REDMOND'S BIGGEST EMPLOYER, no stranger to clinging to the coat-tails of its more creative competitors, is evidently about to launch a challenge to Apple's eye-wateringly successful App Store.

A job ad on computerjobs.com suggests that the new services, to be called Skymarket, will be launched alongside Windows Mobile 7 in the very near future.

Not surprising when you consider that Apple's effort racked up $30 million in sales in its first month. And we all know how Mr Ballmer and his Volish cohorts hate to hear cash registers kerching-ing when there's not a single Microsoft product in sight.

Skymarket, which is also described in the advert as 'Windows Mobile Maketplace' will almost certainly follow the Apple model of offering direct downloads of Microsoft and third party software.

Start date is 'ASAP' so it looks like the folks at Redmond might be in a hurry to fill the new post which, amongst other attributes, requires applicants to have ten years of marketing, product planning or product management skills (at least five of them in the mobile phone industry) and an MBA.

Better dust off the old CV then. µ

L'Inq
Job Advert