A developer now has more platform options to develop an app. Other the standard platform of desktop, web or mobile, there is alternative platform such as Facebook. The newest one, developer now can develop apps on Microsoft Office platform.
Last Tuesday, Microsoft launched Office Store in beta, where Microsoft Office and Sharepoint users can download several apps to add the functions on their Office and Sharepoint devices. Currently, in the Office Store that can be accessed on this page, there are several free apps available for download by users in the United States.
Vivek Narasimhan, Product Manager of SharePoint, as reported in MSDN blog about Office Store, explains that one of the goals of Office Store is to give a chance for developers. With the million users of Microsoft Office all over the world, Narasimhan mentions that the potential market of apps for Office platform is really big.
Moreover, although the user is individual, Office and Sharepoint users are most likely work in an office and company. So, if there is a need to download a paid app, user can use company’s budget to fulfill this need.
Furthermore, Narasimhan explains that for the paid app, Microsoft will take 20% of the price. But, Microsoft will let developer to sell their products by themselves, if they want to. To that end, developers only need to create free app which gives a link to the developer’s website.
Apps For Office and SharePoint Developer Contest
To get developers to develop apps for Office, Microsoft holds Apps For Office and SharePoint Developer Contest. The contest to develop apps for Office and SharePoint promises main price of USD 10 thousand for a winner and 15 XBox + Kinnect packages for 15 winners.
Developers who want to participate in the contest is expected to submit their app by November 20, 2012 at the least. Judges will assess the app based on 5 categories, namely intuitive and easy to use, design aesthetics, app performance, relation to Office and SharePoint platforms; and data usage from third party.
To develop an app for Office and SharePoint platforms as well as participating in the contest, you can read the documentation on this page.