Microsoft announced that it more than doubled the number of app downloads and gross sales on its Windows Store in 2014.
Its efforts to attract more developers and apps for the Windows Mobile platform resulted in an 80 percent increase in registered developers and 30 percent increase in active users of the Windows Store.
Sales were helped by a growing number of carrier billing agreements. After recently adding agreements with operators in markets such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Mexico and Vietnam, the Windows Store had a total 81 connections across 46 markets.
The company said average transaction volume increases eight-fold in emerging markets with carrier billing. It plans to work more closely with operators to promote the billing method to end-users.
Microsoft also wants to promote in-app purchases and in-app advertising more in the new year; they currently account for 35 percent and 58 percent of Windows Store revenue respectively.
The recent release of Windows ad mediation for Windows Phone developers has helped improve fill rates to over 95 percent and increasing revenue up to 200 percent for some apps.
This capability will be expanded in the coming year.
Microsoft also encouraged developers to update their apps and adopt its ‘universal’ platform so apps work with devices running different versions of Windows.
Over 90 percent of Windows app downloads and more than 65 percent of Windows Phone app downloads are coming from devices running Windows 8.1. Windows Phone 7 apps now account for less than 5 percent of downloads.
Source: Telecompaper