Microsoft has allowed employees to make money on applications for Windows Phone 7

For several months in the US, smartphones with Windows Phone 7 have been sold. The price for them is $ 100 when purchased from the Microsoft Store . But the success of the new mobile platform on the market requires as many applications as possible. Otherwise, Android and iPhone do not win.

Since the platform is new, developers need to study it before they can write applications for it. In order to accelerate the emergence of applications for Windows Phone 7, Microsoft has taken an unusual step. The company has relaxed corporate rules and allowed employees to work on development for WP7 in their free time. The author will receive the standard 70% of sales and the application remains the property of the author.


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For American companies, a more common situation is when developers are either forbidden to engage in personal projects, or the result of such projects is wholly owned by the company. A detailed explanation of the reasons for this behavior can be found in the discussion “ If I’m in my spare time? " (in English). A short explanation is given by Professor Michael A. Cusumano (Michael A. Cusumano): “Engineers work all the time. They do not work strictly from 9 to 5. It is usually in your interest that employees put all their efforts into the work. If they do something on the side, then you will not praise them for it. ”

Brandon Watson, Director of Developer Relations for WP7, says that Microsoft is now hosting weekly pizza parties for those who have been developing for WP7, and are considering how to advertise the results of their employees' efforts. The options for non-financial incentives for such employees are also being considered. Free phones with a new operating system are issued to all employees in 19 countries where WP7 phones are already available.

It seems that the initiative is bearing fruit. According to Brandon Watson, more than 3,000 employees have registered as developers for WP7 and 840 have already published their applications. It is also assumed that relief will help keep employees from moving to other companies.

PS The note is based on a very free retelling of the article “The Moonlighting Within Microsoft, in The Pursuit of New Apps ” by The New York Times and other information.