Four years back, the Microsoft Windows store was launched. At the same time, the Windows 8 release brought the concept of UWP (Universal Windows platform), and the platform was supercharged with Windows 10 launch. The universal apps are those applications that provide the same experience across all the Windows devices such as smartphone, tablet, PC, laptop, hololens and more.

That’s splendid! Finally, a big push towards new universal apps begin to reap the amazing benefits. From top-honchos to an average Joe started making their app to the Windows store.

As with UWP, the duplication of efforts to engineer the apps for a range of devices is alleviated. Similarly, in 2015, Microsoft had begun working on the Centennial Bridge project. It is famously known as a desktop bridge for the Windows application developers.

What the Centennial Bridge project is?

The project is aimed to port the Win32 (Windows Desktop Applications) apps to the Windows store using Desktop App Converter to make them compatible with UWP with trivial efforts. This way, the traditional Windows desktop apps can be easily made available on Windows store. But, there is one limitation that the project runs just on the desktop Windows systems with x86 processors.

What’s so cool about Project Centennial Bridge? Take a quick look at this:

• Native support will be provided to the Win32 apps on Windows store
• No issues with installation, upgrade and uninstallation of Desktop apps
• UWP functionalities can be added to desktop application
• No need to build the apps from scratch, so no re-writing of codes for Windows 10
• Apps can be easily recovered or re-installed when the user makes a switch to another PC
• The apps can be easily converted to Windows 10

Another twist in the game is Evernote, doubleTwist, Arduino IDE, MAGIX Movie Edit Pro, PhotoScape, and Virtual Robotics Kit are names to few Windows desktop applications, which will soon debut the Windows store.

For instance: With a desktop app converter, the developers can not only migrate the Win32 apps to Windows store, but the app can be refashioned leveraging UWP existing functionalities. In Evernote, UWP APIs are used to integrate live tiles and Cortana digital assistant.

This attempt will definitely allure the top-grade app makers to the Windows store to make their app onto the Windows store with less friction.

What’s next?

Presently, 16 million Win32 apps are available in the market and Windows 10 is running on more than 350 million devices. This signifies when the conversion of such a high number of desktop apps would kick-off, certainly, the Universal application platform would hit another mark in the Microsoft’s history.

With this release, Microsoft also makes the work of developers easier with Desktop Bridge support from three installer technologies- Flexera Software with InstallShield, Caphyon with Advanced Installer and FireGiant with WiX, and with the access to a range of tools and new APIs. It allows the developers to build an app package in no more time with the available desktop app.

The great news!

The developers can download the available Desktop App Converter squarely from the Windows Store. With this, all the tooling updates, bug fixing, latest features and more would become available spontaneously.

What to do?

If you have rolled the ball of desktop application development or already have existing desktop application, then it’s time to make the app reach all Windows 10 devices like- smartphones, HoloLens and Xbox One.