be be able to start publishing Windows Phone 7 apps?

Answer: Later this summer.

Q&A

Right now there is no discount capability. But you are able to change your pricing at any time (basically, you can run sales)

Not a lot of info about Beta Scenarios, but they are looking at offering a beta invitation program so you can invite people to help beta test / review / etc. the app.

Opening up the Marketplace API is planned for the long term, but not at launch.

To submit a paid update, you need to submit a separate app to the marketplace. You can also expire the old version.

Enterprises will have to go through the same developer registration process. This also applies to those who already create Xbox premium games – and will likely require you to work with the Xbox games.

Carrier pre-loaded software will be supported.

Subscription models are not supposed yet, but more info will be coming in May.

Pre-publication test tools (Hopper, App Verifier), and in-game purchases: 1) Definitely a goal to release pre-certification tooling. 2) Not yet supported. More info in late May.

How many apps are targeted at launch? No number has been published publically.

You can take people to the product purchase case from your app.

Current developer license includes 5 submissions for $99 but that policy will be updated in May.

Users will multiple devices, or purchaser of a device and gets a new one. Since the users’ phone is chained to their live ID, so they will be able to get their apps back. There is a limit of 5 Windows Phone devices, so supposedly a registered PC (say, one that’s running Zune), your XBox, and Zune HD, do not count.

There will be no parental controls at launch. However, content levels are supported. This will be a “PG-13” level market, and there will not be any Mature Level titles in there.

Buy Once Play Anywhere on XBox, Windows Phone – not at  launch.

Payment threshold is combined – you don’t have to pass the $200 in Ireland, France, so forth – as long as you sell $200 across all apps, you get paid.

Contact Information

Follow them on @wp7dev

Presenters: Todd Biggs: toddb@microsoft.com, John Bruno: jobruno@microsoft.com