Windows Marketplace for Mobile kill switch details clarified - Ars Technica

Windows Marketplace for Mobile kill switch details clarified

Microsoft has clarified that the kill switch and remote application deletion abilities in Windows Marketplace for Mobile will only be used in specific scenarios, and when this happens, the software giant will issue refunds.

By Emil Protalinski | Last updated September 18, 2009 9:35 AM CT

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Microsoft recently gave more details on Windows Marketplace for Mobile during the Tech Ed New Zealand 2009 session titled "Distributing and Monetizing Applications through Windows Marketplace Mobile," led by Loke Uei Tan, Senior Product Manager on the Windows Mobile Team. Geekzone covered the event in good detail, but one of their points caused a lot of uproar in the blogosphere: "If an application is approved but later removed from the marketplace it will then be automatically removed from all mobile devices." That sounded a bit ominous to us, so we decided to check in with Microsoft.

"In the vast majority of instances where an application is removed from Windows Marketplace for Mobile, users of this application will continue to be able to use these applications on their phones," a Microsoft spokesperson told Ars. "In the rare event an application from Marketplace exhibits harmful behavior or has unforeseen effects, Marketplace has the capability to remotely uninstall these applications. While we hope to avoid this scenario, we will make refunds available in such cases."
The spokesperson also pointed out that this rule doesn't seem to differ significantly from what many other mobile marketplaces, including the Apple App store and Google’s Android Market, have implemented.

Other than this one point that needed some clarification, the session was a pretty good one, even though Microsoft mostly reiterated what it had already told mobile developers in February 2009, March 2009, and July 2009:

Revenue sharing is always 70/30 for developers. Even if an operator enters the mix, Microsoft will pay the operator share from their 30 percent.

It costs $99 to enroll your first applications and you get up to five submissions. Apps after that within that year will cost $99 each.

Upgrades are free but changing an application from "free" to "paid" is not considered an upgrade.

Microsoft has a set of guidelines that applications must follow. For example, applications that replace core functionality, such as mapping/routing, will be rejected. Some applications may not be available in all markets.

The marketplace launches in 29 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong SAR, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UK, and the US.

Developers are paid through EFT. Currently, currencies include US dollars, Japanese Yen, Euro, Australia dollars, and British pounds.

The marketplace client software will show available updates and users can choose to install them when they want.

Software can be reinstalled and activated up to five times (useful for when you lose your mobile device or change devices).

Developers are able to specify hardware requirements that will be checked before the software is purchased.

Refunding will be available up to 24 hours from when the application is purchased and users will have the right to return the purchase with no questions asked.

Even if an application is rejected from the marketplace it is still possible for developers to sell it through other channels.

In July 2009, Windows Marketplace for Mobile began accepting application, game, and widget submissions. The mobile store is set to open simultaneously with the release of the first Windows phones (Microsoft's new term for mobile devices running Windows Mobile), which are slated to arrive next month on October 6, 2009.