Windows Mobile Marketplace has been released for a couple of days now. So how did the release go? Are the users happy thus far with the applications you can find here? One of the bigger problems so far is that users from smaller windows mobile market place ‘groups’ as Microsoft calls them have little applications available in the new shop.

For instance we have heard from people in The Netherlands that next to the applications that Microsoft themselves have to offer there is only one third party application that you can install with the marketplace.

So where does this problem come from? The issue lies with the policies Microsoft thus far has enforced on the mobile Marketplace. Application developers have been forced to have their applications translated to the country language of the sub-shop, this can be an expensive endeavor depending on the size of the application. Next to the fact that an application needs to be translated the developer also has to pay 10 dollars per submission per country. So for smaller developers it’s of course a much better idea to submit an application to the bigger countries and forget the smaller markets. This leaves the users of Windows Mobile Marketplace from smaller countries with little applications and a sour taste in their mouths.

It’s weird that Microsoft concocted such a strategy for the release of the Marketplace, because looking at the success of the Android and iPhone market, why would you change a winning formula? These shops are doing millions and millions of application downloads every day and most of the applications do not have Multilanguage support. It’s really the last thing you want to do in this world of global communication and internet-wide information streams. Nobody is interested these days in being restrained from the English language in applications and communication.

Let’s hope Microsoft listens to their customers and changes the application so you can access everything, let the user choose their destiny and live happy ever after with or without applications on their Windows Mobile Smartphone. Next to that, it’s in their own best interest. We look forward to hearing from Microsoft officials. We will keep you posted.