Skymarket: The Windows Mobile App Store

[Chuong Nguyen]

After many have questioned when the Windows Mobile app store (http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=news&id=5553) will hit town, we have speculation from Engadget Mobile (http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/08/31/microsoft-job-listing-hints-at-app-store-like-skymarket-for-wi/) that the mobile marketplace for cloud computing will appear around the time of Windows Mobile 7, the next major system overhaul following Windows Mobile 6 and 6.1. The app store for Windows Mobile 7 may be called Skymarket.

Engadget Mobile had obtained information regarding Skymarket from a job posting for a Microsoft project manager position.

If a Windows Mobile Marketplace for Mobile Devices, otherwise known as Skymarket, were to hit your beloved handheld, it is uncertain how this will change or effect the mobile ecosystem. Currently, apps are distributed by the software makers themselves, through third-party vendors like Handango, or distributed through free hosted services like on XDA-Developers or freely over the internet. Microsoft will probably take the laissez-faire approach and not be as autocratic about what makes it into the app store as Apple has been with the iPhone App Store, but only time will tell.

[steveballmer]

This will work just awesome with the ZunePhone people!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/2813346522_f69a9f9011.jpg

[Pony99CA]

If a Windows Mobile Marketplace for Mobile Devices, otherwise known as Skymarket, were to hit your beloved handheld, it is uncertain how this will change or effect the mobile ecosystem. Currently, apps are distributed by the software makers themselves, through third-party vendors like Handango, or distributed through free hosted services like on XDA-Developers or freely over the internet. Microsoft will probably take the laissez-faire approach and not be as autocratic about what makes it into the app store as Apple has been with the iPhone App Store, but only time will tell.
I can't imagine that Microsoft would only allow software to be purchased through their own store. Handango, Motricity and independent vendors would probably file an antitrust complaint faster than Vista takes to boot up. :)

However, I do think that Microsoft might want to certify what gets sold through their store. That would keep user complaints (and support costs) down and guarantee a more uniform user experience.

Steve

[Brandon Miniman]

Good news here, though as Steve implied...getting Handago/Motricity to not take legal action will be a task. They have a few options:

1. Buy the software distributors
2. Allow the software distributors to bid on certain titles to add to the store
3. Combine all of the software stores

[Pony99CA]

Good news here, though as Steve implied...getting Handago/Motricity to not take legal action will be a task.
All I was saying was that I doubt Microsoft would lock down the phones so that people could only purchase software from SkyMarket. You're actually raising a broader point about whether existing software vendors will take action against the store even if it's not the only point of purchase.

I hope not, because, as I alluded to, I suspect Microsoft will impose additional certification requirements that Handango/Motricity/etc. won't (like being certified for Windows Mobile, digitally signed, etc.). However, knowing how litigious people are, that probably won't matter because the existing vendors will definitely lose some sales.

Maybe Microsoft will put running the store out for bid, and the existing vendors can run the store. That would tend to keep them from suing, I hope. However, that makes the business model more difficult. If Microsoft capped commissions at 30% like Apple does, and didn't take any commission themselves (meaning their profit was from the high bid to run the store), that would still represent a huge cut in the commission the vendors charge. Maybe they'll hope to make it up with new sales, as the store will be much more visible.

But that begs the question of whether carriers will block Microsoft's store. For example, my Motorola Q9m has a Get Applications item in the Start menu that basically goes to a Verizon branded version of Handango. Why would Verizon want to give that up? (T-Mobile is working on their own apps store, too, and I assume other carriers have similar deals.)

Steve