Though rolling out updates appears to be something of a problem for Microsoft, the firm is having much more less trouble garnering developer support for Windows Phone 7.

Detailed in the latest post on the Windows Phone developer blog, Microsoft's Todd Brix says the platform's app tally now stands at 9,000 – that's 1,000 titles up in less than a month. 

Apps away

"There are many ways to measure the vitality of a marketplace and I’m pleased to report that we're seeing strong results across several fronts; from the number of available apps and popularity of our tools, to more tangible developer benefits stemming from monetisation opportunities that drive downloads and sales," says Brix in the entry.

"And of course, our recently announced partnership with Nokia represents a big step forward in our efforts to create a vibrant ecosystem for developers."

Brix adds that those 9,000 apps come from more than 32,000 registered developers, each one delivering an average of 100 new apps a day – the same rate Microsoft revealed at Mobile World Congress.

Try before you buy

As an aside, Brix offers some advice for newcomers to the platform, claiming Windows Phone 7's trial set up – which allows users to try out apps for free – is proving especially popular.

"Paid apps that include trial functionality are downloaded 70 times more than paid apps that don't include trial functionality, expanding the number of potential customers to purchase the full paid version," adds Brix.

"Nearly one out of 10 trial apps downloaded convert to a purchase and generate 10 times more revenue, on average, than paid apps that don't include trial functionality."

Microsoft's stats suggest trials also convert to paid downloads more quickly. More than half of trials that end up as paid downloads do so within a day, and most of those with the first two hours.

[source: Microsoft]