As expected, Microsoft launched tools intended to enable Android developers to more easily port apps to its Windows Phone 7 platform. This follows availability of similar offerings for Apple’s iOS platform, which were announced in May 2011. Its package consists of an API mapping tool, which the company compared to a “translation dictionary,” and a whitepaper. With versions now available for Android and iOS, Microsoft has still not expressed any intention to offer similar tools for the Symbian OS developer community, despite the fact that Nokia has now abandoned this platform in favour of WP7.

Microsoft said that when it opened its API mapping tool, it invited developers to offer ideas about which areas should be covered. It says that it has now introduced the possibility to add comments directly on the existing mapping, for users who want to provide additional details or noting inaccuracies.