Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Cloud
    • Development

    Windows Store Gives App Developers More Control

    By
    Pedro Hernandez
    -
    January 27, 2014
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      App Dev

      Developers who make their apps available on Microsoft’s Windows Store now have new options that offer them more control over an app’s availability. The updates to Microsoft app marketplace also include simplified certification requirements.

      Keith Senzel, principal group program manager, Windows Store Dashboard, detailed the changes in a Windows App Builder Blog post. On Jan. 24, he announced that the company had “added more control to choosing the release date for your app.”

      Prior to the new options, apps were published as soon as they wended their way through the certification process. Now developers can fine-tune their release dates and times.

      “Rather than only choosing the date, you can now set the hour and time zone. Additionally, you can change the release date while your app is in certification, rather than sending it through the certification process again,” stated Senzel.

      “This is handy if your plans change after you’ve already submitted the app, or if you find you need a little more time to prepare for its launch,” he added. Windows app developers have until the Signing and Publishing phase to make their changes before they are locked in.

      Developers were also given more flexibility should they have to pull buggy apps or make urgent changes. “We’ve now given you the ability to remove your app’s listing from the Windows Store at any time just by clicking Remove this app’s listing in the Manage availability section of the App details page in your Dashboard,” Senzel wrote.

      As expected, removing an app prevents Windows Store visitors from downloading and purchasing pulled apps. Microsoft cautioned that the feature also prevents existing users from making in-app purchases. Clicking the “Restore this app’s listing” in the dashboard makes apps available again.

      In the wake of the Windows 8.1 release, coders can now drop support for Windows 8 with an option to de-list their apps in the Windows 8 catalog. “This means that new customers can only acquire the app if they’re running Windows 8.1. (Windows 8 customers who already have the app can continue to use it, but won’t be able to make in-app purchases),” said Senzel.

      Additionally, the company has relaxed some certification requirements “while still maintaining appropriate levels of app quality.” Version 5.0 of the requirements, for example, now allows app developers more flexibility in how ads are displayed.

      According to the Windows Store app certification requirement document, the company removed a “requirement that an app not use its description, tiles, notifications, app bar, or the swipe-from-edge interactions to display ads.” Microsoft also revised or outright deleted several other requirements, including one governing large data transfers over metered networks and a performance baseline for low-power devices, among several others.

      Of late, Microsoft has been making strides in turning its Windows Store into a more developer-friendly place. In October, the company unveiled new Bing-powered app discovery features that perform a better job of surfacing apps for visitors, thereby helping developers monetize their creations. And just before the 2013 holiday season, the company announced new gift cards to compete against similar gifting options in Google Play and the Apple App Store.

      Pedro Hernandez
      Pedro Hernandez is a contributor to eWEEK and the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Previously, he served as a managing editor for the Internet.com network of IT-related websites and as the Green IT curator for GigaOM Pro.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×