Microsoft provided some more details of its Windows Phone 8 platform to developers, highlighting the availability of additional monetisation options and broader geographic distribution.

In a blog post, Microsoft’s Todd Brix said that Windows Phone 8 will support in-app purchasing, providing an alternative income stream to paid app sales or ad-funding. Tools for managing in-app commerce will be provided via the App Hub portal, including the ability to generate sales reports.

The Marketplace will also be available in 180 countries at launch, compared to the 63 available for the Marketplace for WP7.5 apps. Developers will also be able to submit apps for these markets via App Hub, compared with the 38 markets where this is available today.

In addition, the enhanced enterprise features of Windows Phone 8 were noted as providing developers with an additional way to generate revenue, through the introduction of the Company Hub for business-focused apps. It said that this provides “a new market for developers who specialise in building and licensing these line-of-business apps.”

Also noted were additional distribution options, including the ability to pre-load apps on to microSD cards, and the ability for operators and device makers to more easily feature apps via their branded Marketplace storefronts.

The company said that Marketplace and App Hub have both been rebuilt from the ground-up, to make them “more robust and scalable” – issues for which the company has been criticised previously. Brix said that “you can look forward to faster certification and publishing times, better reporting options and more.”

New features supported by App Hub include the ability to filter apps by screen resolution and other characteristics, enabling apps to be targeted by device type – “thus increasing customer satisfaction and lowering your support costs."