My Computerworld colleague Mike Elgan found a little bit of interesting news in a job posting online. Looks like Microsoft is hiring that certain someone for a new App store type of thing called "Skymarket" (I guess Sky Mall was taken?).
According to the ad, the service/store plans to debut in 2009 on Windows Mobile 7. Google announced a similar service for Android phones last week. It seems the iTunes App Store is kinda a big deal...
From the Job posting:
Job Title: Senior Product Manager - Skymarket
This is a unique opportunity and time of rapid change in the mobile industry for a Senior Product Manager in the Mobile Communications Services team to drive the launch of a v1 marketplace service for Windows Mobile.
...according to their Job posting the candidate will be involved in:
- "Definition of the product offering, pricing, business model and policies that will make the Windows Mobile marketplace “the place to be” for developers wishing to distribute and monetize their Windows Mobile application
- Responsibility for the business model and key elements that will drive the optimal experience for developers and monetization of the service by Microsoft
- Preparation and driving the cross group collaboration for the initial launch of the marketplace offering to the developer community this fall
- Preparation and driving the cross group collaboration with stakeholders in the commercial launch of the marketplace service with the launch of WM 7
- Define and mange the consumer, developer and mobile operator value proposition and supporting materials for use by PR, MCB’s developer outreach organization, and other teams across Microsoft
- Working with multiple stakeholders (product team, product planning, developer outreach, business operations, legal and more) in definition on the process, policies and terms of use through which developers and consumers take part in the marketplace
- Work closely with product planning on prioritization of consumer, developer, and mobile operator scenarios
- Support business development on engagements with mobile operators and integration of the marketplace offering into broader Microsoft services offerings or discussions
- Work closely with the Mobile Communication Business developer outreach organization
- Management of KPI’s for the service post launch"
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Comments
It is interesting how $30
It is interesting how $30 millions in a month awake people everywhere!
After App Store's initial success, the "old members of the cell phone club" --Nokia and Microsoft-- realize that there is money in delivering apps for cell phones. I took out Google become it is a newcomer to the party.
The big question is: App Store's success is due to the App Store or to the iPhone/iPod itouch platform? In other words, why developers develop apps for the platform.
If the answer is "the store", maybe Nokia, Microsoft and/or Google can success.
If the answer is "the iPhone/iPod itouch platform" they rarely would.
ah, that is the crux of the
ah, that is the crux of the argument is it not?
i think you missed the question about ease of seeding and ease of use of the WMx SDK
will there be easy programming, compiling and testing? my magic 8 ball says "sources point to no"
TRO
Wait windows mobile has not had a vista ization yet.
So i am guessing that they are going to "vista"ize it. This means slow performance, old source code, program incopmpatibilty, and a 3 year late launch date. (did you know vista is based off windows 2000.