A Twitter user by the name of Raphael Moser noticed over the weekend that Marketplace for Windows Mobile advertisements were starting to appear in his iPhone apps. The ad has the Windows Marketplace for Mobile logo, the name of the store in all caps, and two more words in all caps: "Submit App." The software giant probably could have put together a slightly more convincing ad, although there really wasn't that much space to work with.

It's unclear how widespread this advertisement, or any accompanying ones, are (nobody at the Ars HQ has seen any), but Microsoft definitely has the money to push them out en masse. Even with the proper cash though, it's not necessarily easy to pull off. There are only ads in some iPhone applications and there isn't any easy way Microsoft can target all apps with the same ad. Apps on the iPhone run ads from various ad networks, and Microsoft likely advertises through some of those ad networks (our guess is The Deck).

Whether Microsoft targeted iPhone apps specifically is unclear, but it's completely possible, given the ad's dimensions and the fact that Microsoft is interested in targeting iPhone developers. Doing so is a smart move for the company; it's definitely better for Microsoft to embrace the iPhone developer community and leverage the many applications that already exist on it, instead of trying to take on the AppStore head-on.

In August 2009, we noted that Microsoft had decided to help iPhone developers who wish to port their applications to Windows Mobile by providing clear documentation of a third-party case study. The online 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 expected to arrive next month on October 6, 2009.

Hat tip to 1800 Pocket PC

Source: Windows Marketplace for Mobile ads appear in iPhone apps? - Ars Technica

Posted By: 7Dreams
14 Sep 2009