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Microsoft Upgrades App Hub, Windows Marketplace

Core changes address issues with lag time between app certification and Marketplace publication.

Windows Phone developers are sure to be pleased by some changes Microsoft has made to its mobile application pipeline, many in response to repeated complaints.

Microsoft outlined the changes in a recent blog post by Todd Brix, Senior Director for Windows Marketplace. Many of the upgrades to the App Hub and Windows Marketplace are in the area of the approval and publishing process. The end result of those streamlining efforts is a big improvement in time to market, according to the post:

"...the average publishing time—the period between hitting the publish button and seeing your certified app become visible in Marketplace—has improved by 20 to 30 percent. It now takes roughly 3 to 4 business days to certify and publish an app."

The work to improve the lag time is ongoing, Brix wrote, but warned that new slowdowns could happen until the completion of the effort, which he said was slated  for "later this summer."

Brix also alluded to problems with App Hub whereby some developers were having trouble getting reports on their published apps. "That should no longer be the case," he wrote.

In the comments section under the article, it was clear that some developers still had issues. One, self-identified as "wieser-software-ltd" said that some of its company's apps, which were certified June 1, still haven't appeared in the Marketplace.

Another developer, "ishaih", complained that reporting still isn't up to date. The writer said that reporting was up to an hour late for some apps. ishaih wrote,

"Having outdated reports means I can't test different price points because there's no feedback and there are many other scenarios where not having up-to-date data is a problem."

Brix may have anticipated some of the unhappiness when he wrote that "There is still more work to do. These changes do not address all of your feedback and concerns."

About the Author

Keith Ward is the editor in chief of Virtualization & Cloud Review. Follow him on Twitter @VirtReviewKeith.

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