Developers getting incentives from Microsoft

Well I was right! Microsoft is making a very smart move by providing incentives for developers making applications for their upcoming OS, Windows Phone 7.

Android and iOS obviously have a big gap on Windows Phone 7 as each have 225,000 and 65,000 applications in their respective marketplaces. While I honestly do not expect Microsoft to catch either of them in terms of number of applications, with incentives such as free tools for development and test handsets as well as guaranteed revenue in some cases, Microsoft might be able to attract a considerable amount of users with high-quality, exclusive applications.

As far as what these applications will be, who knows. But I can say with pretty good confidence that the main categories of media, navigation, and gaming should be covered thoroughly in order for consumers to see real value in the handsets.

While the success of Windows Phone 7 hang in the balance, this is definitely a step in the right direction. To me, hardware takes a backseat to software so long as it has enough juice to power the OS. While a phone might be the sexiest things on the streets, if it can’t perform basic tasks, it will end up back at the store very very quickly.

Read [BusinessWeek ] Via [IntoMobile]