Free upload of Windows Phone 7 apps for student developers in the Middle East and Africa

Prototype Interactive in association with Microsoft, today announced an initiative for student developers based around the new Yalla Apps portal. Students in the Middle East & Africa region can now use the recently launched platform to upload self-developed applications to the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace for free. 

The joint initiative is the perfect combination of creativity; encouragement and business opportunity for students in the region that will help generate thousands of new and exciting applications by leveraging their innovation and talent. 

Alexander Rauser, CEO of Prototype Interactive, which is a leading UAE based digital agency, said: “This initiative is one that will help expand the Windows Phone 7 student application development to benefit more than two million STEM-D (Science Technology, Engineering, Math and Design) students in the Middle East and Africa region. Students across the region are now able to get their personally developed applications out on the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace and get paid for their talent and development skills. We are hoping that this will encourage young developers to create compelling mobile content for the Windows Phone 7 platform.” 

Gustavo Fuchs Microsoft Mobility Director, Middle East & Africa commented: “At Microsoft, we are committed to creating new developer opportunities in Windows Phone 7. The Yalla Apps launch provided the perfect way to reach out to the developers in the region and this new initiative helps  us address the needs of our student developers. Combined with our Imagine Cup and the MEA Windows Phone 7 Challenge, the region’s students can now create applications, compete at regional and global levels and then monetize their applications across the world!” 

Students will be authenticated by their DreamSpark accounts and will receive a one year subscription for free which includes 100 points. Students from nearly 100 countries in the Middle East and Africa region can benefit from this initiative. 

Yalla Apps will now make it very easy for students to distribute their applications on the portal through a simple and accessible process. Prototype Interactive and Microsoft will further utilize the Yalla Apps community to facilitate development support so that student developers can get their applications distributed as fast as possible. 

Yalla Apps also offers developers the opportunity to download Windows Phone 7 application templates, sample code and components to get a quick start in their application development. Moreover, developers can also upload their own code and share it with the community either on a free or paid basis. A Forum Module will also be available on Yalla Apps which will allow developers a chance to discuss and get insights into the latest Windows Phone 7 developer tools and enhance their development experience. 

The Yalla Apps portal was launched during Microsoft’s Tech-Ed conference in Dubai in early March 2011.