This week, the Windows Phone Marketplace passed a new milestone, reaching a worldwide total of 80,000 apps. While this figure is still far, far behind that of Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store, it’s clear that developers are increasingly focusing their efforts on creating software for Microsoft’s mobile ecosystem.
In fact, well over 300 apps are being published every day, while a further 400 apps are also updated on a daily basis. But it seems that Microsoft may have become a victim of its own success here, as in the latest edition of its Windows Phone Developer Newsletter, the company has alerted developers to delays in its review and certification process.
While Microsoft’s certification notes previously advised that the process is generally completed within 72 hours – from submission, to being made available for download – the recent update states that developers should now expect things to take a bit longer, and that delays may increase further:
Due to high submission and update volumes, the app certification process is continuing to take longer than it has previously. It is currently taking at least 7 calendar days to certify and publish apps, and that could increase now that new Marketplace consumer markets are coming online."
While Microsoft can clearly celebrate the growth that it’s seeing in app submissions, these delays are nonetheless a cause for concern. There are still many developers out there who remain reluctant to invest their time and resources in Windows Phone; difficulties in the app certification process will do little to entice those developers to the platform.
via WPCentral
10 Comments - Add comment