Windows Phone: New opportunities for Developers

Wen/Zhengjiangpo

Programmer dry Long engaged in the development of Microsoft (Micro-BO) technology platform, because of the needs of the work, he bought a parallel to Windows Phone (hereinafter referred to as WP), but found in the official application of WP store harsh place even a Chinese reader is not, It makes him so addicted to e-books, so he began to develop a Chinese reader, only two weeks of the first version of the reader to complete the production, in order to bring more people convenience, he put the application to the harsh place, and named "Book in the Holy."

The next thing that happened let him unexpected, "the book in the Holy" in a short time has become the WP platform for the Chinese reader of the choice, a lot of Taobao mobile phone imports of the WP are built-in "book St.", now conservative estimates have reached 130,000 of the installed capacity, daily Online active users up to 8000 people. You know, according to third party statistics, the total number of domestic WP phone is less than 300,000.

"I just started to do it for myself, because the user needs more and more, now is a step by step is pushed away." "Dry has been a Microsoft platform programmer, no product experience, in order to better meet the needs of users, he also found a responsible user experience partner, a part-time reader." There are a lot of WP developers like dry in China, they basically have a Microsoft platform development experience, after Microsoft launched WP, naturally became the first batch of developers in China.

Who is playing the game?

After Nokia and Microsoft announced a close strategic partnership, the dormant WP operating system went into the spotlight again, becoming another option for mobile apps developers to move beyond iOS and Android. According to foreign media reports, the application of WP has more than 60,000, and also 25 days per 10,000 applications are growing, this growth rate even more than the early App Store and Android harsh.

Open X Live is a game middleware similar to open fient on WP, its essence is through the integration of data and friends in the game set up a social platform, founder Ning is the earliest WP developers, he himself has a profound Microsoft background, long-term responsibility for Microsoft's technology promotion work, Previously a team member of Windows Mobile (Microsoft's previous smartphone operating system, the WM), he saw WP's first prototype in May 2010 and felt it was an opportunity for him.

Last August, Ning decided to leave the business, although now open X Live team only 8 people, but to some extent, the domestic developers into the harsh place bridge. Because Microsoft's App store does not currently support domestic developers to register directly, Ning has registered a developer account in the United States to help domestic developers submit applications. In fact, the domestic WP developers are still a very small scale, and more or less have some contact with us. "Ning said.

According to Ning analysis, the domestic application developers are mainly divided into two categories, such as Tencent, Baidu these giants, they develop WP application is mostly from the perspective of strategic layout, due to the consistency of back-end services, so only need to bear the cost of developing a client, such as Sina microblogging, QQ, Baidu Browser This general-purpose application is very early on the WP platform. Another type of personal developers or small teams are basically the same as dry, is the early Microsoft platform developers, they are the main force in the development of domestic WP. "They haven't caught up with the iOS, and they haven't caught up with the Android wave, because of the differences in the development background, it's not easy to get to their doorstep, no matter what they have to start doing." "Ning said.

From the technical difficulty, for those familiar with Windows programming developers, the threshold is relatively low, whether on the PC side or mobile phone, Microsoft's development environment is interoperability, which can greatly reduce the number of people entering WP development costs. "There are a small number of developers from iOS or Android migrated from, for them, WP is more like the choice after the spare parts, the basic development sequence or iOS, Android, WP." "Ning said.

"In order to retain more developers on their own platform, the three operating systems can be said to be man-made to make application development of the growing differences, which caused the migration difficult problem." Ning said that for some iOS and Android small teams, even if they see WP this opportunity, also unable to devote more research and development effort, so faced with an either-or choice.

From the developer's point of view, the technical barriers of the three platforms are also different. "The beginning of the iOS will be a little higher, but the back of the problem will be less, WP is the case, the closed system starting point will be relatively high, entry may be difficult, but after use, you will find its benefits." Open systems are definitely easy to get started with, but you'll have a lot of problems behind you. "Ning said.

WP features: the Golden Mean road

The trend of interest-driven people, iOS does make money, but with the increasingly fierce competition, pyramid-style ecosystem pattern has been formed, more and more developers have become the base of basket. Android is more needless to mention, its profit model at home is still in the theoretical discussion stage, in such an increasingly bad mobile development environment, WP turned out to have brought some opportunities, because, like iOS, WP in the software end is closed, and there is only a similar to the App Store application shop Harsh place.

"If iOS is closed, Android is open, and WP is somewhere in between." "Xu Yun used to be a senior executive at Microsoft, so he defined the status of WP. Android is a completely open system, any third party can be changed, such as a variety of hardware manufacturers customized systems, HTC Sense, millet MIUI, etc., unlike Apple, to create a soft to hard integration of the ecosystem, Microsoft will be in the hardware authorized to some mobile phone manufacturers, not only Nokia, Samsung (Weibo), HTC, etc. can produce WP, but there are some restrictions on Microsoft to ensure the compatibility of hardware and software.

