Earlier today, a rumor popped up that said Microsoft would unify their Windows Phone and Windows developer accounts and it looks like the rumor was accurate.
Microsoft has penned a post on its Windows App Builder blog that states that they will unify the registration experience for both the Windows Store and Windows Phone develops. By doing this, it will result in a lower cost for the developers and allows Windows Store developers to be Windows Phone developers, and Windows Phone developers to be Windows Store developers.
Microsoft says you can expect the following with the unified registration process:
- Registered Windows Store developers can now submit apps to the Windows Phone Store, using the same Microsoft account.
- Registered Windows Phone developers can now submit apps to the Windows Store at no additional cost, using the same Microsoft account.
- New developers can register and existing developers can renew their account using the same Microsoft account. Developers will enter registration information just once and pay a single lower price of $19 for an Individual and $99 for a Company account, providing access to publish apps for both Windows and Windows Phone users.
- Developers already registered with both Windows Store and Windows Phone using the same Microsoft account will receive a code via email this month, valid for a free one-year renewal when their existing registration is up for renewal.
- Students continue to be supported through the DreamSpark program.
This is one of those moves that make you wonder why this was not done from the on-set of these two ecosystems but whatever that reason may be, Microsoft has now unified the process. Clearly, this is a great move for developers as they now have access to both platforms at a lower cost that should make the Windows ecosystem more attractive for new developers.
The unification process is live today, and accounts now cost $99 for corporations and $19 for individuals, while students can register for free.
Source: Microsoft
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