One of the major downsides within the Microsoft ecosystem is the inability to share applications between Windows Phone devices and Windows 8/RT tablets. Rumors had emerged in the past that the company might be looking for a way to merge the two stores and create a one-stop solution for users; today, those rumors have been confirmed.
According to The Verge, Microsoft is planning to combine its current Windows Phone Store and Windows 8 Store into one single entity. Sources have stated that head of Microsoft’s Operating Systems Group, Terry Myerson, confirmed the decision to merge the stores “in an internal company meeting today”, which was “attended by thousands of Microsoft employees”.
Myerson has been quoted as being committed to the “next releases” of both Microsoft’s Windows PC and Windows Phone Operating systems; an exact update roadmap has not been specified, we might see the special update for Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone in the spring of 2014.
It has not yet been revealed how the application store will work or how Microsoft plans to pull off the merge. We may see a store similar to Apple, in which some applications will be restricted to tablets, while others can be scaled up. It would be even better to see Microsoft combine both distributions of a single purchase, so if multiple versions of the app are available for both tablets and phones – users will only have to worry about picking up the app once.
As of now, the Windows Store and Windows Phone Marketplace are the Achilles Heel of Microsoft’s entrance into the industry and combining the two marketplaces can only be helpful. In addition, if users find out that all of the Windows 8 applications they bought can easily be accessed from their phone – it might draw more appeal to Windows phone handsets.
As we obtain more details on the market unification, we will keep you updated here at Windows Phone Central.
Source: The Verge