"You can understand that each WP is just changed the shell, in some hardware configuration slightly different from the same machine." Ning says the pickup avoids problems such as the huge system that has emerged on Android, the version splitting, and the likelihood that it will be more innovative to some extent than Apple because of its openness. "One of my Android developer friends, the same game to maintain more than 40 versions, the development cost is too high, I feel Android in the same way as the Wm." "Ning said.

Ning, one of the core developers of the WM, said the WM was abandoned in addition to the complexity of the operation because of the strategic error. WM in order to compatible with the low-end of different hardware, the system is very large, for different hardware devices to develop different branches of the system, resulting in slow start-up speed and so on. Today's iOS and WP is not because of the strong system itself, but from the simplification of the system, only support a single hardware device. "Android 4.0 is trying to change that trend, but in the long run it's against Android's open genes." "Xu Yun said.

For the mobile operating system, a complete set of development tools and SDK is also essential to allow an application to run on each of the appropriate mobile phone, due to the uniqueness of the hardware, iOS and WP to the developers of 99 of dollars a year to collect the verification fee, can effectively guarantee this. Android phone because of the number of terminals, unable to implement this verification mechanism, applications are submitted free of charge, there is no audit, and finally caused the current situation of malicious software, and Android applications can easily access to operating system permissions, to the user brought security risks.

WP system itself interface design concise and easy to operate, this and the concept of iOS is consistent, but in the specific appearance of more than the choice of iOS. Both iOS and Android use icon buttons, and Android is clearly more complex. WP does not use icon buttons on the interface, it is more innovative than iOS and Android in the sense of use, and easier to operate than Android. WP is a good choice for those users who are tired of iOS and want to pursue a simple operation. "Ning said. "Get WP mobile phone people, is really used for a period of time, are unanimous to say, its reaction speed in all aspects than Android better." ”

Harsh place: This is not an early app Store.

Early App Store due to the application of less, paid channel unimpeded, once became the hot land of domestic developers to gold, any application can be made without loss, but with the influx of developers, the past good days have long gone, the same closed systems of WP, the application of the store harsh Place is in its early stages of growth, with a fast-growing, rigorous audit and a much smaller competition than iOS, which looks much like the early app Store, and it does show similarities.

Xun Yueda said BizSpark project selection company heavy quality not weight, parallel imports are also explained the existence of a wide range of WP market space

"Open X Live did not invest money to advertise in 8 months time accumulated 200,000 users, and is active in more than 50% users, each player on average one day to open US 4 times." "Ning said, as a high-quality game relatively scarce new platform, WP developers can use relatively inexpensive games, quickly occupy a large market, and in the 0 cost of promotional costs, which is the advantages of the first advantage.

Fishing games are hot on iOS and Android, WP but there was no such game, Microsoft announced the cooperation with Nokia, Hangzhou, a group called Rui slightly decided to open up WP market, opened the iOS and WP two synchronized development front, and in WP developed a section called "Happy Fisherman" Free fishing game, in half a month time to reach more than 20,000 downloads. "In terms of feedback from players, they always compare the well-known apps on iOS to us, but what they can do on iOS is not available on WP." "The founder of Ming said.

WP started late, the corresponding Third-party functional support is relatively small, some technical effects due to the lack of third-party auxiliary tools, difficult to achieve. Rui slightly before did not do the development of WP, a lot of good effects, such as particle effect, now do is very difficult to achieve the player's expectations. For the book in the Holy Dry, WP platform also exists some technical deficiencies, resulting in the transfer of users of books have some difficulties. "For developers, the technical problem is not a problem, the problem is that the current domestic developers are very difficult to make money, basically are at a loss to make a yell." "Ning said.

Mobile application developers of the profit channel is nothing but paid downloads, application payment, advertising these three kinds, but for the WP platform of domestic developers, the first way to make money is very small, and then the two kinds of Microsoft have made restrictions, at least for the moment there is no possibility of profit. In the more mature ecosystem of the App Store, in addition to a few well-known applications have a one-time pay appeal, the application of payment due to its long-term profitability, has become the mainstream, harsh place on the general trend.

Because the licensed WP has not officially sold in mainland China, so there is no normal toll channels, there is no domestic user to pay the possibility, in other words, domestic WP developers currently only have the possibility of earning foreign users money. "The vast majority of developers are based at home, to see abroad." But the foreign user basically only to harsh place on that several well-known charges application pays only. "Ning said.

It can be said that the development of the App Store has fostered user awareness of mobile applications, a simple game is difficult for users to pay. Rui slightly in WP launched two games, are free "happy fisherman" and charge "bubble Party", Ming's original intention is to use the former to drive the latter's pay, but now seems to have little effect.

"Bubble Party" for 1.99 dollars, and the "Happy Fisherman," launched at the same time, to the present total download volume of only thirty or forty. "Ming said. Free game of profit means is nothing but props fees and advertising, as we all know, fishing games are props to charge, but in WP this road is not workable, or for domestic developers are not workable. Currently, several games launched by Microsoft Xbox Live have been available for charging, but have not been open to other developers.

