Microsoft launches Windows Phone 7 Global Publisher Programme

Microsoft is set to extend its Windows Phone 7 platform and launch a global publisher programme with the aim of attracting application developers.

Windows Phone executive Todd Brix trumpeted the WP7 story so far in a blog post in which he detailed its current developer roster and ecosystem.

"Windows Phone Marketplace currently offers more than 9,000 quality apps and games and enjoys a base of over 32,000 registered developers, delivering an average of 100 new apps every day," he wrote.

"The Windows Phone Developer Tools have now been downloaded more than one million times, and we recently announced an update to let developers take advantage of OS updates such as the addition of copy and paste functionality."

Brix explained that, in order to continue this momentum, Microsoft is reaching out to other developers in lands where it has not had much success in attracting talent through a Global Publisher Program.

"This programme will enable developers worldwide to work with a global publisher to submit apps to the Windows Phone Marketplace," he said.

"Developers from countries and regions all over the world can now submit apps and games to the Windows Phone Marketplace."

Individual developers will have to ally themselves to a larger publisher which will in turn submit applications to the market, Brix explained.

These may be few and far between, however, as Brix confirmed only one, Yalla Apps in the Middle East.

"We are working with additional global publishers in other regions to bring the same opportunity to more developers around the world," he added.

Acceptance policies have also had a recent tweak, and from now Microsoft will perform up to 100 certification tests for free on applications, while rules on what contact information must be provided - for support services, for example - have been relaxed.

Microsoft will also clarify its position on "applications distributed under open source licences", Brix added, and will permit applications under the Eclipse Public Licence, the Mozilla Public Licence and other similar licences.