Windows 8 store was unveiled recently after the launch of Windows 8 operating system and devices running it. One of the highlights of the launch was Windows 8 desktop OS coming with an online store where you could get applications on a portal , including getting Microsoft apps for free and download. This was pretty much a catch up game as Android on tablets and Apple had a store all along, and the desktop missed that. Well, we now have it and developers can now develop for the whole ecosystem that is desktop, tablet and smartphone on Windows 8 and Windows phone 8.
Windows 8 store has since reached 20,000 apps in barely a month and the rate at which apps are going up is at 500 a day. This gives them hopes of doing 40,000 by year end. This is actually a good start for the numbers, however, only a paltry 13% of these apps are paid according to Wes Miller, Windows app store watcher. Expectations are high for Microsoft and the bar is set high by consumers and critics, so we may be overly aggressive in our expectations.
Microsoft has not yet opened many regions to the store, hence these developers are not yet fully represented. Kenya is one of the lucky regions in the plans of Microsoft to ensure there is a regional marketplace specifically for the region, and that’s among the 3 in the continent. During the Kenya launch of Windows 8, there were apps already developed for the market, these include Distributr app for supply chain by Virtual City and the Co-operative Bank application for mobile banking. More apps are set to show up in the marketplace which is yet to have real exposure to consumers as Nokia and Samsung are yet to launch Windows phone 8 smartphones.
