Microsoft announces changes to unify Windows and Windows Phone developer communities

It was only earlier today when we looked at reports hinting that Microsoft was on the edge of announcing some changes to the Windows Phone and Windows developer account management. Redmond has now confirmed these changes in an announcement article on the official developer blog. So, as a recap, what exactly is changing?

Everything will be business as usual, but should you be a registered Windows Phone developer, you'll now be able to submit content to the Windows Store. The same goes for registered Windows developers and the Windows Phone Store. Microsoft has essentially unified both platforms to make it easy for developers to build and deploy apps for both.

"New developers can register and existing developers can renew their account using the same Microsoft account. Developers will enter registration information just once and pay a single lower price of $19 for an Individual and $99 for a Company account, providing access to publish apps for both Windows and Windows Phone users."

While your Microsoft account and developer subscription will cover both stores, you'll still be required to use the separate Windows Store and Windows Phone Dev Center dashboards to submit and manage content. Microsoft's Todd Brix also lightly touches on the DVLUP community and how developers can get involved to complete challenges to earn points that can eventually be redeemed for prizes - including Lumia Windows Phones.

For more information, be sure to check out the full blog post.

Source: Windows Phone Developer Blog