Windows Phone Store has recently passed 200,000 apps, and is now seeing more than 12 million “transactions” per day. We’re not sure what these “transactions” mean and can only think of them as downloads, or combination of paid downloads and in-app purchases.
In a post on the Windows Phone Developer Blog, director of the Windows Phone apps team Todd Brix said the company is “already seeing momentum build” in the Store, driven by promotions and the run-up to Christmas.
As part of this momentum-building strategy, Microsoft has recently introduced gift cards to encourage users to discover and purchase apps on their new devices. In addition, the Redmond giant has also established more direct billing relationships with operators to boost uptake in markets where credit card penetration is low. According to Brix, there are now 51 operator connections in 31 markets for direct billing, “substantially more than any other smartphone platform”.
The company has seen a six-fold increase in transaction volume in developing markets where direct billing has been introduced.