News Analysis: Microsoft's Windows 8 application store will presumably make it easier for users to access a diverse inventory of downloadable applications. But in order for the app store to be successful, it will need to have several specific elements that appeal to Windows developers as well as users.
Windows
8 might be launching next year, but Microsoft is already making it clear that
the stakes are high with the operating system. Microsoft sees Windows 8 as an
opportunity for the company to continue the success it sees with Windows 7, and
potentially put it in a position to take on the iPad and Android in the tablet
market. To say that there is a lot riding on Windows 8 would be an
understatement.
Perhaps
that's why
the Windows 8 application store is so important. If the marketplace proves
successful, there's a good chance Microsoft will be able to achieve its lofty
goals with Windows 8. But if it fails, there's no telling what the future might
hold for the operating system.
That's
why Microsoft will work hard to keep the Windows 8 store prominent in consumers'
minds and buying decisions. But it won't be easy. Apple's Mac App Store
continues to grow. In the tablet space, the Android Market, Apple App Store and
Amazon's own Appstore are long-established competitors. Exactly how Windows 8's
store will fit into such a market landscape is anybody's guess.
But
for Microsoft, failure is not an option. Read on to find out what the company
must do to ensure its application store succeeds in Windows 8.
1. High-end applications across the board
Part
of the success of Apple's App Store and the Android Market has been their
ability to attract top-notch developer talent. Both stores have popular
applications, like Angry Birds, Flipboard and Cut the Rope. For an application
store to be successful, it must come with apps consumers want to use.
Microsoft better remember that.
2. A solid selection of business apps
Although
it's not necessarily important that a platform like iOS or Mac OS X come with
business-focused applications, it's an essential component in Windows 8's
marketplace. The corporate world will want to at least try Windows 8. But if it
can't find programs it wants, the store won't succeed. Business apps are a key
component in the Windows 8 store's future success.
3. Tablet-optimized applications
Microsoft
says Windows 8 will be running on a host of tablets. That's great. But
until there are a large number of applications optimized to run on those tablets,
there's simply no way for the devices to gain traction in the marketplace.
Tablet-optimized applications are vastly important.
4. Strong developer support
All
this talk of the kinds of applications that must make their way to Windows 8
dovetails with another important factor for the store's success: developer
support. Currently, Apple and Google have been able to attract a large number
of developers to their stores, and they're making money from these application
markets. Now it's Microsoft's turn to woo developers. Its 80 percent revenue
share for apps making over $25,000 is a good start.
Email
Print
