Electronista: “Microsoft is hoping to bolster its early Windows Phone 7 app list with those made by its staff in their free time, a memo obtained Thursday said. As part of the same note that promised free WP7 phones to staff, mobile lead Andy Lees encouraged workers to write their own apps to help support the launch. The company is further rolling out an employee developer program to fast-track apps made unofficially within Microsoft.”
Could be a nice little side business for Microsoft employees.
I haven’t looked into it, but without an explicit “moonlighting” agreement, no Microsoft employee could make money from this. And if an employee *did* want to make money from it, the employee would have to use all non-Microsoft equipment and get the developer tools the same as anyone outside the company would.
It might be an indirect route to money since a good app might make you famous and you could parlay that into a new job or business, but it’s not going to be directly from this.
@Tommy – Maybe they’re going to make an exception so they can get some apps in the store? Either that or they’re expecting you to “take one for the team” and give them away?