SOFTWARE HOUSE Microsoft has announced updates to its App Hub for Windows Phone 7 (WP7) developers with a bunch of new features.
The Microsoft WP7 App Hub is where developers manage their accounts, adjust settings, submit applications and keep in touch with Windows Phone 7 stuff. Microsoft has kindly updated it with new markets, distribution options and enhanced apps and account management capabilities.
The Windows Phone Developer Blog said, "Today we are officially announcing the rollout of the new App Hub developer portal with key new functionality, multiple enhancements and support for several new markets."
Developers can now publish applications to 19 additional consumer markets including Japan, the Netherlands, Finland and Brazil. These are on top of the 16 that were previously available.
Developers from Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, South Africa and South Korea can now join the App Hub too and submit applications for WP7. Microsoft said China will be added to the list in a couple of months.
Private distribution is a new method open to developers in either a Beta or Targeted way. This way users can't discover the app from the Marketplace or browsing but download an app via a 'deep link'.
Microsoft's enhancements to App Hub management include better application management, a better developer dashboard and more detailed reporting. A crash count report will detail the number of times your app has crashed.
Developers can upload images in batch mode rather than one by one and there are new application categories. These are mainly education, kids & family and government & politics, with more subcategories.
The latest version of the software development kit is 7.1 Beta 2, which Microsoft released last month. The firm is desperate to attract developers with additions like this, trying to keep up with the juggernauts that are Apple and Google with their flourishing apps markets.
Next month WP7 developers will be able to submit applications for Mango, the upcoming version of Microsoft's WP7 operating system, for the first time. That is due to tip up later this year and will be featured on phones such as Nokia's Sea Ray. µ
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