In a recent gathering of many tech enthusiasts on mobile devices, the discussion steered towards Nokia (how could it not?). People tended to like the new Lumia phones due to its colourful interface, wireless charging and deep social networking integration. The next question was on how to develop mobile apps for these devices?  Nokia has come up with new new programs that enable developers to make the most of the new devices coming out of Nokia. They are:

1. Nokia Ad Exchange
2. Nokia Premium Developer Program

The Nokia Ad Exchange (NAX) is a simple way of generating revenue from the in app advertising (banners, full-screen ads, text etc). From one of the my Nokia developer friends, this is the most lucrative way of generating the revenue for mobile developers. The NAX is not a single network but aggregates over 120 advertising networks worldwide with options to choose the type of ads that you want to receive in your app. You will also be able to monitor the stats (e.g. CTR, impressions) for your app. The best of it all is that the same NAX can be used on various platforms (i.e. including Series 40 and Symbian, iOS, Android and Blackberry).

I say that every Nokia Lumia developer needs to be on the Nokia Premium Developer Program. The subscription will set you back by USD 99 or approx INR 5200. As we will see, the value far outweighs the cost of this program. This program is focused on providing the Nokia developers the tools to make their app stand out in the marketplace. So, what are the tools included in the toolkit that are going to make your app pop?

1. Yearly subscription to Microsoft Developer Center. This $99 subscription is quintessential in case you want to put up your application in the Windows Phone marketplace (duh!). This falls in the category of MUST Have.
2. Telerik RadControls for Windows Phone. The real win for you is in the user experience of your application. RadControls gives you wonderful user experience widgets that will make your app standout in the crowded marketplace. Not only are RadControls good for user experience but also they give you the enhanced capabilities with least amount of code. Extensive learning resources are available that would get you to a flying start.
   And in case you get stuck at anything, Telerik support staff would answer it within 24 hrs. Raise a support ticket if you face any issue (via your telerik.com account).
3. 12 months subscription to Buddy Cloud APIs. If you want to integrate functionalities like global user accounts, photo albums, messaging, friends/groups functionality, push notifications Buddy cloud quickly gets you started with it. Developers are advised to watch for the no. of API calls that they make. Over 1,000,000 calls/ month will be charged.
4. 2 Nokia support tickets. For those difficult days when things are not going quite right

If you are a Nokia Developer, you can now make truly world class application with the resources available to you. In addition, if you are in India and have an issue getting started with the Telerik RadControls for Nokia Lumia, you can call us on +91-124-4300987 and speak to Dhananjay on ext 201. He already has a video ready for you on this.

In the meantime, I am off to hunt for a Lumia 920 in India.