Microsoft has announced that Windows Phone 8 will support Alipay in China, which adds a key payment option to its mobile platform. The move could potentially boost developer revenue with the number of Windows Phone owners in the country who can purchase rising. Not to mention the the added hardware launches, marketing and further support.
With China Mobile on-board, with its 700+ million subscribers, Microsoft is looking to capitalise on any available opportunity which would help carry the current momentum along and further expand the platform in the important market. This is where Alipay will help to play a part. The service, which shares functionality similar to PayPal, has more than 800 million registered accounts.
It's noted as a key addition to payment gateways currently sported by the platform, as average smartphone owners in China likely lack internationally sourced credit cards. Alipay will enable such demographic purchase apps and games from the Store, hence the potential for developers to earn more from their work in China.
Not only has Microsoft got the task in persuading developers to build great content for its mobile platform to ensure users who own Windows Phones don't feel left out when titles are launched on competitor hardware, but the company has to prove that mechanisms are in place for said content creators to earn some dosh. Alipay is set to lend a helping hand here.
We're still eager to see how Microsoft progresses in 2013 with more Windows Phone 8 hardware pushing out, as well as the 7.8 update that's currently rolling out. The company has to focus on backend technologies to ensure that frontend experiences are as good (if not better) than the likes of Android and iOS. With BlackBerry 10 now on the scene, Microsoft has to pick up the pace to keep its head in the race against the two main players.
Source: The Next Web
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