Microsoft has begun publishing a new variety of apps called "WebApps" that are simple, repackaged versions of existing mobile sites for Windows Phone devices.
The new apps appear in the Windows Phone app store under the title WebApps, and they're free to download and behave like normal apps.
"We are helping people access great mobile experiences on Windows Phone by creating pinnable Web Apps that show up in the app list," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement obtained by ZDNet.
The company has an ulterior motive, though; "These are not a replacement for native apps," the statement continues. "In most cases we hope that usage of the Web App will encourage the ISV to publish its own native app."
App holes
The new downloadable WebApps include repackaged sites from Southwest Airlines, the Food Network, Cars.com, Lowe's, TMZ, Progressive insurance, Orbitz, Atari, CarMax, 1-800-FLOWERS, and more, for a total of around 50.
Windows Phone has long suffered from a lack of apps, despite developer incentive programs and plenty of assurances from Microsoft that all the big apps available on iOS and Android will eventually be available on its platform.
It's not surprising that Microsoft would try to encourage more app makers to jump on board its mobile OS like this, and it also makes it look like there are more actual apps available in Microsoft's app marketplace by filling the selection with easily created web apps.
Meanwhile, the company is said to be working on a joint app store for Windows Phone and Windows 8 - and possibly even Xbox - as it works toward unifying its fragmented operating system landscape.
Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/microsoft-is-repackaging-mobile-sites-as-windows-phone-apps-1191685
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