Microsoft's Xbox Live game has a single gamecenter that supports social functions such as charts, achievements, and other developer-issued games that do not enjoy the center of the game, so a third-party gaming platform such as Open X live appears. As far as advertising is concerned, Microsoft's own ads will block any ads from Chinese IP apps. "Microsoft's move is designed to protect the local advertisers because more of them are now from the US, and Microsoft thinks it would be a waste if the ads show a product that can't be bought in China, but it's not fair to domestic developers," he said. "Ning said.

"Including some third-party advertisers, such as Google also started a part of the support of WP, but the filling rate of advertising is still very low, we only received a little money." Ming said, even if a WP application of 100,000 times a day, but the number of advertising requests, but Google's admobile may only show a few, the reason is not many advertisers will be ads on the WP platform. "Our only income now is to rely on donations from enthusiastic netizens. "said dry, a saint of the book's creator.

"Microsoft does not have a very good Chinese developer service backstage. Ming said that the same closed system, WP on the developer waiter there are some obvious deficiencies, such as no benign communication mechanism, iOS has a Chinese developer Service hotline. The most important is a number of downloads and growth curve related to the service reports, iOS updated every day, WP need a week to see, this data lag in the statistics, the developers of the previous strategic adjustment is particularly detrimental.

Decision Conditions: Shipments

Although the early WP has a lot of drawbacks, but Microsoft is also through many efforts to change this situation, and hope to gather more power to build a new ecosystem. "BizSpark will pick some startups that have a better combination with WP, organize a program called be top, and give these developers money, advice," says Xun Yueda, a project director for the BizSpark, a Microsoft program for innovation companies. and the development of channel support. ”

Chengdu-dimensional technology is a company in the nurturing program, "we participated in the" Entrepreneurial State "last year demo China, by Microsoft's Fancy, joined the BizSpark program, and the general developers, Nokia will use their promotional channels to push our game. "Wu Yu, CEO of Technology, said as one of the country's 50 WP's first partners, the technology in iOS and Android has many years of development experience, and has several successful games, including their flagship game" New Legends "will be transplanted from iOS this March to WP, and shelves harsh place.

"At the moment, the application on WP is more expensive than iOS and Android. "Ming said, WP on the development cost is high, the quality of the user group is also relatively high-end, another important reason is that the competition is not fierce enough, users choose less." Harsh place is divided into 37 shares, like the App Store. In order to attract more excellent developers, Microsoft's latest rules, as long as the revenue to 25,000 U.S. dollars in the excellent application, can enjoy a 28 share of the concessions, a variety of preferential measures to show the company's mobile phone business determination, but for developers, a high percentage, if not the user to pay the bill is useless "Developers can make money on WP key to see the machine, now it seems WP's terminal selection is relatively small, Nokia also only launched 3~4 section WP mobile phone." "Wu Yu said.

Shun Fung and Jingdong courier in the hands of the terminal, a large part of the WM system is still in use, because the Microsoft technology platform has the inherent advantage of developing enterprise-class applications, and the functions required by the enterprise include databases, data synchronization, which are not available on iOS and Android because they are designed for the consumer market. "WP now also built office, which has a function is the internal LAN, the enterprise can achieve a shared document and other advanced functions, iOS and Android office only has a basic function, the future of WP in the enterprise application level has a lot of imagination." "Ning said.

In the enterprise application of the broad prospects for WP's large-scale procurement to achieve the possibility, but also for developers to provide more entrepreneurial opportunities. There is news that the fourth quarter of this year, the latest version of Win8 will be released, WP's kernel will be changed from Windows CE to the same core version Win8, then the desktop version of the application will have the possibility of seamless running to WP, Microsoft may also open software code tools, reduce the difficulty of developing WP application.

Nokia is the world's leading smartphone company, but its market share has slipped and Microsoft's handset business has not budged in recent years. "Two big giants, each have their own resources, I do not dare to WP will be successful, but already have the conditions of success." "Xun Yueda said, Nokia has put all the treasure on the WP, it undoubtedly has a rival to Apple's sales channels, with Google acquisition of motorcycles, HTC, Samsung, and other hardware manufacturers more and more attention to WP, including the United States, the four major telecom operators have started and WP's close cooperation.

"Microsoft has no hardware marketing capabilities, the rise of HTC is due to his repair point can be paved to the level three city, and at this point, Nokia undoubtedly has a stronger ability, this is our future optimistic about the reasons for WP." "Ning said. For mobile phones, the hardware is just a stepping stone, whether the user can stay in the biosphere also depends on the quality of the software, the two are complementary relationship. "Now this stage developers a bit like gambling, bet WP can sell." "The most-loaded, Android-cut fruit game is not a fruit ninja," says Xu Yun, who first entered the android harsh "cut fruit" game.

"For developers, the biggest risk is that WP can not get the amount, but if the WP began to sell, and then want to do may be too late." "Wu Yu said. In the first half of this year, WP mobile phone will start in the domestic sales, puzzle developers to pay the channel to believe will also be established, it can be said that now is a loss to make a yell stage, but the future can make money to see the response of the market to WP.