Over two months ago, Microsoft launched the first public beta for its web-based Windows Phone App Studio, allowing anyone to create apps for Microsoft"s mobile OS for free. Today, the company revealed that the website has brought in 160,000 users who have created more than 150,000 projects. In its first two months, those projects have resulted in 65,000 Windows Phone apps being created, although it"s not clear just how many of those apps have been published yet.
Microsoft also announced today that it will be adding more new features to the Windows Phone App Studio based on feedback from developers. The company said:
For external data sources, with our new cache implementation, you can access dynamic data or RSS feeds even if the user’s phone is not connected. We’ve optimized Visual Studio projects to remove external references when they are not being used--this significantly reduces project size and complexity. With “Fast Resume” you can set a default language for easy publication in the Windows Phone Store.
It has also added Near Field Communication (NFC) features to share apps with other beta developers. Microsoft has enabled a way to integrate phone functions in the apps via the site such as opening a map, making phone calls and more. The team is also working on adding support for third party SDKs into the App Studio.
Source: Microsoft | Image via Microsoft